Dining/Drinking

Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023, sponsored by Perrier, was announced at a live awards
ceremony in Hong Kong on 18 July. The ceremony, hosted in collaboration with 50 Best’s destination partner Hong Kong Tourism Board, was the first full-scale gathering of the bar community in Asia since 2019. The highly-anticipated countdown featured bars from 17 cities across Asia. Coa was named ‘The Best Bar in Asia’, so the Hong Kong bar has achieved the remarkable feat of holding onto the No.1 spot for three consecutive years. It is also ‘The Best Bar in Hong Kong’.

Established in 2017 by bartender-owner Jay Khan, the bar takes its name from the agave harvesting tool and showcases a vast collection of over 200 bottles of tequila, mezcal, and other handcrafted Mexican spirits like raicilla, bacanora, sotol, and charanda. Khan, an industry veteran with over 15 years of experience, was voted Bartenders’ Bartender at Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2020. Coa made its debut on the list in 2019, securing the Highest New Entry Award at No.12 and has been steadily rising in popularity to claim the coveted top spot which it has been holding onto steadfastly.

At No.2 is Jigger & Pony, Singapore, which is also ‘The Best Bar in Singapore’ for the third year running. This year, it has also been crowned the Rémy Martin Legend of the List.

Climbing up seven spots to No.3 is BKK Social Club, which is named The Best Bar in Thailand.

“We are overjoyed to be in Hong Kong to celebrate Asia’s vibrant bar community for 50 Best’s first-ever event in this brilliant city for eating and drinking. Asia’s bars continue to push the envelope when it comes to fabulous drinking experiences and that is evident from the talent and creativity on display at the bars on this year’s list from 17 cities across the continent. Congratulations yet again to Jay Khan and the team at Coa for holding onto its top position — the first bar in Asia to take the No.1 spot for three years in a row,” said Mark Sansom, Content Director for the awards Asia’s 50 Best Bars.

Elisa Gregori, Perrier Global Business Unit Director, said: “On behalf of Perrier, we are, once again, honoured to be the leading sponsor of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023. Perrier’s expansion into Asia was facilitated through the most iconic hotels and bars of this region, and we are grateful to return the support. We are extremely proud to spotlight the bartenders, mixologists and other professionals who push boundaries to create unforgettable experiences for anyone who walks through their doors. From its ancient source in Vergèze, in the Gard region of France, Perrier® exploded forth from the French café culture and, for more than a century, has proudly been the ultimate companion to the global bar community, who create, innovate, and delight in their never-ending quest to create the perfect drink.”

Success stories by destination
Other ranked bars from Hong Kong are Argo and Darkside at No.8 and No.9 respectively and The Aubrey at No.17, which has moved up an impressive 21 spots from 2022’s No.38. Penicillin sits at No.26 and Quinary is at No.31. At No.33 is the omakase cocktail bar Mostly Harmless which is a new entry on the list. Hong Kong’s stalwart cocktail bar The Old Man re-enters the 50 Best rankings at No.47.

Singapore commands 11 spots on the list, led by Jigger & Pony at No.2. For its consistently elevated classic cocktails served in a convivial setting, it has been named The Best Bar in Singapore for the third consecutive year. Founded by bar veteran and former Roku Industry Icon winner Colin Chia, Nutmeg & Clove makes an impressive leap of 29 spots up to No.7. Sago House comes in at No.10, climbing up 21 spots from last year’s No.31 and also clinches the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award for its unparalleled service experience. Analogue Initiative at No.15 is another high climber with a meteoric 22-spot jump, as is 28 HongKong Street at No. 24 which has moved up 25 places from last year’s No.49. Manhattan comes in at No. 21, Atlas is at No.27 and Employees Only re-enters the list at No.30. Stay Gold Flamingo from industry titans Jerrold Khoo and Bai JiaWei is Singapore’s only new entrant to the rankings at No.32, while Native re-enters at No.42.

