Hong Kong’s Bar Leone Retains Top Spot in The 50 Best Bars 2026

Hong Kong’s Bar Leone has been named the world’s best bar for a second consecutive year, topping The 50 Best Bars 2026 list unveiled at an awards ceremony in Milan on Oct. 7.

The back-to-back victory puts Bar Leone alongside London’s Milk & Honey, Artesian and Connaught Bar as the only establishments to retain the global title. It is also the first in Asia to achieve the feat.

Established in 2009 and organized by British media group William Reed, The 50 Best Bars – formerly known as The World’s 50 Best Bars – is one of the most influential annual rankings in the global bar and cocktail industry. The results are determined by votes from an academy of more than 800 drinks industry professionals worldwide.

Bar Leone holds on to No. 1

Founded by Italian bartender Lorenzo Antinori and his partners, Bar Leone draws inspiration from the neighborhood bars of Rome’s Trastevere district. Its guiding philosophy, “Cocktail Popolari,” or “cocktails for the people,” emphasizes warm hospitality and precise execution over trends or elaborate presentation.

Antinori and his team bring Italian flavors and quality ingredients to a menu of cocktails served alongside snacks such as smoked olives and mortadella sandwiches.

Since opening in 2023, Bar Leone has risen rapidly through the rankings. It debuted at No. 1 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list in 2024 and retained the title in 2025. On the global list, it entered at No. 2 in 2024 before climbing to the top the following year.

Faye Huggett, Director of Community for The 50 Best Bars, says: “It is with immense pride that we once again announce Bar Leone as The World’s Best Bar 2026, sponsored by Perrier. To be the first ever No.1 from Asia was already an outstanding achievement, of which Lorenzo and his team are hugely deserving, but to retain the title for a second consecutive year shows the true impact of Cocktail Popolari.”

Hong Kong leads Asia’s showing

Hong Kong tied with Paris and New York for the most entries on this year’s list, with four bars each.

Alongside Bar Leone, Argo returned to the ranking at No. 25, while newcomers Montana and Gokan entered at No. 36 and No. 41, respectively.

Bangkok followed with three entries, tying with Mexico City for the second-highest number among cities worldwide. Bar Us, which combines Thai ingredients with techniques drawn from fine dining, placed No. 10. Dry Wave Cocktail Studio made its debut at No. 27, while BKK Social Club ranked No. 30.

Singapore and Tokyo each had two entries. Singapore’s Jigger & Pony ranked No. 18 and Nutmeg & Clove No. 38, while Tokyo’s Bar Benfiddich placed No. 44 and Virtù No. 48.

In mainland China, Guangzhou’s Hope & Sesame climbed to No. 12, up 17 places from its global debut at No. 29 in 2025.

Opened in 2016 by co-founders including Andrew Ho and Bastien Ciocca, Hope & Sesame is tucked behind a traditional Cantonese cafe. Its cocktails draw on Cantonese cuisine and the broader food culture of the Lingnan region, combining local ingredients and flavors with techniques such as centrifugal clarification, sous vide infusion and rotary distillation. The bar has become a prominent example of China’s emerging cocktail culture. Earlier this year, the bar made history when it was crowned the best in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026 list.

South Korea had one entry: Seoul’s Zest, at No. 7. Centered on Korean ingredients and spirits, the bar follows a zero-waste philosophy, pairing minimalist design with meticulous technique to offer a contemporary expression of Korean cocktail-making.

The full list can be viewed below: