Following the announcement of the extended 51-100 list last week, Asia’s 50 Best Bars for 2024 was unveiled last night at a live awards ceremony in Hong Kong, hosted in collaboration with the Hong Kong Tourism Board. The prestigious event saw the attendance of over 300 bartenders, bar owners/operators, industry professionals, and esteemed media from around the region.
Three bars from Malaysia have secured spots on the list, bringing the total number of Malaysian bars in the Top 100 to seven – the highest ever since the introduction of the extended list. Penrose leads the pack, climbing an impressive 42 spots to take the Nikka Highest Climber Award at No. 8. This commendable feat also breaks the record for the highest Malaysian bar on the list in history, with the previous record of No. 10 set by Omakase + Appreciate in 2016. Meanwhile, fellow KL bar Bar Trigona maintains its position at No. 36; whereas Reka, previously No. 65 on the extended list, joins the top 50 for the first time at No. 41.
Once again, Singapore tops the rankings with 11 bars on the list, led by Jigger & Pony at No.3, earning it the title of The Best Bar in Singapore for the fifth consecutive year. Hong Kong also had a strong showing with nine spots in the rankings, including a Disaronno Highest New Entry award in first place, won by newcomer Bar Leone. This marks the first time in 50 Best Bars history that The Best Bar in Asia (and also The Best Bar in Hong Kong) is a new entry on the list. The one-year-old neighbourhood bar in Central, Hong Kong, is founded by bartender Lorenzo Antinori and embodies the Italian ethos of ‘cocktail popolari’ or ‘cocktails for the people’.
“We are thrilled to be back in Hong Kong celebrating Asia’s vibrant bar community. The region’s bars continuously redefine exceptional drinking experiences, showcased by the talent and creativity at this year’s winning establishments,” said Emma Sleight, Head of Content for Asia’s 50 Best Bars. “Huge congratulations to the tour de force that is Lorenzo Antinori and the whole team at Bar Leone for the impressive – and previously unheard of – feat of entering the ranking at No. 1. This is undoubtedly a strong testament to the bar’s irreverent and casual approach to cocktails, design, service and hospitality.”
This year’s 50 Best list comprises bars spanning 18 different cities across Asia, including 15 new entries. The rankings are based on a voting process by a 265-member Academy, who place independent and anonymous votes for what they believe constitutes a “best bar experience”. Discover the full list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars for 2024 below.
Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024
1. Bar Leone, Hong Kong* (The Best Bar in Hong Kong & The Best Bar in Asia, sponsored by Perrier)
2. Zest, Seoul (The Best Bar in Korea, sponsored by Naked Malt)
3. Jigger & Pony, Singapore (The Best Bar in Singapore, sponsored by Tia Maria)
4. Coa, Hong Kong
5. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo (The Best Bar in Japan, sponsored by Torres Brandy)
6. Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
7. BKK Social Club, Bangkok (The Best Bar in Thailand, sponsored by Scrappy’s Bitters)
8. Penrose, Kuala Lumpur (The Best Bar in Malaysia, sponsored by Nikka Whisky)
9. Argo, Hong Kong
10. The Aubrey, Hong Kong
11. Virtù, Tokyo
12. The Cocktail Club, Jakarta (The Best Bar in Indonesia, sponsored by Amaro Lucano)
13. Vesper, Bangkok
14. Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou (The Best Bar in Mainland China, sponsored by Matusalem)
15. Sago House, Singapore
16. Night Hawk, Singapore*
17. Darkside, Hong Kong
18. Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar, Bangkok
19. The Savory 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. Offtrack, Singapore*
26. Quinary, Hong Kong
27. Pantja, Jakarta
28. Craftroom, Osaka*
29. Smoke & Bitters, Hiriketiya (The Best Bar in Sri Lanka)
30. Vender, Taichung (The Best Bar in Taiwan, sponsored by Mancino Vermouth)
31. Native, Singapore
32. Origin Bar, Singapore*
33. The Curator, Manila (The Best Bar in The Philippines)
34. The Bellwood, Tokyo
35. Analogy Initiative, Singapore
36. Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur
37. Bar Mood, Taipei (re-entry)
38. Employees Only, Singapore
39. Barc, Kathmandu* (The Best Bar in Nepal)
40. ZLB23, Bengaluru* (The Best Bar in India)
41. Reka, Kuala Lumpur*
42. Fura, Singapore*
43. CMYK, Changsha*
44. The Public House, Taipei
45. Mostly Harmless, Hong Kong
46. Alice, Seoul
47. The Haflington, Hanoi* (The Best Bar in Vietnam)
48. Le Chamber, Seoul
49. Atlas, Singapore
50. Pine & Co, Seoul*
Other special awards
Campari One to Watch Award: Dry Wave Cocktail Studio, Bangkok
Disaronno Highest New Entry Award: Bar Leone, Hong Kong
Nikka Highest Climber Award: Penrose, Kuala Lumpur
Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award: Virtù, Tokyo
London Essence Best New Opening Award: The Savory Project, Hong Kong
Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award: Fura, Singapore
Rémy Martin Legend of the List Award & Bareksten Best Bar Design Award: Atlas, Singapore
Roku Industry Icon Award: Yangdup Lama
Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award: Dohyung ‘Demie’ Kim
Read more: 4 Malaysian bars make it to Asia’s 50 Best Bars 51-100 list
The Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 awards ceremony was streamed live and is available to view on The World’s 50 Best Bars Facebook and 50 Best Bars TV YouTube channel. For more information about Asia’s 50 Best Bars, visit the official website here. Follow @50bestbars for more updates. Check out FirstClasse Malaysia’s Instagram page for more updates directly from Hong Kong!