Asia's 50 Best Bars 2019: Rankings and Analysis

The Old Man on Aberdeen Street has held a place inside the World's 50 Best Bars top ten and led Asia's 50 Best Bars rankings, making it one of the most decorated cocktail addresses in Hong Kong. The bar draws a steady crowd to Soho's lower slope with a literary-themed program and a commitment to technical precision over theatrical flourish. Booking ahead is advisable.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ranked #17 in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 and a three-time holder of the #1 Asia title, Coa occupies a lower-ground space on Shin Hing Street in Central with a forty-page agave spirits list and a cocktail programme that rotates a new drink every week. The food menu, developed with award-winning Mexican restaurant Chicano, grounds the experience in the culinary culture that produced the spirits on the shelf.

Ranked #65 in the World's 50 Best Bars 2025 and a fixture on the Asia's Best Bars list since 2019, The SG Club in Shibuya operates across two distinct floors with a program rooted in Japanese ingredient logic and international technique. Located in Jinnan, a quieter pocket above the Shibuya crossing noise, it draws a consistent crowd of serious drinkers and has held a place in the global top 25 as recently as 2021.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A basement cocktail bar in Soho's Staunton Street, The Wise King has held a position inside Asia's 50 Best Bars for four consecutive years, peaking at #18 in both 2019 and 2020. The bar operates in Hong Kong's mid-tier Soho corridor, where low ceilings and close quarters set the register for serious drinking rather than spectacle. It earns its place in the city's ranked cocktail tier through consistency and craft.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Aha Saloon has appeared in Asia's 50 Best Bars four consecutive years, reaching #10 in 2020, which places it among a small group of Taipei bars with sustained continental recognition. Located in Da'an District on Fuxing South Road, it operates in the tier of technically serious cocktail programmes that have shifted Taiwan's bar scene into the regional conversation.

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.

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.

Coley in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, has held a place on Asia's Best Bars rankings continuously since 2018, reaching as high as #27 on the World's 50 Best Asia's list. The bar operates at the intersection of cocktail craft and culinary thinking, drawing ingredients from the region's produce to blur the boundary between drink and food. Tatler Asia named it among the Best 20 Bars in Asia-Pacific for 2025 and 2026.

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.

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.

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.

Tropic City has held a position inside the World's 50 Best Asia's Best Bars list every year since 2019, making it one of Bangkok's most consistently recognised cocktail programmes. Located on Charoen Krung 28 in Bang Rak, the bar operates around the clock and draws a crowd that treats late hours as standard. Six consecutive years of ranking signal a programme built on more than novelty.

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.

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.

Rabbit Hole is a Bangkok cocktail bar on Thong Lo's Soi Thong Lo strip in Watthana, ranked #31 in Asia's 50 Best Bars in 2020 and holding a 4.4 Google rating across more than 1,000 reviews. The bar operates in Bangkok's upper-tier cocktail circuit, alongside a cohort of regionally recognised programmes that have repositioned the city as a serious force in Asian bar culture.

Ranked #7 in Asia's Best Bars 2025 and making its World's 50 Best Bars debut that same year, Hope & Sesame has operated from Guangzhou's Dongshankou district since 2016. Entry is through a concealed refrigerator door; the programme inside runs on ultrasonic infusion, rotary distillation, and seasonal menus built around regional flavour and cultural narrative.

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.

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.

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.

Union Brasserie, Bakery and Bar has appeared on Asia's 50 Best Bars list every year between 2016 and 2021, reaching as high as #33 on the regional ranking. Positioned at Plaza Senayan in central Jakarta, it operates across an all-day format that moves from bakery and brasserie service through to a full bar program. A Google score of 4.6 across more than 4,400 reviews signals sustained, cross-audience approval rather than niche enthusiasm.

Named in Tatler's Best 20 Bars Asia-Pacific and ranked among Asia's 50 Best Bars every year since 2019, Bar Trigona operates from the Four Seasons Kuala Lumpur with a drink programme built around indigenous Malaysian ingredients. Its food menu is designed to work alongside the cocktails, not merely accompany them. For anyone tracking the evolution of Southeast Asian bar culture, this is a reference point.

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.

A Sathorn cocktail bar that appeared twice in Asia's 50 Best Bars — ranked 29th in 2018 and 42nd in 2019 — Smalls has earned its place in the conversation about serious Bangkok drinking. The bar operates in a residential pocket of Soi Suan Phlu, quietly removed from the city's louder nightlife corridors, with a Google rating of 4.6 across nearly a thousand reviews.

Bar Mood in Taipei's Da'an District has held a place on Asia's Best Bars rankings every year since 2019, reaching as high as #13 in 2020. The bar's approach bridges classical Western cocktail technique with native Taiwanese botanicals and ingredients, earning it Tatler Asia-Pacific recognition in 2025. It sits in a lane-house setting off Dunhua South Road, drawing a loyal local crowd alongside international bar enthusiasts.

Junglebird has appeared on Asia's 50 Best Bars list every year from 2018 through 2024, placing as high as #35 in 2022. Located in Bukit Damansara, the bar operates at the intersection of tropical Southeast Asian ingredients and technically precise cocktail-making — a combination that has kept it relevant across seven consecutive years of regional recognition. It holds a 4.5 Google rating across 464 reviews.

Angus Zou's revolutionary Draft Land Taipei serves Asia's first premium cocktails on tap, delivering mixologist-quality drinks like English Milk Punch and Oolong Tea Collins in seconds. This innovative concept transforms luxury cocktail culture through accessible elegance and rapid service.

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.

Oto is a Poblacion bar in Makati that earned a place on Asia's 50 Best Bars list in 2019, ranking #47. Located on Enriquez Street in one of Manila's most active drinking neighbourhoods, it holds a 4.6 Google rating across 268 reviews. The bar sits in the specialist tier of Manila's cocktail scene, where back-bar depth and format discipline define the experience.

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.

On the 13th floor of a Ginza tower, Mixology Salon occupies the upper tier of Tokyo's serious bar scene, earning back-to-back Asia's Best Bars recognition in 2018 and 2019. The programme leans on Japanese precision and craft technique, drawing regulars and first-timers alike who want something more considered than a hotel bar. Google reviewers rate it 4.5 across 510 responses.

Ranked #399 in the Top 500 Bars globally (2025) and a two-time Asia's 50 Best Bars entrant, The Back Room operates from the The Fort in Bonifacio Global City as one of Manila's most consistently recognised cocktail programs. It sits in the same conversation as The Curator and Oto among the capital's serious bar addresses, with a 4.5 Google rating across 320 reviews anchoring its sustained reputation.