Bar Leone – an Italian cocktail bar in central Hong Kong – has been named the best bar in Asia. It’s an impressive achievement considering the place has only been open a year.
“We didn’t expect this,” co-founder Lorenzo Antinori told CNN shortly after the awards ceremony.
A native of Rome, he originally pursued a career in law, but discovered that he enjoyed his part-time work behind the law more than studying for the law.
“We have a bar scene in Hong Kong that is vibrant. It has always been very strong, but I see that after the pandemic new ideas and new business models emerged”, added Antinori. “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 consider categories such as drink quality. , level of service and that intangible quality that could be called “vibration”.
Before Bar Leone’s triumph, the top spot was held by another Hong Kong bar, the mezcal striker Côawhich spent a record three years at the top of the list.
Coa is run by Jay Khan, whose latest venture – Hong Kong’s The Salty Project – was recognized for being the best debut of the year.
When Coa was announced in fourth place, many participants gasped.
However, Khan, sporting his signature black baseball cap, was among the cheering crowd for Bar Leone’s big win. “One day we won’t 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 that received well-deserved praise. Craftroom became Osaka’s first representative on the list, ranking 28th, and Changsha’s CMYK, at 43rd, was the first bar in that Chinese city to be recognized.
The list, first created in 2017, this year added a new category that recognizes the best bar design. That award went to Singapore’s Atlas, a gin-centric bar whose striking interiors have made it popular on social media.
Also earning accolades as Bartender’s Bartender was Demie Kim of Seoul’s Zest, who placed second overall. Kim, who was born in Busan, originally worked as a barista before entering the cocktail industry.
Kim was recognized for his efforts to make Zest sustainable in its practices.
“Sustainability is not just 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, dynamic and constantly changing. Every time you visit a city it may have changed. New bars open all the time. I think it’s an incredibly exciting place to be.”
Fittingly, though, it was Antinori who had the last word. “Free drinks at Bar Leone for everyone tonight!” he shouted triumphantly, before leaning towards his colleagues and whispering, “The bar is closed tonight, right?”
Asia’s 50 Best Bars for 2024
1.Bar Leone (Hong Kong)
2. Enthusiasm (Seoul)
3. Jigger & Pony (Singapore)
4. Coa (Hong Kong)
5. Bar Benfiddich (Tokyo)
6. Nutmeg and 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. Eve (Bangkok)
14. Hope and Sesame (Guangzhou)
15. Sago House (Singapore)
16. Night Hawk (Singapore)
17. Dark Side (Hong Kong)
18. Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar (Bangkok)
19. The Salty Project (Hong Kong)
20. Bar Cham (Seoul)
21. Bar Us (Bangkok)
22. The St. Regis Bar (Macau)
23. The SG Club (Tokyo)
24. Penicillin (Hong Kong)
25. Off the Track (Singapore)
26. Quinary (Hong Kong)
27. Pantja (Jakarta)
28. Craft Room (Osaka)
29. Smoke and Bitters (Hiriketiya, Sri Lanka)
30. Seller (Taichung, Taiwan)
31. Native (Singapore)
32. Origin Bar (Singapore)
33. The Healer (Manila)
34. The Bellwood (Tokyo)
35. Analogous Initiative (Singapore)
36. Bar Trigona (Kuala Lumpur)
37. Bar Mood (Taipei)
38. Employees Only (Singapore)
39. Barc (Kathmandu)
40. ZLB23 (Bangalore, India)
41. Reka (Kuala Lumpur)
42. Fura (Singapore)
43. CMYK (Changsha, China)
44. The Public House (Taipei)
45. Practically 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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