Time Out Bar Awards judging criteria

Award criteria

Best Wine Bar

The Best Wine Bar Award winner must:

-carry a varied and interesting wine list, offering something different for drinkers at all levels in an attractive and convivial environment  
-employ friendly wine professionals that make the subject approachable and fun, providing excellent service while demonstrating expertise in their field
-exhibit an understanding of their cultural context and relevance to their environment
-be a standalone bar; whether independent or attached to another establishment, the consumer should be able to experience the bar as a standalone entity
-demonstrate originality in their approach
-deliver a refined, excellent product and experience
-provide the consumer with a unique experience
-show care and skill in the layout, design and environment of their bar
-showcase welcoming, relevant and knowledgeable personalities behind the bar
-be on balance, in the opinion of the judges, the wine bar that best exemplifies the above qualities in the 12 months prior to the award being given
-a complementary food offering will be considered a plus

Best Cocktail Bar

The Best Cocktail Bar Award winner must:

-be innovative, yet still master the classics, demonstrating expertise in their field
-be willing to educate new cocktail drinkers rather than intimidate
-exhibit understanding of cultural context and relevance to their environment
-provide the consumer with a unique, quality experience, exhibiting a strong point of difference
-provide a unique, inclusive experience
-show care and skill in the layout, design and environment of their bar
-house expert personalities behind the bar
-be on balance, in the opinion of the judges, the cocktail bar that best exemplifies the above qualities in the 12 months prior to the award being given.

Best Pub

The winner is the one pub that in the considered, impartial opinion of Time Out’s judging panel best exemplifies, in general, the following virtues during the 12 months prior to the award:

-exceptionally friendly, inclusive, welcoming service and atmosphere
-expertise in operating and marketing their venue, providing a best-possible consumer experience, in line with the values of Time Out critics and the Time Out audience
-cultural significance and relevance to their locality
-refinement and excellence of product; pertinently a well poured and relevant, up-to-date and well considered beer selection and a strong food menu
-a reasonable selection of other drinks (eg cider, spirits, wine, etc.)
-a unique, quality experience, exhibiting a strong point of difference or X-factor
-relevance within the beer/pub/hotel industry
-care and skill in the layout, design and environment of their pub
-welcoming and knowledgeable personalities behind the bar
-original activities and entertainment options
-being a destination pub that customers would willingly cross town to visit

Best Bar Food 

The Best Bar Food Award winner must:

-demonstrate creativity, quality and originality without straying into the realms of a full restaurant experience
-be a standalone bar; whether independent or attached to another establishment, the consumer should be able to experience the bar as a standalone entity
-display a refined (delicious!) product in sync with the cultural momentum within their city
-demonstrate originality in their approach
-provide the consumer with a unique experience
-be relevant within their city’s F&B industry
-show care and skill in the layout, design and environment of their bar
-showcase welcoming, relevant and knowledgeable personalities behind the bar and at the table

Best Bar Team 

The Best Bar Team Award winner must:

-demonstrate a strong team of bartenders across the board. There can be no weak link
-create a great atmosphere, where every drinker feels special
-make delicious drinks
-be experts in conversation as well as hospitality

Rising Talent Award

This award celebrates the next generation of the city's movers and shakers in the bar world. Each year we ask industry tastemakers to anonymously elect their favourite up-and-comers.

The Rising Talent Award winner must:

-have worked in the city of the Award for over 6 months
-be a bartender who has made significant progress through the ranks, and has gained the attention of the industry and more senior peers in the past year
-demonstrate personality and service skills that are a cut above that mark them as a bartender to watch
-be on balance, in the opinion of the judges, the bartender who best exemplifies the above qualities in the 12 months prior to the award being given
-not be a previous winner of this award 

Bartender of the Year

This award is judged by Time Out with the advice of an industry panel.
The Bartender of the Year Award winner must:

-have over five years experience in bartending
-have worked in the city of the Award for over six months
- demonstrate expertise in their field, from making the perfect cocktail to making a customer feel at home and personally catered for in their bar
-show creativity and flair – the ability to create cocktails spontaneously
-exhibit an understanding of their cultural context, and their relevance to the city
-be willing to educate new cocktail drinkers rather than intimidate take a leading role in the hospitality offering of their bar
-be relevant within the bar industry
-be regularly serving customers in the bar
-be someone whose personality and service style draws customers to the bar
-be on balance, in the opinion of the judges, the bartender who best exemplifies the above qualities in the 12 months prior to the award being given.
-not be a previous individual winner of this award (tied/group winners remain eligible)

Legend Award

The Legend Award winner may be a person, organisation or venue. They must:

-demonstrate greatness and local fame in their field
-have cultural relevance to their city, and environment
-exhibit longevity (10+ years within the industry)

Best New Bar

Best New Bar award winner must:

-have opened within the last 12 months
-summarise a cultural moment or new movement in the city
-provide a new, unique, original experience and product, relative to the existing cultural context, city and environment
-be somehow relevant to the bar industry

The design, personality, service and quality of product (drink) will also be considered.

People’s Choice Award

Readers nominate their favourite bar on the website. The bar with the most votes wins the award.

Bar of the Year

Bar of the Year is as much a comment on the city’s drinking habits as it is a measure of quality. The Bar of the Year Award winner must:

-deliver its product in a captivating and original format
-operate with friendly, accessible, inclusive, welcoming service and atmosphere
-demonstrate expertise in operating and marketing their venue, providing a best-possible consumer experience, in line with the values of Time Out critics and the Time Out audience
-demonstrate expertise in their specific field
-exhibit understanding of cultural context and relevance to their city, and environment
-show originality of concept
-deliver a highly refined, excellent product and experience
-offer a unique experience
-be relevant within the bar industry
-showcase excellent design, service, personalities, accessibility and atmosphere
-be on balance, in the opinion of the judges, the bartender who best exemplifies the above qualities in the 12 months prior to the award being given
-have been open for at least 6 months