The search for India’s best bars of 2026 is underway with 30BestBarsIndia, now in its seventh edition. 30BestBarsIndia has now unveiled the Top 100 Long List for the year, compiled through a poll of the 125+ member Long List jury. A total of 108 bars made the Top 100 Long List in 2026, and the list spans 17 cities and Goa. And in a surprise turn of events, Goa has overtaken Mumbai to lead the country with the highest representation in the list with 20 bars. Let’s take a detailed look at the Top 100 Long List by 30BestBarsIndia’s seventh edition.
In 2026, a total of 108 bars made the cut following tied scores, and the list spans 17 cities and Goa. 42 of these are first-time entries, making this the most competitive edition to date. Additionally, apart from the usual metro cities of Mumbai, New Delhi, etc., bars from non-metro cities like Indore, Mangalore, and Trivandrum have made an outstanding debut in the list.
In total, eight non-metro markets feature on the list, reflecting the growing strength of bar markets beyond India’s traditional metro markets. Compared to previous years, the list shows significant movement and increased competition, with 42 bars being first-time entrants.
While one might assume that Mumbai would be above Goa in terms of representation on the list, that is not the case in the 2026 Top 100 Long List. Goa has overtaken Mumbai with the highest representation in the list with 20 bars. This is followed by New Delhi with 19, Mumbai with 18, Bengaluru with 15, and Kolkata with 9.
Pune shows the sharpest decline, down to just one bar from six the previous year.
In 2026, 42 first-time entrants showed up on the list, compared to the 36 in 2025, showing a 17% increase in first-time entrants.
Other notable cities with bars in the list include Jaipur, Shillong, Guwahati, Udaipur, Amritsar, Mangalore, and Trivandrum. Among these, Indore, Mangalore, and Trivandrum made their debut on the 2026 Top 100 Long List.
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Award Categories In The Top 100 Long List
These are some of the categories – Best Bar, Best Independent Bar, Best Hotel Bar, Best Restaurant Bar, Best Bar Design, Best Work in Sustainability, Best Non-Alcoholic Cocktail Menu, People’s Choice Best Bar, and more.
Vikram Achanta, Co-Founder, 30BestBarsIndia, says, “One of the more interesting shifts this year is the range of ideas coming through in the list. We are seeing more bartender-led and independent bars, along with venues built around distinctive concepts and clear points of view. It reflects a generation of operators who are thinking beyond simply opening a bar and looking to build experiences with a strong identity. That variety is making the competition more interesting.”
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Radhakrishnan Nair, Co-Founder, 30BestBarsIndia, says, “The 2026 list shows just how much the competitive set is widening. We have 42 new entrants, three cities making the list for the first time, and eight non-metro markets now represented alongside India’s established bar capitals. It is a clear indication that the pool is getting deeper and that bars across the country are having to work harder to earn a place among India’s best.”
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The 30BestBarsIndia 2026 journey will now move into the next stage of the awards process, proceeding to the Top 50, and eventually concluding with the announcement of the 30 best bars and winners across award categories.
Before that, 30BestBarsIndia will take the conversation beyond the list and into Kolkata from September 25 to September 27, 2026, for its first-ever Kolkata Cocktail Weekend.
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30BestBarsIndia has announced its Top 100 Long List for the year. The list, for the first time, has more Goa bars than those in Mumbai. Additionally, non-metro cities are showing an exceptional rise, with Indore, Mangalore, and Trivandrum making their debut in the 2026 list.
