2017 World's 50 Asia's Best Bars: The Complete Rankings

Manhattan at Conrad Singapore Orchard holds one of the most decorated track records in Asian cocktail history, ranking as high as #1 in Asia's 50 Best Bars and #3 globally. Named the Tatler Best Bars Asia-Pacific 2025 Best Service winner, the bar frames Golden Age American cocktail culture through a Singaporean lens. It sits at the upper tier of Orchard Road hotel bars, with a Google rating of 4.7 across more than 1,000 reviews.

Speak Low has placed on the World's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2016, reaching as high as #10 globally in 2017. Spread across three floors of a former French Concession shophouse on Fuxing Middle Road, it remains one of the most consistently recognised cocktail bars in Asia-Pacific, appearing on the Tatler Best Bars Asia-Pacific 2025 list and holding a 4.6 Google rating across 154 reviews.

Bar High Five has appeared on the World's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2011, reaching as high as #3 globally in 2013. Located in a basement in Ginza, it represents the classical Tokyo bar tradition — precise technique, minimal theatre, and drinks built around the guest rather than the menu. A 4.3 Google rating across 715 reviews reflects consistent execution over more than a decade.

One of Singapore's most decorated cocktail bars, 28 HongKong Street occupies a converted shophouse on 28 Hong Kong St and has appeared in the World's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2012. A sustained run of recognition — including a #1 Asia ranking in 2016 — places it among the bars that shaped the city's modern cocktail identity. Google reviewers rate it 4.4 across more than 1,100 scores.

Experimental Bistro has held a position inside the World's 50 Best Bars global ranking for seven consecutive years, reaching Asia's Best Bars #2 in 2018 and #3 in 2019. Located in Taipei's Da'an District, it represents the sharper edge of Taiwan's bar scene, where international technique meets local produce. Few bars in Asia have sustained this level of recognition across as many consecutive cycles.

Operation Dagger has earned consecutive placements on both the World's 50 Best Bars global list and Asia's 50 Best Bars since 2016, reaching as high as number 6 in Asia. Located on Neil Road in the Tanjong Pagar district, it operates as a serious craft cocktail bar with a technically driven program that has made it a reference point in Singapore's bar scene for nearly a decade.

On Hollywood Road in Central, Quinary has anchored Hong Kong's serious cocktail scene since 2012. Named to the World's 50 Best Bars list every year from 2013 through 2021, and ranked among Asia's Best Bars consistently through 2025, it sits in a peer tier defined by technical precision and longevity rather than novelty. A Google rating of 4.6 across more than 900 reviews signals a floor of reliability that few bars at this level maintain.

Literary mystique defines Stockton Hong Kong, where Victorian gentlemen's club opulence meets Hunter S. Thompson's rebellious spirit in a hidden speakeasy setting. Suraj Gurung's narrative-driven cocktails and century-old antique furnishings create an immersive experience that has earned recognition among Asia's 50 Best Bars.

Named to Tatler's Best Bars Asia-Pacific 2025 and a consistent presence on Asia's 50 Best Bars since 2016, Union Trading Company occupies a quiet stretch of Fen Yang Lu in Xuhui. The bar's track record across multiple editions of the World's 50 Best rankings places it among the most recognised cocktail addresses in mainland China. Plan ahead: demand consistently outpaces walk-in availability.

Lobster Bar sits on Level 6 of Pacific Place in Central, and its awards record tells a pointed story: four consecutive Asia's Best Bars top-ten finishes between 2015 and 2018, including a global ranking of #18, mark it as one of Hong Kong's most consistently recognised cocktail programs. The bar holds a Google rating of 4.4 from 265 reviews and remains a reference point for the city's upscale hotel bar circuit.

Tippling Club has held a place on the World's 50 Best Bars global list every year since 2011, making it one of the most consistently recognised cocktail bars in Asia. Located on Tanjong Pagar Road in Singapore's former warehouse district, the bar operates at the intersection of technical precision and theatrical presentation. A 4.6 Google rating across nearly 740 reviews reflects sustained performance over more than a decade of competition.

Housed inside Parkview Square's art deco tower on North Bridge Road, Atlas has ranked continuously in the World's 50 Best Bars since 2017 — peaking at number four globally in 2020. The bar's gin collection and art deco setting have made it a reference point for Singapore's cocktail scene, recognised by Tatler Asia for Best Design in 2024 and listed among the Top 500 Bars globally in 2025.

