The 2026 edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards was held at Wynn Palace Macau on 28 July 2026, with Hope & Sesame in Guangzhou claiming the No.1 spot and the title of The Best Bar in Asia, sponsored by Perrier. The ranking honoured 50 bars across 22 cities, with 14 new entries and two re-entries, a lineup that confirmed Mainland China’s arrival as a serious force in Asian cocktail culture, while Bangkok held firm as the region’s most densely represented city.
“This year’s ranking, voted for by over 300 independent Academy members across the region, showcases the remarkable depth and diversity of Asia’s bar scene — from Hope & Sesame’s well-earned ascent to No.1, to 14 new entries spanning emerging cities like Hiriketiya, Hanoi and Makati. It’s a clear reflection of how Asia’s cocktail culture is being shaped not just by its traditional capitals, but by a new generation of bars redefining what hospitality looks like across the region.” — Faye Huggett, Director of Community, Asia’s 50 Best Bars.
Best Bar in Asia: Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou
Hope & Sesame has been crowned The Best Bar in Asia 2026, sponsored by Perrier, capping a remarkable seven-year run on the 1-50 list and a No.29 finish on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025. Tucked behind a traditional Cantonese store in Guangzhou’s historic Dongshankou district, the speakeasy also takes the title of The Best Bar in Mainland China. Founders Bastien Ciocca and Andrew Ho, the latter last year’s Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award winner, built the win on a menu of technically ambitious drinks drawing on the shared culinary heritage of Chinese communities worldwide and Cantonese cuisine, with themes that shift seasonally around regional flavours and nostalgic tastes.
Malaysia Narrows to Two in Top 50
Kuala Lumpur’s representation on the list narrowed from four bars last year to two, though it retained The Best Bar in Malaysia title. Speakeasy Three X Co, hidden behind a pop-up barbershop in Bangsar Shopping Centre, climbs to No.32 and takes the country’s top honour, sponsored by NOAM. Bar Trigona, the opulent, beehive-inspired bar at Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, follows at No.38. Other Malaysian bars that made the 51-100 list include Reka (No. 63), Penrose (No. 64), new entry Cabinet 8 (No.65), Backdoor Bodega (No. 66) and Coley (No. 83). All in all, some representation is better than no representation.
New Frontiers: Bars Beyond the Established Capitals
Fourteen new entries and two re-entries pushed the list into cities rarely seen on it before. In Hanoi, Workshop14, last year’s Campari One To Watch winner, continues its rise to No.34, taking both The Best Bar in Vietnam and the Three Cents Best New Opening Award, with fellow Hanoi bar The Hudson Rooms entering fresh at No.46. In Makati, Problem Child debuts as The Best Bar in the Philippines, sponsored by Roku Gin, at No.44. On Sri Lanka’s south coast, Smoke & Bitters in Hiriketiya takes The Best Bar in Sri Lanka at No.29, alongside the pre-announced Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award. And in Macau, The St. Regis Bar returns to the list at No.45 as a re-entry, named The Best Bar in Macau.
Elsewhere, the established capitals held their ground rather than expanded. Hong Kong kept seven bars on the list, led by last year’s No.1 Bar Leone at No.3 (Best Bar in Hong Kong), with Gokan (No.22), Coa (No.24, Rémy Martin Legend of the List Award), Mius (No.36, Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award and SevenRooms Best Bar Design Award for Shelley Tai), Argo (No.37), Montana (No.47) and Penicillin (No.49). Singapore held steady on four spots led by Jigger & Pony at No.9, whose co-founder Indra Kantono received the Roku Industry Icon Award. Jakarta and Seoul each kept four bars, and India deepened its presence to three with Boilermaker in Goa taking The Best Bar in India.
Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026
- Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou
- Zest, Seoul
- Bar Leone, Hong Kong
- Dry Wave Cocktail Studio, Bangkok
- MO Bar Shenzhen, Shenzhen
- Bar Us, Bangkok
- Lennon’s, Bangkok
- Boilermaker, Goa
- Jigger & Pony, Singapore
- Obsidian Bar, Shenzhen
- Modernhaus, Jakarta
- Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
- Alice, Seoul
- Vender, Taichung
- Cosmo Pony, Jakarta
- Offtrack, Singapore
- Bar Sathorn, Bangkok
- Soka, Bengaluru
- Pony Up, Shanghai
- BKK Social Club, Bangkok
- Carrots Bar, Jakarta
- Gokan, Hong Kong
- Punch Room Tokyo, Tokyo
- Coa, Hong Kong
- Opium, Bangkok
- Virtù, Tokyo
- CMYK, Changsha
- Ralph’s Bar, Chengdu
- Smoke & Bitters, Hiriketiya
- Bar Spirit Forward, Bengaluru
- G.O.D, Bangkok
- Three X Co, Kuala Lumpur
- Bar Cham, Seoul
- Workshop14, Hanoi
- To Infinity & Beyond, Taipei
- Mius, Hong Kong
- Argo, Hong Kong
- Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur
- Bar Libre, Tokyo
- The Golden Tooth, Jakarta
- The Han-Jia, Tainan
- M+MS Bar, Seoul
- Origin Bar, Singapore
- Problem Child, Makati
- The St. Regis Bar (Macau), Macau
- The Hudson Rooms, Hanoi
- Montana, Hong Kong
- Aqua Bar, Bangkok
- Penicillin, Hong Kong
- Tiao, Beijing
Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026: Special Awards
Best Bar in Asia: Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou
Best Bar in Mainland China: Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou
Best Bar in Hong Kong: Bar Leone, Hong Kong
Best Bar in India: Boilermaker, Goa
Best Bar in Indonesia: Modernhaus, Jakarta
Best Bar in Japan: Punch Room Tokyo, Tokyo
Best Bar in Korea: Zest, Seoul
Best Bar in Malaysia: Three X Co, Kuala Lumpur
Best Bar in Singapore: Jigger & Pony, Singapore
Best Bar in Sri Lanka: Smoke & Bitters, Hiriketiya
Best Bar in Taiwan: Vender, Taichung
Best Bar in Thailand: Dry Wave Cocktail Studio, Bangkok
Best Bar in Vietnam: Workshop14, Hanoi
Best Bar in the Philippines: Problem Child, Makati
Best Bar in Macau: The St. Regis Bar (Macau)
Campari One To Watch Award: Hats Bar, Jakarta
Disaronno Highest New Entry: Lennon’s, Bangkok
Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award: Bar Us, Bangkok
Three Cents Best New Opening: Workshop14, Hanoi
Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award: Smoke & Bitters, Hiriketiya
Nikka Highest Climber: Bar Sathorn, Bangkok
Rémy Martin Legend of the List: Coa, Hong Kong
Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award: Kinsman, Hong Kong
Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award: Shelley Tai of Mius, Hong Kong
Roku Industry Icon: Indra Kantono of Jigger & Pony, Singapore
SevenRooms Best Bar Design Award: Mius, Hong Kong
For our thoughts on Asia’s 50 Best Bars. For our thoughts on The World’s 50 Best Bars. For all 50 Best related content, see 50 Best.
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