Some travel for relaxation, others travel for adventure, while still others travel for food – or even drinks (the boozy kind). If that last bit piqued your interest, the 50 Best Academy has just unveiled Asia’s 50 Best Bars for 2024, highlighting the most impressive spots around the region to indulge in word-class cocktails.
Announced at a live awards ceremony in Rosewood Hong Kong, the annual list is based on a voting process by a gender-balanced group of 256 bartenders, bar owners, drinks writers, and cocktail aficionados who place independent and anonymous votes for what they believe constitutes a “best bar experience”.
Take a closer look at the Best Bars in Destination below for your next bar hop around Asia, followed by the full list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024.
The Best Bar in Hong Kong & Asia: Bar Leone, Hong Kong (No. 1)
Topping the list at No. 1 is Bar Leone, claiming the coveted titles of The Best Bar in Hong Kong and The Best Bar in Asia, sponsored by Perrier. Opened in mid-2023 in Hong Kong’s Central district, Bar Leone also won the Disaronno Highest Climber Award 2024 – an impressive, record-breaking feat for a new entry on the list to take the crown.
Guided by its core philosophy, ‘cocktail popolari’ (meaning ‘cocktails for the people’, the bar focuses on speed, consistency and simplicity in its drinks programme. You’ll find spirits and ingredients found on almost every backbar on the menu, with a penchant for Italian bottles. Must-try drinks here include the classic Negroni and Leone Martini, best enjoyed with its signature bar snack, the mortadella sandwich.
15 Bridges St, Central, Hong Kong
The Best Bar in South Korea: Zest, Seoul (No. 2)
South Korea had a strong showing of nine bars on the list this year, but it was Zest that emerged as the best bar in the country for the second consecutive year. Founded by the well-respected Dohyung ‘Demie’ Kim – winner of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2024 – along with fellow bar stalwarts Sean Woo, Jisu Park and Noah Kwon, Zest offers a cocktail list crafted with uncommon local spirits and ingredients such as Jeju orange (hallabong) and Gujwa village carrots.
Minimalist is the name of the game here as the bar has no bottles or labels on display, even keeping its waste to a minimum too. Its sustainable efforts span from upcycling ingredients to creating its own carbonated drinks to eliminate plastic and can wastage.
B1 26 KR 55 Dosan-daero 55-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
The Best Bar in Singapore: Jigger & Pony, Singapore (No. 3)
Jigger & Pony has consistently stayed in the top 10 of the list for the past six years, so it’s no surprise that the bar has been named The Best Bar in Singapore once again in 2024. The bar is known for its creative magazine menus, or what the team calls “menuzines”, featuring 20 distinctive cocktails that include non-alcoholic options and punch bowls.
Among the creative concoctions that loyal patrons keep coming back for are Strawberry Fields, a blend of tequila, local strawberries and strawberry blossoms; and Smashing Sundae, a gin and vodka base mixed with melon, green tea, shiso and vanilla ice cream to bring you back to your childhood. Coupled with inventive bar snacks and vibrant hospitality, Jigger & Pony continues to live up to its reputation and shows no signs of stopping.
165 Tanjong Pagar Road, 088539, Singapore
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The Best Bar in Japan: Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo (No. 5)
This apothecary-inspired bar is no stranger to the list, having cinched a spot for the past five years. Just last year, owner and bartender Hiroyasu Kayama deservingly won the Roku Industry Icon award for his many talents – from cultivating and employing native flora at his family-owned farm in Saitama to running a one-man show behind the bar.
Set on the 9th floor of a commercial building in Shinjuku, Bar Benfiddich transports guests to a fantastical world with its cultural relics and homemade infusions. Patrons will find more than 100 varieties of absinthe and vintage glassware adorning the whimsical space. With only 15 seats to spare, the bar offers an intimate display of Kayama’s fascinating showmanship through bespoke cocktails incorporating his self-grown harvest.
9F, 1 Chome-13-7, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku City, 160-0023 Tokyo
The Best Bar in Thailand: BKK Social Club, Bangkok (No. 7)
Tucked within the prestigious Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok, BKK Social Club exudes glitz and glamour at every corner, juxtaposed against its surrounding lush gardens. The three-time leading bar in Thailand is helmed by industry veteran and Berlin native Philip Bischoff, previously of Manhattan in Singapore. Warm, thoughful hospitality sets guests up for a memorable evening here, bolstered by a well-curated bar programme.
Taking inspiration from Argentina, the menu is designed to represent the places, people and celebrations from Buenos Aires’ bar scene in the 1970s and 1980s. Drinks are made with ingredients linked to the country’s famed personalities such as footballer Diego ‘Hand of God’ Maradona and the first lady of Argentina, Evita Perón. On the other hand, the food menu complements the libations with Mexican and Thai fare that offer spicy, sour, and rich flavours.
300, 1 Charoen Krung Rd, Khwaeng Yan Nawa, Khet Sathon, Bangkok
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The Best Bar in Malaysia: Penrose, Kuala Lumpur (No. 8)
Rising an impressive 42 spots to claim the title of The Best Bar in Malaysia and the Nikka Highest Climber Award after only debuting last year, Penrose is a testament to Kuala Lumpur’s burgeoning cocktail scene. Since opening in August 2022, the bar has attracted a stready stream of visitors to its sleek hideout in the city’s Chinatown, where bar-counter seating encourages conversations and intimate service.