Operating from within the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok since 1953, The Bamboo Bar holds a position few hotel bars in Asia can match on longevity or awards consistency. Ranked #7 in Asia's Best Bars in 2020 and still listed in the Tatler Best Bars Asia-Pacific 2025, it has anchored Bangkok's live jazz and cocktail culture across seven decades while the city's bar scene has shifted dramatically around it.

Gibson has held a place on Asia's Best Bars rankings every year since 2016, reaching #14 in 2017, and its second-floor address on Bukit Pasoh Road keeps it anchored in one of Singapore's most concentrated bar corridors. The cocktail program leans toward the kind of technical precision that earns sustained critical attention rather than passing trend cycles. Google reviewers rate it 4.5 across 448 reviews, a consistency that tracks with its long award tenure.

Alice Cheongdam has appeared on Asia's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2016, reaching #11 in 2016 and #13 in 2025, making it one of the most consistently recognised cocktail bars in the region. Located in the basement of a Cheongdam-dong address, the bar draws on an Alice in Wonderland concept that shapes both its spatial design and its drinks program. Open until 2am on weekdays and 3am on weekends, it runs deep into Seoul's night.

One of Central's most decorated bars, The Pontiac on Old Bailey Street has appeared in the World's 50 Best Asia's Best Bars rankings every year from 2016 through 2022, peaking at #16 in 2017. Its address on the SoHo edge of the Central district places it in a cluster of serious drinking venues, with a Google rating of 4.6 from 256 reviews underlining sustained crowd approval alongside critical recognition.

A New York cocktail institution transplanted to Singapore's Amoy Street conservation district, Employees Only has accumulated consistent Asia's 50 Best Bars recognition since 2017 — peaking at #17 — while maintaining the after-hours energy that defined the original. The bar occupies a shophouse format that channels the same low-lit, high-craft atmosphere the brand built its reputation on, placing it squarely in Singapore's upper tier of serious cocktail programs.

Backstage Cocktail Club Bangkok was a legendary speakeasy where six award-winning bartenders created theatrical mixology magic through innovative Thai-inspired cocktails and immersive backstage dressing room design. Though closed since 2021, this Asia's 50 Best Bars honoree remains Bangkok's most influential cocktail destination.

Sober Company on Yandang Road has ranked among Asia's top bars every year since 2017, peaking at #5 in Asia and #39 globally in 2021. Located in Huangpu, it represents the serious, technically driven tier of Shanghai's cocktail scene — a bar that has sustained international recognition long enough to anchor conversations about where Chinese bartending stands on the global stage.

Native on Amoy Street has spent nearly a decade placing Southeast Asian foraged and fermented ingredients at the centre of Singapore's cocktail conversation. Ranked among Asia's top bars every year since 2017, including a peak of #4 in Asia and #12 globally in 2019, it occupies a tier defined by conceptual rigour and ingredient provenance rather than spectacle or volume.

Ranked #3 in Asia and #5 globally by World's 50 Best Bars in 2025, Jigger & Pony has tracked Singapore's rise as a serious cocktail city since 2012. Operating from the Amara Hotel in Tanjong Pagar, the bar publishes annual 'menuzines' — editorial-format drink menus that have become collector items — anchored in classic technique and contemporary execution.

Bar Benfiddich occupies the ninth floor of a Nishishinjuku building, operating nightly from 18:00 as one of Asia's most consistently recognised cocktail bars — ranked #9 in Asia's Best Bars 2025 and #25 globally in 2024. Its 17-seat walnut counter frames a program built around farm-grown botanicals, antique tools, and a working distillery in Chichibu, producing drinks that shift with each harvest.

On Legazpi Street in Makati, The Curator has held a place in Asia's Best Bars rankings every year since 2016, peaking at #16 and sitting at #78 in 2025. Open from early morning through the small hours most nights, it operates as both a serious coffee address and a recognised cocktail bar — a dual identity that reflects its role in the neighbourhood rather than a single-category pitch.

Zuma at DIFC has held a place inside the World's 50 Best Bars global ranking across multiple years, peaking at #17 in 2021, with consecutive Star Wine List recognitions through 2026. The bar program sits above the restaurant floor in Gate Village and operates at the serious end of Dubai's cocktail and spirits market. Regulars come for Japanese-inspired drinking as much as dining.

Bar Orchard Ginza occupies the seventh floor of a Ginza building and has held a consistent position in Asia's 50 Best Bars rankings since 2016, reaching as high as #25 in 2017. The bar's fruit-forward cocktail program places it within a distinctive niche of Japanese bar culture. EP Club rates it Pearl Recommended for 2025.

