Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 Announced In Macau

Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 and its prestigious cocktail-bar awards ceremony just took place in Macau. Asia’s 50 Best Bars launched in 2016, and, for this ninth edition, the list was more dazzling and diverse than ever.  

In Macau tonight the cocktail world’s elite gathered for the ninth edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier.

This year marked a milestone moment for the awards, with the ceremony being held in the vibrant entertainment capital for the first time, hosted in collaboration with destination partners Wynn Macau and Wynn Palace. Cue lots of pre-parties in the Wynn Palace’s theatrical, throw-back Wing Lei Bar, its sophisticated Palace Reserve Club, and across its venues, and beyond, at Wynn Macau, and at other bars and restaurants across Macau. 

Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 Reflects A Year of Unprecedented Growth

The extended 51-100 list, revealed two weeks ago, already hinted at the remarkable diversity and innovation driving Asia’s bar scene. With 14 new entries spanning 23 destinations, the continent’s cocktail culture continues to push boundaries and redefine what exceptional drinking experiences can be.

“I think people are traveling primarily to try places to eat and drink and that’s driving more diversity in destination choices,” Emma Sleight, 50 Best’s Head Of Content mused at the Meet The Bartenders event hours before the ceremony. “And that’s a good thing for Asia’s bar scene.”

Singapore maintained its dominance with six bars on the extended list, including new entry Side Door at No.53, while Seoul, Shanghai, Taipei and Tokyo each claimed four spots. The emergence of bars from Shenzhen, Phnom Penh and Kaohsiung marks exciting new chapters in Asia’s cocktail story.

Last Year’s Historic Moment At Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024

The 2024 ceremony in Hong Kong delivered one of the most shocking moments in 50 Best Bars history. Bar Leone, the one-year-old neighborhood bar in Central Hong Kong, achieved the unprecedented feat of debuting directly at No.1 – the first time in the awards’ history that a new entry claimed the top spot. Founded by bartender Lorenzo Antinori, the bar’s philosophy of ‘cocktail popolari’ (cocktails for the people) resonated with the Academy’s 265-member voting panel.

Bar Leone’s success wasn’t just about the drinks – though their low-intervention, seasonal approach to classic cocktails certainly impressed. The bar’s atmosphere, with its burnt orange banquettes, mahogany bar, church candles and 70s-80s Italian pop soundtrack, created a space that felt both homely and high-end.

The Regional Powerhouses Reflected In Last Years Asia’s 50 Best Bars List 

Singapore’s cocktail scene continued to set the standard, with Jigger & Pony claiming the title of The Best Bar in Singapore for an incredible fifth consecutive year in 2024. The Lion City’s Atlas took home both the inaugural Bareksten Best Bar Design Award and the Rémy Martin Legend of the List Award, cementing Singapore’s reputation as a design-forward cocktail destination.

Seoul’s Zest, the intimate low-waste bar, claimed the No.2 spot and The Best Bar in Korea title in 2024, showcasing how sustainability and exceptional cocktails can go hand in hand. The city’s continued representation in this year’s extended list, with four bars making the 51-100 rankings, proved Seoul’s growing influence in the region.

At Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 Emerging Destinations Made Their Mark

The 2024 and 2025 lists reveal exciting developments across previously underrepresented markets. India’s cocktail scene gained significant recognition with Bengaluru’s ZLB23 claiming The Best Bar in India title, while Delhi’s Sidecar, led by industry legend Yangdup Lama (2024’s Roku Industry Icon), continues to showcase Indian bartending talent on the global stage.

Vietnam’s emergence has been particularly impressive, with Hanoi’s The Haflington making its debut in 2024 with an immersive, vintage-themed space inspired by The British Museum. And this year’s extended list saw Workshop14 joining the ranks at No.83, blending innovation with tradition using local ingredients, and from the same team as the Haflingon, with the addition on locally-based bearded beverage wizard Richard McDonough.

Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 Highlights Innovation Across The Region

The 2025 extended list revealed fascinating trends shaping Asia’s cocktail culture. Bangkok’s Messenger Service (debuting at No.90) crafts creative cocktails from unconventional ingredients like betel leaf and fermented rice, while Goa’s Bar Outrigger (No.55) brings rum-forward tiki culture to the Indian coast.

The emergence of Shenzhen’s Obsidian Bar at No.51 – a dark, dramatic three-storey space serving vintage whisky and craft cocktails – demonstrates how China’s cocktail scene continues to evolve beyond traditional gateway cities.

The Announcement Of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 

As the ceremony unfolded at Wynn Macau, the big question remained: could any bar replicate Bar Leone’s historic debut at No.1? The smart money might be on a favorite like Zest, but Asia’s 50 Best Bars list has proven that surprises are always possible.

The ceremony also revealed this year’s special awards, including the Roku Industry Icon, Nikka Highest Climber Award, and the London Essence Best New Opening Award. These accolades often provide the most compelling stories, celebrating the individuals and establishments pushing the industry forward.

Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 List

And so, Bar Leone in Hong Kong has clinched the coveted title of The Best Bar in Asia and The Best Bar in Hong Kong, sponsored by Perrier, for the second year in a row, at the live awards ceremony for Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025.

With 20 new entries, the most in recent years, the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 list was a testament to the boundary-pushing creativity of Asia.