Helmed by founder and head bartender Jon Lee, Penrose’s cocktail menu revolves around the principles of functionalism, simplicity and modernity. Paying homage to classics while employing carefully chosen ingredients, each cocktail embodies five pillars: alcohol, flavour, taste, body and dilution. This unique bar philosophy – combined with the team’s meticulous attention to the ambience, service and music – makes the cocktail journey at Penrose an easy hit among customers.
149, Jalan Petaling, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur
The Best Bar in Indonesia: The Cocktail Club, Jakarta (No. 12)
Since its debut in Jakarta’s cocktail scene in 2021, The Cocktail Club has gone from strength to strength every year. Cementing its position as The Best Bar in Indonesia for the third time, the upper floor establishment in Senopati is the playground of Indonesian bar veteran Kiki Moka and his dedicated team of bartenders.
Leather armchairs, stained glass windows and vintage posters give the saloon its old-time charm, featuring a hook-shaped counter that gives guests a front-row seat to the team’s warm service. Moka explores local ingredients and experimental flavour combinations in his menu, which earned the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award in 2023. If you prefer classics, the bar is also known for its Irish coffee and dry martini, the latter of which is poured straight from the freezer.
Jl. Senopati No.39, Senayan, Jakarta, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta
The Best Bar in Taiwan: Vender, Taichung (No. 30)
Vender’s name plainly hints at its concept of dispensing bottled cocktails and beers through vending machines. To enter the premise, guests must insert a coin into one placed at the entrance. Helmed by Summer Chen, who co-founded the bar together with her partner Darren Lim, Vender’s fun concept and creative cocktails make it The Best Bar in Taiwan.
The cocktail menu has nods to Chen’s bartending stint in Singapore, with drinks like Singapore Sling as well as herbs and spices from the country and its surrounding region on the list. Even its food segment offers delectable Southeast Asian dishes such as bak kut teh and chilli crab.
No. 118, Wuquan West 4th St, West District, Taichung
Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024
1. Bar Leone, Hong Kong – new entry
2. Zest, Seoul
3. Jigger & Pony, Singapore
4. Coa, Hong Kong
5. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
6. Nutmeg & 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. Vesper, Bangkok
14. Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou
15. Sago House, Singapore
16. Night Hawk, Singapore – new entry
17. Darkside, Hong Kong
18. Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar, Bangkok
19. The Savory Project, Hong Kong – new entry
20. Bar Cham, Seoul
21. Bar US, Bangkok – new entry
22. The St. Regis Bar, Macau – new entry
23. The SG Club, Tokyo
24. Penicillin, Hong Kong
25. Offtrack, Singapore – new entry
26. Quinary, Hong Kong
27. Pantja, Jakarta
28. Craftroom, Osaka – new entry
29. Smoke & Bitters, Hiriketiya
30. Vender, Taichung
31. Native, Singapore
32. Origin Bar, Singapore – new entry
33. The Curator, Manila
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 – new entry
40. ZLB23, Bengaluru*
41. Reka, Kuala Lumpur – new entry
42. Fura, Singapore – new entry
43. CMYK, Changsha – new entry
44. The Public House, Taipei
45. Mostly Harmless, Hong Kong
46. Alice, Seoul
47. The Haflington, Hanoi – new entry
48. Le Chamber, Seoul
49. Atlas, Singapore
50. Pine & Co, Seoul – new entry
Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 51-100 list
In case you need more bar suggestions to add to your bucket list, scroll on to discover the fourth iteration of the extended 51-100 list.
51. Soko, Seoul
52. Backdoor Bodega, Penang
53. Tokyo Confidential, Tokyo – new entry
54. Epic, Shanghai
55. Lamp Bar, Nara
56. Three X Co, Kuala Lumpur
57. Republic, Singapore
58. Stir, Ho Chi Minh City
59. The Bombay Canteen, Mumbai
60. No Sleep Club, Singapore
61. To Infinity & Beyond, Taipe
62. Tropic City, Bangkok
63. Stay Gold Flamingo, Singapore
64. Yakoboku, Kumamoto
65. The Elephant Room, Singapore
66. Mizunara: The Library, Hong Kong
67. Honky Tonks Tavern, Hong Kong
68. Lair, New Delhi – new entry
69. Manhattan, Singapore
70. Coley, Kuala Lumpur
71. The Old Man, Hong Kong
72. Under Lab, Taipei – new entry
73. Opium, Bangkok
74. Folklore, Tokyo – new entry
75. Bee’s Knees, Kyoto
76. Gold Bar, Tokyo
77. Cat Bite Club, Singapore – new entry
78. 28 Hongkong Street, Singapore
79. The Han-jia, Tainan – new entry
80. Junglebird, Kuala Lumpur
81. The Hudson Rooms, Hanoi – new entry
82. Southbank Cafe + Lounge, Muntinlupa City – new entry
83. Firefly, Bangkok – new entry
84. Sidecar, New Delhi
85. The Sailing Bar, Nara
86. Bulgari Ginza Bar, Tokyo – new entry
87. High Five, Tokyo
88. The St. Regis Bar, Jakarta – new entry
89. Gong Gan, Seoul – new entry
90. Asia Today, Bangkok
91. The Bamboo Bar, Bangkok
92. Sober Company, Shanghai
93. Last Word, Singapore
94. Wu (Nothingness), Taipei – new entry
95. Charles H, Seoul
96. Home, New Delhi
97. Tell Camellia, Hong Kong
98. Dry Wave Cocktail Studio, Bangkok – new entry
99. Drinking & Healing, Ho Chi Minh City – new entry
100. Moonrock, Tainan
For more information about Asia’s 50 Best Bars, visit the official website. Follow @50bestbars on Instagram for more updates.