Attached to one of Hong Kong's most celebrated Italian fine-dining addresses, 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana's bar has held a position inside Asia's 50 Best Bars rankings every year from 2017 through 2020, peaking at number 24. Set in the heart of Central on Chater Road, it occupies the upper tier of Hong Kong's cocktail scene, where Italian provenance and Michelin-adjacent prestige combine into a format built for milestone evenings.

Charles H has ranked on Asia's Best Bars every year since 2016, reaching as high as #7 in the region in 2022. Situated within the Four Seasons Seoul in Jongno District, the bar pairs an American-inflected 1930s aesthetic with a technically precise cocktail programme. A Google rating of 4.6 across 545 reviews points to consistent delivery at the upper end of Seoul's bar scene.

Bar Trench in Ebisu has held a place on Asia's 50 Best Bars list continuously since 2016, reaching as high as #16 in 2018 and appearing on the World's 50 Best Bars in 2025. The bar draws a devoted following for its spirits-forward approach and the depth of its back bar. A Google rating of 4.7 across 780 reviews reflects consistent execution over a long run.

D.Bespoke on Bukit Pasoh Road has appeared in Asia's 50 Best Bars every year from 2016 to 2021, reaching as high as #13 on the regional list. The bar's back bar depth and spirits-led approach place it among Singapore's most serious drinking destinations, drawing a crowd that comes to explore rather than simply order. Located in the Tanjong Pagar conservation district, it sits within walking distance of several other bars that define the city's cocktail identity.

Nutmeg & Clove has spent eleven years building one of Asia-Pacific's most recognised bar programs from an eight-table saloon on Purvis Street. Named in Asia's Best Bars Top 10 multiple times and ranked #24 in the 2025 edition, it turns Singapore's neighbourhood memory — kopitiam counters, mama shop shelves, itinerant ice cream carts — into formally structured cocktails that read as cultural argument as much as drink.

Star Bar Ginza has appeared on the World's 50 Best Bars list eight times since 2010, placing it among the most consistently recognised bars in Asia. Located in a basement on Ginza's main strip, it operates with the quiet precision Tokyo's top-tier bar culture demands. Weekday hours close earlier than the weekend, making evening timing worth planning around.

Le Chamber has appeared on Asia's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2016, reaching as high as #17 in 2018 and holding a place in the 2025 ranking at #50. Located one floor below street level on Dosan-daero 55-gil in Gangnam's Cheongdam corridor, it operates in the tier of Seoul bars that shaped the city's international cocktail reputation. Google reviewers rate it 4.4 across 602 submissions.

Janes & Hooch earned three consecutive placements on Asia's 50 Best Bars list between 2016 and 2018, peaking at number 18, and remains one of Beijing's most credentialed cocktail addresses. Set in Chaoyang's embassy district near Workers' Stadium, it operates in a city where the craft bar scene has historically lagged behind Shanghai and Guangzhou, making its sustained regional recognition all the more telling.

Vudi Somboonkulavudi's train carriage-inspired Q&A Bar transforms Bangkok cocktail culture through personalized "Cocktail Journey" experiences, where expert bartenders craft bespoke drinks from 52 revived classic recipes in an intimate speakeasy setting that celebrates heritage, storytelling, and technical mastery.

Tucked inside the Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel on Orchard Road, The Other Room is one of Singapore's most decorated cocktail bars, ranking as high as #35 on Asia's 50 Best Bars. The focus here is on rare spirits and a back bar built for depth rather than breadth, positioning it within the serious end of Singapore's hotel cocktail tier.

Six appearances on Asia's 50 Best Bars list place Lamp Bar among the most consistently recognised cocktail programmes in Japan, operating not from Tokyo or Osaka but from Nara — a city better known for its deer and ancient temples than its bar scene. The Google rating sits at 4.6 across 549 reviews, signalling a reputation that extends well beyond specialist circles.

On the 34th floor of a Worli tower, AER Bar & Lounge trades on elevation in every sense: panoramic views across the Arabian Sea and the city grid below, a back bar curated for depth, and recognition from both the Top 500 Bars global list (ranked #319 in 2025) and Asia's 50 Best Bars. With 2,972 Google reviews averaging 4.4 stars, it ranks among Mumbai's most consistently endorsed rooftop drinking destinations.

Sugarhall Singapore elevates the cocktail pub concept through its sophisticated rum-forward program and convivial English pub atmosphere. Located above Cecil Street in a heritage art deco building, this Jigger & Pony Group venue offers expertly crafted cocktails like their signature Dark & Stormy and Mulata Daiquiri, alongside curated rum flights that make the spirit accessible to all.

