Once more, Bar Leone from Hong Kong retained its number one spot at this year's Asia’s 50 Best Bars list. Again, taking home both The Best Bar in Asia and The Best Bar in Hong Kong, these accolades further cement Bar Leone's reputation in the cocktail world. With an ethos cribbed from the Roman's cocktail popolari—“cocktails for the people”—concept, Bar Leone channels classic cocktails with the laid-back energy of Rome’s Trastevere district. Held in Macau yesterevening, the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 awards saw an evening of jubilance and upset to the list.
Second and third place were still retained by Seoul's Zest in Seoul and Singapore's own Jigger & Pony, respectively. This is Zest's third year in second place while Jigger holds on to third for its sixth consecutive year.
At fourth place, Bangkok's Bar Us leapfrogs 17 places and was also awarded Amaro Lucano's The Best Bar in Thailand title; another Bangkok entry—Dry Wave Cocktail Studio—took fifth placing and Disaronno's Highest New Entry Award.
Filling out the rest of the top 10 list are Seoul's Bar Cham at sixth; Guangzhou's Hope & Sesame at seventh; New Dehli's Lair at eighth; Tokyo's Bar Benfiddich at ninth and KL's Penrose at 10th.
Head of Content for Asia’s 50 Best Bars, Emma Sleight says that the evening's announcement was a showcase of Asia's ever-evolving bar map. "We’re thrilled to gather in Macau with Asia’s vibrant and passionate drinks community," Sleight says. "The region’s bars continue to redefine excellence in cocktail culture, as seen in the talent and creativity of this year’s winners. With 20 new entries, the most in recent years, this list is a testament to the boundary-pushing creativity of Asia, with truly memorable drink experiences waiting to be explored by cocktail enthusiasts."
Other than Jigger & Pony (which also won The Best Bar in Singapore, sponsored by Torres Brandy), four other Singapore bars were featured on the coveted list. Offtrack sits at No.23; Nutmeg & Clove at No.24; new entrant Cat Bite Club at No.44; and Native at No.45.
Let us not forget that there's an extended list (51-100) of other regional bars to keep an eye on. Workshop14 from Hanoi (No.83) is the winner of the Campari One To Watch Award; Bangkok's Messenger Service (No.90) took home the Best Bar Design Award; and Sora in Phnom Penh (No.65) earned the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award for its zero-waste cocktail programme.
Congratulations to those who made the list (both original and extended); make one of these water holes your next destination. Watch the video below for the rest of Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 list.
