Bar Leone Leads Asia's Ascent in The 50 Best Bars 2026

Asia may occupy fewer places than Europe and the Americas in The 50 Best Bars 2026, but its position near the summit tells a more compelling story. Hong Kong's Bar Leone retains the title of The World's Best Bar for a second consecutive year, Bangkok's Bar Us reaches No.4, and Seoul's Zest rises to No.7. Three of the first seven places belong to Asian cities. Meanwhile, significant advances elsewhere underline the region's growing international recognition. The numbers are modest; the company they keep is rather less so.

Unveiled in Milan on 7 October, the 18th edition spans 26 cities and includes 14 new entries. Europe accounts for 18 bars and the Americas for 17, together claiming 35 of the 50 positions. Asia accounts for 14 bars, including Dubai's Mimi Kakushi. Although the Middle East is often grouped with North Africa under the MENA designation, that grouping is regional rather than continental: Dubai and Abu Dhabi are in the United Arab Emirates, geographically part of Western Asia. The awards recognise the Middle East separately, but its venues still fall within Asia's geographical total. The United States has four entries, all in New York; the Americas' broader strength also rests on Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Brazil and Argentina. Against this distribution, Asia's leading ranks and upward movement deserve attention beyond a simple venue count.

Bar Leone's repeat victory anchors that story. Opened in 2023 and co-founded by Lorenzo Antinori, the Central neighbourhood bar brings Roman drinking culture to Hong Kong through its Cocktail Popolari philosophy, or "cocktails for the people". Expertly made classics, smoked olives, and a mortadella sandwich sit in an informal setting of wood finishes, football memorabilia, and nostalgic Italian references. Its appeal rests on the pleasure of a well-run neighbourhood bar, with hospitality carrying as much weight as what arrives in the glass.

The trajectory has been unusually swift. Bar Leone debuted at No. 1 on Asia's 50 Best Bars in 2024 and entered the global ranking at No. 2 that year. In 2025, it became the first Asian bar to reach the world's top spot. Retaining that distinction in 2026 gives the achievement greater substance: international acclaim has endured beyond the initial breakthrough. Its success also shows the breadth of an Asian bar scene shaped by cultural exchange, where an Italian-led concept can become a defining part of Hong Kong's hospitality landscape.

Hong Kong places four bars in the top 50, sharing the distinction of the most represented city with Paris and New York. Argo returns at No. 25, while Montana enters at No. 36 and Gokan at No. 41. Together, these results show a broader base beneath Bar Leone's headline victory. The city's performance combines an established world leader with returning recognition and fresh arrivals, demonstrating its continued capacity to attract and develop ambitious bar concepts.

Bangkok follows with three entries and one of the year's most striking performances. Bar Us climbs from No.15 in 2025 to No.4, up 11 places, becoming the highest-ranked Bangkok venue in this edition. Its tasting-menu approach to drinks, moving between starters, mains and afters, puts culinary thinking at the centre of the experience. Reaching the global top five brings substantial recognition to a bar whose identity has developed around flavour, texture and the relationship between eating and drinking.

Dry Wave Cocktail Studio makes an equally noteworthy move, entering the top 50 at No. 27 after appearing at No. 88 in last year's extended ranking. That is a rise of 61 places across the full top 100. Led by Supawit "Palm" Muttarattana, Dry Wave has built its reputation through Super Classics that combine familiar cocktails into new compositions. BKK Social Club completes Bangkok's showing at No.30, up 19 places from No.49, giving all three of the city's representatives a clear upward trajectory.

Seoul and Guangzhou further support that momentum. Zest moves from No.16 to No.7, gaining nine places and joining Bar Leone and Bar Us in the top ten. Hope & Sesame rises from No.29 to No.12, up 17 places after its global top 50 debut in 2025. For the Guangzhou bar, which was crowned No.1 on Asia's regional list earlier this year, the result extends its recognition internationally. The regional and global rankings differ, but both now place Hope & Sesame firmly among the industry's leading venues.

Singapore and Tokyo each contribute two bars. Jigger & Pony is No.18 and Nutmeg & Clove No.38, while Tokyo is represented by Bar Benfiddich at No.44 and Virtù at No.48. Singapore's results carry a mixed picture: Jigger & Pony moves down from No.9, while Nutmeg & Clove advances 12 places from No.50. Bar Benfiddich also falls from No.18. Asia's progress is therefore uneven, as any competitive ranking will be, but the strongest gains in Bangkok, Seoul and Guangzhou give this edition a particularly persuasive regional story.

Western Asia adds another dimension to the continent's showing. Dubai's Mimi Kakushi retains The Best Bar in the Middle East title at No. 42, contributing the fourteenth Asian venue in the top 50. Its place alongside bars in Hong Kong, Bangkok, Seoul, Guangzhou, Singapore and Tokyo extends Asia's geographical reach westward to the Gulf.

