Greatest bars in Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo, Seoul, Taipei and Shanghai

Asia has greater than 30 cities with populations larger than 5 million individuals, but solely two can lay declare to the highest bar on Asia’s 50 Greatest Bars record.

Yearly because the record’s inception, the continent’s best-ranked bar has been in both Hong Kong or Singapore.

The annual rating is organized by William Reed Media, which additionally publishes The World’s Greatest Bars and The World’s 50 Greatest Eating places.

“Asia’s 50 Greatest Bars was the primary and is presently the one regional 50 Greatest rating, with the inaugural record introduced in 2016,” mentioned Mark Sansom, the record’s content material editor. “Asia has an enormous number of good bars and cities that we felt wanted recognizing as a number of the main cocktail capitals on the earth.”

Over the past six years, 5 bars have topped the 50 Greatest record. Singapore gained an early edge in whole wins, but Hong Kong has had the “greatest bar” in Asia twice up to now three years.

Here is the breakdown:

Hong Kong’s Coa was named Asia’s greatest bar at this yr’s awards, introduced in Could. The Mexican-inspired institution, with a menu that leans closely upon agave-based spirits, edged out Singapore’s Jigger & Pony, which fell to No. 2.

Coa, which launched in 2017, made its title with drinks such because the “Ancho Highball” with tequila blanco and salted plum and the “La Chinesca” with mezcal, cayenne pepper and ginger honey.  

Sansom mentioned Coa clinched the highest spot resulting from its “refined agave training, relaxed vibes and a merely implausible drinks record… mixed with the nice work they’ve been doing to help their group all through the pandemic.”

Asia’s 50 Greatest Bars record is created by tabulating votes from 220 trade insiders who title 5 bars, so as of desire, that they most loved in the course of the previous 18 months. A minimum of one bar have to be outdoors the voter’s nation of residence.  

“This methodology… signifies that bars can’t apply to be on the record, can’t be nominated, and no exterior influences (from William Reed or our sponsors) can affect the record,” reads 50 Greatest’s web site.  

The method additionally supplies house for newcomers and alternative for motion among the many rankings, each of that are obvious on the 2021 record:

1. Coa, Hong Kong
2. Jigger & Pony, Singapore
3. The SG Membership, Tokyo
4. Indulge Experimental Bistro, Taipei, Taiwan
5. Sober Firm, Shanghai
6. Manhattan, Singapore
7. Atlas, Singapore
8. No Sleep Membership, Singapore — new
9. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
10. Caprice Bar, Hong Kong — No. 34 in 2020
11. The Bamboo Bar, Bangkok
12. Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
13. Charles H, Seoul, South Korea — No. 29 in 2020
14. Native, Singapore
15. Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou, China — No. 36 in 2020
16. Sidecar, New Delhi — No. 40 in 2020
17. Bar Temper, Taipei, Taiwan
18. Bee’s Knees, Kyoto, Japan
19. Room By Le Kief, Taipei, Taiwan
20. The Diplomat, Hong Kong — new
21. 28 HongKong Road, Singapore
22. Tropic Metropolis, Bangkok
23. Inform Camellia, Hong Kong — new
24. Aha Saloon, Taipei, Taiwan
25. Quinary, Hong Kong
26. The Pontiac, Hong Kong
27. Excessive 5, Tokyo
28. The Clever King, Hong Kong
29. Barbary Coast, Singapore — new
30. Penicillin, Hong Kong — new
31. Union Buying and selling Firm, Shanghai
32. Communicate Low, Shanghai
33. Union Brasserie, Bakery & Bar, Jakarta, Indonesia
34. Bar Cham, Seoul, South Korea
35. Backstage Cocktail Bar, Bangkok
36. Tippling Membership, Singapore — No. 17 in 2020  
37. Junglebird, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
38. The Curator, Manila, Philippines
39. D.Bespoke, Singapore — No. 23 in 2020
40. Darkside, Hong Kong — new
41. Alice, Seoul, South Korea
42. The Outdated Man, Singapore — No. 22 in 2020
43. Bar Trench, Tokyo
44. Le Chamber, Seoul, South Korea
45. MO Bar, Singapore
46. Vesper, Bangkok — No. 11 in 2020
47. Three X Co, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — new
48. Teenagers of Thailand, Bangkok
49. Sago Home, Singapore — new
50. Star Bar, Tokyo

Of the eight bars making their first look on the record, half are in Hong Kong, essentially the most of any metropolis in Asia. That does not shock John Nugent, co-founder of The Diplomat, a speakeasy-style bar in Hong Kong’s Central district which, at No. 20, was the best rating new bar to open in Asia this yr.

“Hong Kong has at all times been a metropolis keen to push the envelope,” he informed CNBC Journey. “We’ve got seen and can proceed to see enjoyable, fascinating and thrilling bars within the close to future.”

Nugent is opening a brand new martini bar in Hong Kong this summer time, and he is heard rumors of latest bar openings within the neighborhood, he mentioned. He described the realm as not too long ago being “simply a few takeaway kebab joints, however now we’ve three ’50 Greatest Bars’ inside 30 seconds of one another.”

Regardless of its title, Asia’s 50 Greatest Bars revealed an expanded record of bars that ranked from 51 to 100 this yr, a primary for the group.

“The 51-100 record provides us the chance to acknowledge a larger variety of superb bars, particularly throughout this tough interval for the hospitality trade,” mentioned Sansom. “It was nice to see new locations corresponding to Sri Lanka and Vietnam seem for the primary time on the record.”

Plus, he mentioned shoppers now have “double the selection of expert-approved consuming locations” as they make journey plans within the months forward.

Hong Kong has three bars on the prolonged record:

• 54. The Outdated Man — No. 2 on final yr’s record
• 65. Eight half Otto e Mezzo Bombana
• 68. The Shady Acres 

Singapore has six:

• 66. Gibson
• 70. Staff Solely
• 71. Ah Sam Chilly Drink Stall 
• 75. Reside Twice
• 79. The Different Room
• 82. Junior The Pocket Bar

A closing lens via which to guage Asia’s cocktail capital are the person honors the 50 Greatest group awards to particular bars and folks. Collectively, Hong Kong and Singapore secured seven of these 9 awards.

This yr, these Hong Kong institutions took house particular person awards:  

• Quinary — Heering Legend of The Checklist award, for a bar that constantly ranks nicely yr after yr
• The Diplomat — London Essence Greatest New Opening, honoring a brand new bar that opened with the best rating
• Caprice Bar — joint winner with New Delhi’s Sidecar of the Nikka Highest Climber award, for the bar that has risen essentially the most in rankings in a yr
• Penicillin — Ketel One Sustainable Bar award, for the bar with the strongest dedication to sustainability

Singapore clinched these three:

• No Sleep Membership — the Disaronno Highest New Entry award, for the highest-rated bar coming into record for first time
• Bannie Kang of Anti:Dote Fairmont Singapore — Mancino Bartenders’ Bartender award, for the person who contributed essentially the most in the course of the earlier yr
• MO Bar — Michter’s Artwork of Hospitality award, for greatest hospitality expertise

Following this yr’s digital ceremony, Asia’s 50 Greatest Bars awards presentation is scheduled to return to an in-person format in 2022. Sansom indicated Singapore and Hong Kong could face stiff competitors on the occasion, which is to held in Singapore.

“With the best way the bar scenes are progressing in different elements of Asia,” he mentioned, “there are lots of different places which are pushing very arduous for the highest spot.”