At No.2 was the sustainability-forward ZEST in Seoul, a position it retains from 2024, making it The Best Bar in Korea, sponsored by Tia Maria, for the third year running. Another consistent presence in the top five is the plush drinking den Jigger & Pony in Singapore at No.3, making it The Best Bar in Singapore, sponsored by Torres Brandy, for the sixth consecutive year. Climbing 17 places to No.4 is Bar Us in Bangkok which took the title of The Best Bar in Thailand, sponsored by Amaro Lucano. A newcomer to the list, Dry Wave Cocktail Studio, also from Bangkok, debuted at an impressive No.5 while clinching the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award.

Bars from Indonesia claimed four spots, all of which were list debutants, headlined by Jakarta’s Modernhaus at No.12, named The Best Bar in Indonesia, sponsored by Three Cents, and winner of the Three Cents Best New Opening Award. The St. Regis Bar Jakarta debuted at No.22, offering an opulent space, beverage rituals, handpicked glassware and live jazz.

And Carrots Bar, an intimate venue in SCBD with a culinary-focused cocktail menu, entered the list at No.34. Rounding off Indonesia’s showing was Cosmo Pony at No.38, a joint venture between Singapore’s Jigger & Pony Group and The Union Group that’s designed as a stylish living room for Jakarta’s cocktail crowd.

The Special Awards At Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025

The ceremony also celebrated exceptional achievements across the industry with a comprehensive array of special awards:

The Campari One To Watch Award went to Workshop14, Hanoi (No.83 on the extended 51-100 list), a rising star bar that has all the right ingredients to break into the 1-50 list in the future. Located on Hanoi’s scenic West Lake, Workshop14 fuses innovation and tradition in their modern drinks made with native Vietnamese ingredients, all served in a space where traditional craftsmanship meets contemporary design.

Best Bar Design Award went to Bangkok’s Messenger Service (No.90) which was recognized by a special panel of judges for outstanding design excellence.

Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award went to Sora in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (No.65 on the extended 51-100 list) for its groundbreaking zero-waste beverage initiative. From reusable containers and ethically sourced, local ingredients to a waste-free ethos, every cocktail at Sora is a conscious choice that spotlights Cambodian flavors through the mythical lens of Japanese storytelling.

The Michter’s Art Of Hospitality Award went to Barc (No.35), the Nepalese bar recognized for its exceptional service excellence.

The Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award went to Backdoor Bodega (No.64), Penang, Malaysia, was chosen by the academy chairs for their outstanding cocktail menu.

The Rémy Martin Legend of the List Award went to Bangkok’s Vesper (No.29) which received this honor for being featured on every Asia’s 50 Best Bars list since 2016, demonstrating consistent excellence over nearly a decade.

The Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award went to Hope & Sesame’s K Andrew Ho who received this peer-voted award, the only award determined by industry professionals themselves.

The Nikka Highest Climber Award went to Alice Seoul (No.13) which was recognized for climbing an impressive 33 places in the rankings.

Three Cents Best New Opening Award went to Modernhaus, Jakarta (No.12), a bar created by nightlife veterans Mirwansyah Bule and The Union Group, which was honored for blending mid-century style with modern cocktails while achieving the highest ranking for Indonesia.

The Roku Industry Icon Award went to Jay Khan of Hong Kong and Shanghai’s Coa (No.17 and No.85, respectively) who was crowned as an industry stalwart, presented by Andrew Pang.

And the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award went to Bangkok’s Dry Wave Cocktail Studio (No.5) which was recognized for their impressive debut ranking.

50 Le Chamber, Seoul, Korea
49 Bar Libre, Tokyo, Japan
48 Bar Sathorn, Bangkok, Thailand
47 Reka, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
46 Lamp Bar, Nara, Japan
45 Native, Singapore
44 Cat Bite Club, Singapore
43 Opium, Bangkok, Thailand
42 Moonrock, Tainan, Taiwan
41 To Infinity & Beyond, Taipei, Taiwan
40 The Public House, Taipei, Taiwan
39 Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
38 Cosmo Pony, Jakarta, Indonesia
37 Bar Spirit Forward, Bengaluru, India
36 Punch Room Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
35 Barc, Kathmandu, Nepal
34 Carrots Bar, Jakarta, Indonesia
33 Gokan, Hong Kong
32 Savory Projects, Hong Kong
31 ZLB23, Bengaluru, India
30 Boilermaker, Goa, India
29 Vesper, Bangkok, Thailand
28 Soka, Bengaluru, India
27 Penicillin, Hong Kong
26 G.O.D Bangkok, Thailand
25 Yakoboku, Kumamoto, Japan
24 Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
23 Offtrack, Singapore
22 The St. Regis Bar, Jakarta, Indonesia
21 Mo Bar, Shenzhen, China
20 Vender, Taichung, Taiwan
19 BKK Social Club, Bangkok, Thailand
18 Virtu, Tokyo, Japan
17 Coa, Hong Kong
16 CMYK, Changsha, China
15 ThreeXCo, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
14 Smoke & Bitter, Hiriketiya, Sri Lanka
13 Alice, Seoul, Korea
12 Modernhaus, Jakarta, Indonesia
11 Argo, Hong Kong
10 Penrose, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
9 Bar Bennfidich, Tokyo, Japan
8 Lair, New Delhi, India
7 Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou, China
6 Bar Cham, Seoul, Korea
5 Dry Wave, Bangkok, Thailand
4 Bar Us, Bangkok, Thailand
3 Jigger & Pony, Singapore
2 ZEST, Seoul, Korea
1 Bar Leone, Hong Kong