Bar Leone – an Italian cocktail spot in central Hong Kong – has been crowned the best bar in Asia. It’s an impressive achievement, considering the venue has only been open for about a year.
“We were not expecting this,” co-founder Lorenzo Antinori told CNN shortly after the award ceremony.
A Rome native, he originally pursued a career in law but found himself enjoying his part-time job behind the bar more than he did studying for the bar.
“We have a bar scene in Hong Kong that is vibrant. It’s always been very strong but I can see that after the pandemic there were new ideas and new business models,” Antinori added. “Diversity and energy: those are the words we associate with the bar community here.”
The Asia’s 50 Best Bars ceremony was held at the Rosewood Hotel in Hong Kong’s Kowloon district on July 16. The awards are voted on by members of the bar industry, media and mixology experts in the region, and they look at categories like quality of drinks, level of service and that intangible quality that one might call “vibe.”
Before Bar Leone’s triumph, the top spot was held by another Hong Kong bar, mezcal-forward Coa, which spent a record three years atop the list.
Coa is helmed by Jay Khan, whose latest venture – Hong Kong’s The Savory Project – was recognized for being the year’s best new opening.
When Coa was announced in fourth place, many attendees audibly gasped.
However, Khan, sporting his signature black baseball cap, was among those cheering for Bar Leone’s big win. “One day we’re not going to be crowned number one, and that’s okay,” Khan told CNN last year after the awards ceremony.
A clear winner was Singapore, with eleven bars in the top 50. But there were also new destinations getting well-deserved shoutouts. Craftroom became Osaka’s first-ever representative on the list, landing in 28th place, and Changsha’s CMYK, in 43rd, was the first ever bar from that Chinese city to be recognized.
“We are incredibly proud to represent Changsha and put this incredible city onto the global cocktail map,” a representative from CMYK told CNN. “We hope to motivate international guests to come and soak in the energy of the city, try our famous spicy dishes, and of course to visit CMYK and enjoy a drink with us.”
The list, which was first put together in 2016, added a new category this year recognizing best bar design. That accolade went to Singapore’s Atlas, a gin-centric bar whose striking interiors have made it popular on social media.
Also winning praise as the Bartender’s Bartender was Demie Kim of Seoul’s Zest, which came in second place overall. Kim, who hails from Busan, originally worked as a barista before getting into the cocktail industry.
Kim was recognized for his efforts to make Zest sustainable in its practices.
“Sustainability is not only for the environment,” he said in a statement. “Sustainability is also how we promote and preserve Korean bar culture.”
Emma Sleight, head of content for 50 Best Bars and 50 Best Hotels, told CNN that Asia’s bar scene “is one of the best in the world, it’s incredibly young and dynamic and ever-changing. Every time you visit a city it could have changed. New bars open all the time. I think it is an incredibly exciting place to be.”
Fittingly, though, it was Antinori who got the last word. “Free drinks at Bar Leone for everyone tonight!” he shouted triumphantly, before leaning over to his colleagues and whispering, “The bar is closed tonight, right?”
Asia’s 50 Best Bars for 2024
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 Cocktail Club (Jakarta)
13. Vesper (Bangkok)
14. Hope & Sesame (Guangzhou)
15. Sago House (Singapore)
16. Night Hawk (Singapore)
17. Darkside (Hong Kong)
18. Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar (Bangkok)
19. The Savory Project (Hong Kong)
20. Bar Cham (Seoul)
21. Bar Us (Bangkok)
22. The St. Regis Bar (Macao)
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, Sri Lanka)
30. Vender (Taichung, Taiwan)
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, India)
41. Reka (Kuala Lumpur)
42. Fura (Singapore)
43. CMYK (Changsha, China)
44. The Public House (Taipei)
45. Mostly Harmless (Hong Kong)
46. Alice (Seoul)
47. The Halflington (Hanoi)
48. Le Chamber (Seoul)
49. Atlas (Singapore)
50. Pine & Co (Seoul)
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