East End occupies a third-floor address in Da'an District and earned a place on Asia's 50 Best Bars list in 2017, signalling its position within Taipei's more serious cocktail tier. With a Google rating of 4.4 across nearly 700 reviews, it holds consistent standing among the city's craft bar scene — a useful reference point for anyone mapping Taipei's drinking culture beyond the obvious tourist circuit.

Vesper has held a place on Asia's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2016, making it one of Bangkok's most consistently recognised cocktail programmes. Located on Soi Convent in Silom, it operates in the upper tier of a city that has built a serious regional reputation for bar culture. With a 4.5 Google rating across more than 1,100 reviews, the consensus among repeat visitors is clear.

Omakase + Appreciate pioneered Kuala Lumpur's speakeasy culture through personalized cocktail experiences where bartenders crafted bespoke drinks based on individual preferences. Hidden behind unmarked doors, this intimate basement bar became Malaysia's first top-10 Asia's 50 Best Bars entry, transforming the city's cocktail landscape through Japanese-Western fusion mixology.

A Central institution since the colonial era, The Chinnery at Mandarin Oriental holds its ground as one of Hong Kong's most recognisable hotel bars, recognised in Asia's 50 Best Bars. Its drinks programme leans into classic technique, and the room itself carries the kind of accumulated patina that newer hotel bars spend considerable effort trying to manufacture. Rated 4.5 on Google from 175 reviews.

Potato Head Beach Club on Jalan Petitenget has placed on Asia's 50 Best Bars twice, ranking 36th in 2018 and 43rd in 2017, making it one of the few Bali venues to reach that tier of regional recognition. With a Google rating of 4.6 across more than 21,000 reviews, it anchors Seminyak's premium bar scene at the junction of serious cocktail programming and open-air beach setting.

A Hongdae institution that earned back-to-back spots on Asia's 50 Best Bars in 2016 and 2017, Bar D.Still operates as a genuine neighbourhood bar in one of Seoul's most creatively charged districts. Its 4.9 Google rating across 108 reviews reflects consistent local loyalty rather than passing tourist traffic. The address on Wausan-ro 15-gil puts it deep in the residential-commercial grid that gives Hongdae its character.

ABV on 16th Street has been one of San Francisco's most consistently recognized bars since the mid-2010s, appearing on the World's 50 Best Bars list in both 2016 and 2017 and earning a Pearl Recommended Bar distinction in 2025. The Mission District address places it inside a neighborhood that runs serious on food and drink, and its sustained presence across multiple award cycles marks it as a reference point for the city's cocktail program.

A Nana alleyway bar that has ranked on Asia's 50 Best Bars every year since 2016, Teens of Thailand operates at the intersection of gin-focused cocktails and the stripped-back, container-scale interiors that define Bangkok's most credible drinking rooms. Its 2016 peak at #27 on the Asia list signals a bar that helped shape the region's craft cocktail conversation, not one that arrived after it.

A Cheongdong address that appeared twice on Asia's 50 Best Bars list in 2017 and 2018, Keepers is among the bar programs that helped establish Seoul's cocktail credentials on the regional stage. Located in Gangnam's Cheongdam neighbourhood, it holds a 4.4 Google rating across 78 reviews and sits within the upper tier of Seoul's craft cocktail scene.

Theatrical mixology meets botanical medicine at Dr. Fern's Gin Parlour + Hong Kong, where white-coated bartenders prescribe bespoke gin cocktails from a collection of 300+ rare spirits. This immersive speakeasy transforms The Landmark's basement into Dr. Robben Fern's whimsical laboratory, delivering personalized "remedies" with satirical prescription labels.

A Wanhua District institution that earned a place on Asia's 50 Best Bars list in 2017, Club Boys Saloon operates in the quieter, loyalty-driven tier of Taipei's cocktail scene. Where newer bars in Da'an or Zhongshan chase recognition through technical showmanship, this Wuchang Street address has built its following through something more durable: a room that rewards return visits and a drinking culture shaped by regulars rather than foot traffic.

The Night Rooster occupies a narrow lane off Ubud's centre and holds two significant cocktail recognitions: a place on Asia's 50 Best Bars list in 2017 and a current Top 500 Bars ranking at #472 (2025). With a 4.7 Google rating across 226 reviews, it operates in a different tier from the island's beach-club circuit, offering a programme built on technique and local ingredient work rather than spectacle.