Thailand is represented by four positions in the list, all of which belong to Bangkok bars. BKK Social Club leads the pack at No.3. Evoking the legendary glamour of Buenos Aires, it is also crowned ‘The Best Bar in Thailand’ for the second year. Tropic City climbs up to No.6 from last year’s No.17 and Vesper sits at No.12. At No.22 is new entrant Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar which is also this year’s London Essence Best New Opening.

Indonesia counts two spots on the list led by Jakarta’s The Cocktail Club at No.19, which is both ‘The Best Bar in Indonesia’ and the winner of the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award. Pantja, also from Jakarta, with its farm-to-table cocktail list, comes in at No.29 as a new entrant.

Kuala Lumpur’s Bar Trigona leads Malaysia’s showing at No.36, taking home The Best Bar in Malaysia title. Rounding off the list at No.50 is Penrose, Kuala Lumpur. The intimate, 25-seater drinking den is a new entrant to the ranking.

Smoke & Bitters from Hirikiteya is Sri Lanka’s sole representative on the list climbing two spots to No.40, while being crowned ‘The Best Bar in Sri Lanka‘. Re-entering the list is Manila’s The Curator at No. 34, which is also ‘The Best Bar in The Philippines‘.

Special Awards
Night Hawk (No.73 on the 51-100 list) in Singapore has been named the Campari One To Watch Award, hand-picked by the organisers of Asia’s 50 Best Bars as a venue with the potential to break into the 1-50 list in the future. Singapore bar veteran Peter Chua‘s walk-ins-only, 22-seater watering hole offers a spot for mixology enthusiasts to appreciate potent libations, engage in cocktail conversations at the counterseats, and indulge in intimate, heady escapism.

The Rémy Martin Legend of the List has been awarded to Singapore’s Jigger & Pony (No.2), an award given to a bar that has performed most consistently in the rankings since the list’s 2016 inception. They debuted on the list at No.8 and landed the coveted No.1 spot in 2020 and have steadfastly ranked No.2 for the past three years.

Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar, Bangkok is awarded London Essence Best New Opening and enters the list at No.22. The stylish new drinking den led by Ronnaporn Kanivichaporn impresses with its cocktail list that honours every part of the ingredient to create its drinks.

The Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award is won by Analogue (No.15) in Singapore. It marks a deserving win for this three-year-old bar that puts sustainability at the fore, right from a bar counter 3D printed from recycled plastic bottles, upcycled coasters and tabletops, and plant-based menus featuring low-impact ingredients and base spirits with reduced carbon footprints.

The Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu goes to The Cocktail Club in Jakarta. Its vast and extensive menu is anchored with creative riffs on the classics and heavily features local ingredients (fermented cempedak, curry leaves, and red rice to name a few) inventive techniques (house-barrel aged whiskey) and unique flavour combinations, all enjoyed in a setting where art deco meets lush Indonesian warmth.

Pre-announced special award winners that accepted their accolades at the live ceremony include Sago House in Singapore, winner of the Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award, and Beckaly Franks from Hong Kong, winner of the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award.

Voting Structure
The annual list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars is created from the votes of Asia’s 50 Best Bars Academy – an influential and anonymous group of 260 industry leaders that include bartenders, bar owners, drinks writers and cocktail aficionados. Voting for Asia’s 50 Best Bars is based on the same model as The World’s 50 Best Bars, but in this case, all voters are based in Asia. Prior to 2021, each Academy member voted for six bars, with at least two of these from outside their home country/SAR. Since the global pandemic has restricted international travel, the voting rules have been revised to reflect this situation.

Since 2022, voters can nominate a total of seven bars, including up to five from their home country, but with no obligation to vote for bars outside of their home country/SAR if they have been unable to travel.

50 Best works with professional services consultancy Deloitte as its official independent adjudication partner to help protect the integrity and authenticity of the voting process and the resulting list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars.