Asia has more than 30 cities with populations greater than five million people, yet only two can lay claim to the top bar on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list.
Every year since the list’s inception, the continent’s best-ranked bar has been in either Hong Kong or Singapore.
The annual ranking is organized by William Reed Media, which also publishes The World’s Best Bars and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
“Asia’s 50 Best Bars was the first and is currently the only regional 50 Best ranking, with the inaugural list announced in 2016,” said Mark Sansom, the list’s content editor. “Asia has a huge variety of brilliant bars and cities that we felt needed recognizing as some of the leading cocktail capitals in the world.”
The ‘best bar’ in Asia
Over the last six years, five bars have topped the 50 Best list. Singapore gained an early edge in total wins, yet Hong Kong has had the “best bar” in Asia twice in the past three years.
Here’s the breakdown:
BARS THAT RANKED NO. 1
YEAR BAR LOCATION
2016 28 HongKong Street Singapore
2017 Manhattan Singapore
2018 Manhattan Singapore
2019 The Old Man Hong Kong
2020 Jigger & Pony Singapore
2021 Coa Hong Kong
SOURCE: ASIA’S 50 BEST BARS
Hong Kong’s Coa was named Asia’s best bar at this year’s awards, announced in May. The Mexican-inspired establishment, with a menu that leans heavily upon agave-based spirits, edged out Singapore’s Jigger & Pony, which fell to No. 2.
Coa, which launched in 2017, made its name with drinks such as the “Ancho Highball” with tequila blanco and salted plum and the “La Chinesca” with mezcal, cayenne pepper and ginger honey.
Hong Kong’s Coa was named the best bar in Asia in 2021.
Jay Khan (left) opened Hong Kong’s Coa, a Mexican-inspired bar named after the tool used to harvest agave.
Courtesy of Asia’s 50 Best Bars
Sansom said Coa clinched the top spot due to its “subtle agave education, relaxed vibes and a simply fantastic drinks list… combined with the great work they have been doing to support their community throughout the pandemic.”
The full list
Asia’s 50 Best Bars list is created by tabulating votes from 220 industry insiders who name five bars, in order of preference, that they most enjoyed during the past 18 months. At least one bar must be outside the voter’s country of residence.
An Old Fashioned, made with sugar sourced from Japan’s Hateruma island, at Singapore’s No. 2-ranked Jigger & Pony.
An Old Fashioned, made with sugar sourced from Japan’s Hateruma island, at Singapore’s No. 2-ranked Jigger & Pony.
Courtesy of Asia’s 50 Best Bars
“This method… means that bars cannot apply to be on the list, cannot be nominated, and no external influences (from William Reed or our sponsors) can influence the list,” reads 50 Best’s website.
The process also provides space for newcomers and opportunity for movement among the rankings, both of which are apparent on the 2021 list:
- Coa, Hong Kong
- Jigger & Pony, Singapore
- The SG Club, Tokyo
- Indulge Experimental Bistro, Taipei, Taiwan
- Sober Company, Shanghai
- Manhattan, Singapore
- Atlas, Singapore
- No Sleep Club, Singapore — new
- Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
- Caprice Bar, Hong Kong — No. 34 in 2020
- The Bamboo Bar, Bangkok
- Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Charles H, Seoul, South Korea — No. 29 in 2020
- Native, Singapore
- Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou, China — No. 36 in 2020
- Sidecar, New Delhi — No. 40 in 2020
- Bar Mood, Taipei, Taiwan
- Bee’s Knees, Kyoto, Japan
- Room By Le Kief, Taipei, Taiwan
- The Diplomat, Hong Kong — new
- 28 HongKong Street, Singapore
- Tropic City, Bangkok
- Tell Camellia, Hong Kong — new
- Aha Saloon, Taipei, Taiwan
- Quinary, Hong Kong
- The Pontiac, Hong Kong
- High Five, Tokyo
- The Wise King, Hong Kong
- Barbary Coast, Singapore — new
- Penicillin, Hong Kong — new
- Union Trading Company, Shanghai
- Speak Low, Shanghai
- Union Brasserie, Bakery & Bar, Jakarta, Indonesia
- Bar Cham, Seoul, South Korea
- Backstage Cocktail Bar, Bangkok
- Tippling Club, Singapore — No. 17 in 2020
- Junglebird, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- The Curator, Manila, Philippines
- D.Bespoke, Singapore — No. 23 in 2020
- Darkside, Hong Kong — new
- Alice, Seoul, South Korea
- The Old Man, Singapore — No. 22 in 2020
- Bar Trench, Tokyo
- Le Chamber, Seoul, South Korea
- MO Bar, Singapore
- Vesper, Bangkok — No. 11 in 2020
- Three X Co, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — new
- Teens of Thailand, Bangkok
- Sago House, Singapore — new
- Star Bar, Tokyo
Of the eight bars making their first appearance on the list, half are in Hong Kong, the most of any city in Asia. That doesn’t surprise John Nugent, co-founder of The Diplomat, a speakeasy-style bar in Hong Kong’s Central district which, at No. 20, was the highest ranking new bar to open in Asia this year.
“Hong Kong has always been a city willing to push the envelope,” he told CNBC Travel. “We have seen and will continue to see fun, interesting and exciting bars in the near future.”
John Nugent, co-founder of The Diplomat, the highest ranking new bar on “Asia’s 50 Best Bars” list.
The Diplomat’s John Nugent told CNBC its “extremely fun” to be part of Hong Kong’s new bar scene “which are owned and operated by bartenders themselves.”
Courtesy of The Diplomat
Nugent is opening a new martini bar in Hong Kong this summer, and he’s heard rumors of new bar openings in the neighborhood, he said. He described the area as recently being “just a couple of takeaway kebab joints, but now we have three ’50 Best Bars’ within 30 seconds of each other.”
New in 2021: the expanded list
Despite its name, Asia’s 50 Best Bars published an expanded list of bars that ranked from 51 to 100 this year, a first for the organization.
“The 51-100 list gives us the opportunity to recognize a greater number of amazing bars, especially during this difficult period for the hospitality industry,” said Sansom. “It was great to see new destinations such as Sri Lanka and Vietnam appear for the first time on the list.”
Plus, he said consumers now have “double the choice of expert-approved drinking destinations” as they make travel plans in the months ahead.
Hong Kong has three bars on the extended list:
- The Old Man — No. 2 on last year’s list
- 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana
- The Shady Acres
Singapore has six: - Gibson
- Employees Only
- Ah Sam Cold Drink Stall
- Live Twice
- The Other Room
- Junior The Pocket Bar
Individual awards
A final lens through which to evaluate Asia’s cocktail capital are the individual honors the 50 Best organization awards to specific bars and people. Together, Hong Kong and Singapore secured seven of those nine awards.
This year, these Hong Kong establishments took home individual awards:
Quinary — Heering Legend of The List award, for a bar that consistently ranks well year after year
The Diplomat — London Essence Best New Opening, honoring a new bar that opened with the highest ranking
Caprice Bar — joint winner with New Delhi’s Sidecar of the Nikka Highest Climber award, for the bar that has risen the most in rankings in a year
Penicillin — Ketel One Sustainable Bar award, for the bar with the strongest commitment to sustainability
