Hong Kong’s Bar Leone was crowned Best Bar in Asia on Tuesday (Jul 16) night at the Asia’s 50 Best bars live ceremony held in Rosewood Hong Kong. It was the first time in 50 Best Bars’ history that a new entrant has clinched the top spot.
There was a shuffle among last year’s top five bars this year. Seoul’s Zest rose three spots to be the first runner-up followed by the third-placed Jigger & Pony, Singapore’s best bar for the fifth consecutive year. Last year’s top bar in Asia, the agave and mezcal focused Coa, is now fourth while Tokyo’s Bar Benfiddich is No. 5.
Bar Leone, a neighbourhood bar located in Hong Kong’s popular Central bar district, is based on the concept of “co*cktail popolari” or “co*cktails for the people” where straightforward classic co*cktails are served with winsome fare like mortadella sandwiches.
Antinori, who helmed award-winning hotel bars in London, Seoul and Hong Kong before opening his own concept, said: “Bar Leone is a project of love, a celebration of simplicity, where peopl feel comfortable and welcomed. It’s all about having a living-room vibe and we being generous and good hosts.”
There are 18 cities represented in this ninth edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, with a total of 15 new entries, such as Changsha’s CMYK (No.43), Bengaluru’s ZLB23 (No.40) and Kathmandu’s Barc (No.39).
This year’ list sees some of the most drastic movements in recent years, highlighting the industry’s competitiveness. Several bars in the top 50 have fallen into the extended list by as many as over 56 spots, but it does not necessarily indicate a drop in standards, such is the volatility of such rankings year on year.Singapore has 11 bars on the list, the most from any city. This includes Nutmeg and Clove (No.6), Sago House (No.15), Analogue Initiative (No.35), Employees Only (No.38) and new entrants Night Hawk (No.16), Offtrack (No.25) and Origin (No.32).
For the first time, a Malaysian bar, Kuala Lumpur’s Penrose (No.8), skyrocketed 42 places to break into the top 10, which is typically dominated by bars from Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo and Seoul. It also earned the Nikka Highest Climber Award. Other meteoric rises include Taichung’s Vender (No.30) and Hiriketiya’s Smoke & Bitters, both of which leapfrogged 11 places. Guangzhou’s Hope & Sesame (No.14) shot up 25 spots.
Special awards were also given out during the ceremony. Bangkok’s Dry Wave co*cktail Studio (No. 73) won The Campari One to Watch, which is awarded to the bar deemed most likely to break into the top 50 list in the future. Taipei’s Nest by Pun won the Siete Misterios Best co*cktail Menu Award, while Singapore’s jazz age-inspired gin bar Atlas took home the new Bareksten Best Bar Design Award 2024. Hong Kong’s The Savory Project (No. 19) took home the London Essence Best New Opening Award. Fura (No. 42) took home the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award for its commitment to low-carbon footprint in their food and drinks menu.
Bartender and entrepreneur Yangdup Lama, who owns New Delhi’s Sidecar (No.84) bar, was named the Roku Industry Icon 2024 for mentoring young bartenders and advocating for regional ingredients. Accepting their pre-announced awards at the ceremony were Virtu in Tokyo, winner of the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award, and Dohyung ‘Demie’ Kim from Seoul, winner of the peer-voted Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award.
The extended list of 51-100 winners, which was first introduced in 2021, was announced on Jul 9. Singapore leads that list with eight bars, including new entrant Cat Bite Club (No. 77) at Duxton Road. The other bars were No Sleep Club (No. 60), which moved up 14 places; Stay Gold Flamingo (No. 63); The Elephant Room (No. 65); Manhattan (No. 69); and Last Word (No. 93). Among the 15 new entries on the list was debutante Southbank Cafe + Lounge (No. 82) from Mutinlupa City in the Philippines.
The 50 Best lists of restaurant, bars and hotel rankings are organised by independent media group William Reed. The Asia’s 50 Best Bars is a compilation of anonymous votes from the 265-member strong Best Bars Academy, which consists of a gender-balanced group of industry educators, bartenders, bar owners and co*cktail aficionados. Each voter can cast seven votes with up to five from their own home country and the results are adjucated by Deloitte.
Here is the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 list:
*new entry
**re-entry
1, Bar Leone, Hong Kong*
2. Zest, Seoul
3. Jigger & Pony, Singapore
4. Coa, Hong Kong
5. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
6. Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
7.BKK Social Club, Bangkok
8. Penrose, Kuala Lumpur
9. Argo, Hong Kong
10. The Aubrey, Hong Kong
11. Virtù, Tokyo
12. The co*cktail Club Jakarta
12. Vesper Bangkok
14. Hope & Sesame Guangzhou
15. Sago House Singapore
16. Night Hawk, Singapore*
17. Darkside, Hong Kong
18. Mahaniyom co*cktail Bar, Bangkok
19. The Savory Project, Hong Kong*
20. Bar Cham, Seoul
21. Bar Us, Bangkok*
22. The St. Regis Bar (Macau), Macau*
23. The SG Club, Tokyo
24. Penicillin, Hong Kong
25. Offtrack, Singapore*
26. Quinary, Hong Kong
27. Pantja, Jakarta
28. Craftroom, Osaka*
29. Smoke & Bitters, Hiriketiya
30. Vender, Taichung
31.Native, Singapore
32. Origin Bar, Singapore*
33. The Curator, Manila
34. The Bellwood Tokyo
35. Analogue Initiative, Singapore
36. Bar Trigona Kuala Lumpur
37. Bar Mood, Taipei**
38. Employees Only Singapore
39. Barc, Kathmandu*
40. ZLB23, Bengaluru*
41. Reka, Kuala Lumpur*
42. Fura Singapore
43. CMYK Changsha*
44. The Public House Taipei
45. Mostly Harmless, Hong Kong
46. Alice, Seoul
47. The Haflington, Hanoi*
48. Le Chamber Seoul
49.Atlas Singapore
50. Pine & Co Seoul*
