Hong Kong, Singapore take the lead in Asia’s 50 Best Bars

Dimly lit and adorned in hand-drawn murals of goddesses and fantastical creatures, Hong Kong mezcal bar ‘Coa’ has once again taken top honours in the annual ranking of Asia’s 50 Best Bars – making it the third consecutive win for the Jay Khan-helmed hangout.

Named after a machete-like tool used for harvesting agave, the bar and its ever-evolving menu are of a love letter to the Mexican spirit, one first started in 2017 and which has since been embellished with a slew of international accolades and awards.

Coa also carries a wide range of other Mexican spirits such as Raicilla, Bacanora, Sotol and Charanda.

Complementing its 41 page-strong agave menu – categorised by species and adhering to the same concept of terroir as wine – the bar introduces a new cocktail each week based on seasonal ingredients, which are hand picked by the team.

Asia’s 50 Best Bars is an annual spotlight and recognition of the bartending talent across the region, with awardees this year hailing from 17 cities – Manila, Bangkok and Tokyo, to name a few. It follows the same format as the World’s 50 Best Bars.

Voters consist of an anonymous academy of 260 “industry leaders” with their fingers on the pulse (or lips, as the case may be). On that list are bartenders, bar owners, drinks writers and cocktail aficionados, all of them based in Asia.

The team from second place winner Jigger & Pony in Singapore.

Singapore is no doubt celebrating particularly hard this week, boasting an impressive 11 bars on the 2023 list, including number two winner Jigger & Pony, though Hong Kong and Seoul aren’t far behind, achieving eight and six places respectively.

Climbing seven spots to third position is Four Seasons Bangkok watering hole BKK Social Club, followed by Tokyo Bar Benfiddich at number four, up one place from last year. Zest in Seoul rounds out the top five after rocketing up 43 positions from 2022.

Mark Sansom, Content Director for Asia’s 50 Best Bars, says the region continues to “push the envelope when it comes to fabulous drinking experiences”, while also commending Jay Khan and the team at Coa for holding onto its top position for the third year in a row.

BKK Social Club at the Four Seasons Bangkok came in at third place on the list.

In addition to the top 50, several special awards were also bestowed, including the Campari One To Watch Award to Singapore bar Night Hawk (which came in at number 73 this year) and the Roku Industry Icon, which went to Hiroyasu Kayama from Tokyo's Bar Benfiddich for being a “farm-to-bar cocktail champion”.

Singapore bar Analogue (no.15) also received the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award for bringing sustainability to the fore, most notably in its bar counter, which is 3D printed from recycled plastic bottles, upcycled coasters and tabletops.

Here are the Best 50 Bars in Asia with their locations:

1. Coa, Hong Kong
2. Jigger & Pony, Singapore
3. BKK Social Club, Bangkok
4. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
5. Zest, Seoul
6. Tropic City, Bangkok
7. Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
8. Argo, Hong Kong
9. Darkside, Hong Kong
10. Sago House, Singapore
11. Indulge Experimental Bistro, Taipei
12. Vesper, Bangkok
13. Cham Bar, Seoul
14. The SG Club, Tokyo
15. Analogue Initiative, Singapore
16. Republic, Singapore
17. The Aubrey, Hong Kong
18. Sidecar, New Delhi
19. The Cocktail Club, Jakarta
20. Virtù, Tokyo
21. Manhattan, Singapore
22. Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar, Bangkok
23. Lamp Bar, Nara
24. 28 HongKong Street, Singapore
25. Le Chamber, Seoul
26. Penicillin, Hong Kong
27. Atlas, Singapore
28. Alice, Seoul
29. Pantja, Jakarta
30. Employees Only, Singapore
31. Quinary, Hong Kong,
32. Stay Gold Flamingo, Singapore
33. Mostly Harmless, Hong Kong
34. The Curator, Manila
35. The Bombay Canteen, Mumbai
36. Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur
37. Southside Parlor, Seoul
38. Copitas, Bengaluru
39. Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou
40. Smoke & Bitters, Hiriketiya
41. Vender, Taichung
42. Native, Singapore
43. The Public House, Taipei
44. Bee's Knees, Kyoto
45. High Five, Tokyo
46. Soko, Seoul
47. The Old Man, Hong Kong
48. The Living Room, Mumbai
49. The Bellwood, Tokyo
50. Penrose, Kuala Lumpur