Historic win for Asia as HK's Bar Leone makes world's best bar

Hong Kong's Bar Leone was crowned No. 1 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025, marking the first time an Asian bar has claimed the title, as its home city proudly hosted the hall-of-fame awards.

The honor was presented at the awards ceremony, which celebrated a list of venues from 29 global cities, on Wednesday (Oct 8) night at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal.

Nestled in Hong Kong’s vibrant Central district, Bar Leone opened just two years ago and quickly rose to fame.

It made its global debut the following year as No. 1 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 and No. 2 on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024. Earlier this year, it was once again named The Best Bar in Asia. 

The brainchild of renowned bartender Lorenzo Antinori, whose impressive resume includes tenures at some of Europe and Asia’s most celebrated hotel bars, Bar Leone is built on the philosophy of “cocktail popolari” — or “cocktails for the people.” 

It pays tribute to the neighborhood bar culture of Rome, while its interior is a love letter to the city in the 1980s and ’90s, designed to be approachable, unpretentious, and deeply rooted in Italian culture and hospitality.

As Antinori’s goal is to strip away the complexity of modern mixology and return to simple, high-quality drinks, the cocktail menu is presented as a rotating Google Docs file, updated monthly and including full recipes and methods to ensure accessibility for everyone. 

Meanwhile, COA, the beloved Hong Kong bar that has been awarded the coveted No. 1 position in Asia’s 50 Best Bars three times, was named No. 38 in this year’s world ranking.

A mainstay on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list since 2019, Guangzhou’s Hope & Sesame made its debut on the world ranking this year at No. 29, representing an instrumental force in reshaping Southern China’s cocktail landscape.

The Best Bar in North America, Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico City, was listed at No. 2, while third place was claimed by Sips from Barcelona.

Among other Asian bars, Jigger & Pony from Singapore ranked No. 9, and Bar Us in Bangkok secured the No. 15 spot.