Europe remains the most represented continent, led by host city Milan's Moebius Milano at No. 2, which takes The Best Bar in Europe title. Athens' Line reaches No. 5, joined by The Bar in Front of the Bar at No. 19 and newcomer Barro Negro at No.40. Paris contributes The Cambridge Public House at No. 13, Bar Nouveau at No. 15, new entry De Vie at No. 23 and Danico at No. 26. London's Connaught Bar is No. 8, joined by Satan's Whiskers at No. 29 and newcomer Waltz at No. 32. At the same time, Barcelona's Sips and Paradiso occupy No. 16 and No. 17.

The Americas' strongest results are notably distributed beyond the United States. Cartagena's Alquímico reaches No. 3 and earns The Best Bar in South America title. Mexico City's Handshake Speakeasy lands at No. 6 and wins The Best Bar in North America, while the city's Bar Mauro debuts at No. 10. Lima's Lady Bee reaches No. 9, bringing three Latin American bars into the top ten. New York's Schmuck enters at No. 11, joining Sip & Guzzle at No. 14, Martiny's at No. 46 and fellow newcomer Bar Snack at No. 49. São Paulo's Exímia debuts at No. 20, extending the Americas' strong showing across several countries.

In Australasia, Melbourne's Caretaker's Cottage is No.45 and The Best Bar in Australasia. Africa's destination honour goes to Front/Back in Accra at No.80, outside the top 50, as the Ghanaian capital makes its first appearance in the extended ranking. Although Africa has no venue in the main 50 this year, Accra's arrival brings a new destination into the wider conversation.

Asian influence also extends beyond the bars' addresses. Japanese bartender and entrepreneur Shingo Gokan receives the Roku Industry Icon Award, recognising a career connecting New York, Shanghai, Tokyo and Hong Kong. His venues include Speak Low, The SG Club, and Sip & Guzzle, the latter ranked No. 14 in New York this year, alongside Hong Kong's newly listed Gokan. His contributions span bar creation and mentorship, with a career built across several cities that now shape international cocktail culture.

Tokyo-born Takuma Watanabe receives the Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award, the global edition's peer-voted individual honour. Co-founder and Beverage Director of New York's Martiny's, ranked No.46, Watanabe has spent more than fifteen years developing his career in the city. His exacting approach to drinks and care for staff and guests have made Japanese hospitality central to his work. The connection with Gokan is especially fitting: a meeting with the then Angel's Share bar manager helped bring Watanabe to New York. Their recognition this year reflects both individual achievement and the lasting influence of mentorship across borders.

The individual honours also recognise emerging talent. Ecuador's Isa Mejia receives The 50 Best Bars Scholarship, earning placements at Line in Athens and Tres Monos in Buenos Aires. Mejia's work draws on South and Central American heritage, applying fermentation techniques to ancestral ingredients such as Andean corn while giving low- and no-alcohol drinks the same attention as conventional cocktails. Alongside the career-spanning recognition for Gokan and the peer-voted honour for Watanabe, the scholarship supports a bartender earlier in their professional journey.

The special awards recognise achievements beyond a bar's overall position. Abu Dhabi's Saikindō receives the SevenRooms Best Bar Design Award for its interpretation of a Japanese listening bar at Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island. Its speaker-inspired architecture, acoustics and layered interiors bring Japanese influences into a contemporary Gulf setting. Athens' Line receives the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award, recognising a concept built around fermentation, circular production and zero-waste principles. At the same time, Cartagena's Alquímico earns the Michter's Art of Hospitality Award.

Edinburgh's Panda & Sons wins the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award for Transcend, which combines storytelling with inventive techniques and serves designed to challenge perceptions. Barcelona's Paradiso receives the Rémy Martin Legend of the List Award for its sustained performance across editions. The Nikka Highest Climber Award goes to Athens' The Bar in Front of the Bar, which rises 28 places to No. 19 within the top 50; this is distinct from Dry Wave's larger move from the extended ranking into the main list.

Mexico City's Bar Mauro claims the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award at No. 10, while New York's Schmuck receives the Three Cents Best New Opening Award at No.11. The latter recognises the highest-ranked entrant among bars opened during the voting period. Melbourne's Three Horses, ranked No.84 in the extended list, receives the Campari One to Watch Award, identifying it as a venue with the potential to enter the top 50 in the future.

For Asia, this edition's significance lies in the combination of leading positions, substantial climbs, and recognition for people whose careers cross continents. Bar Leone's second world title establishes continuity at the summit, while Bangkok's collective advance and the gains made by Zest and Hope & Sesame broaden the achievement. Europe and the Americas still account for most of the list, yet several of its most consequential movements come from Asia. With Gokan and Watanabe honoured alongside those venues, the region's contribution is visible both in where the world drinks and in the people who shape the experience.

Credits

Article: Wariya Intreyonk

Photos: courtesy