Asia’s 50 Best Bars Just Tore Up the Cocktail Rulebook—Here’s What Changed

The 2025 edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars was revealed last night in Macao, celebrating the continent’s most innovative drinking destinations. At the top of the list: Bar Leone in Hong Kong, followed by Zest in Seoul (No. 2) and Jigger & Pony in Singapore (No. 3). Notably, Sago House, Penicillin, and Bar Us also secured top rankings—solidifying their place among Asia’s leading bars. Meanwhile, no Philippine bar made it into the top 50, though The Curator in Manila—widely regarded as a pioneer of modern cocktail culture in the Philippines—maintained its place in the extended 51–100 list, landing at No. 78.

The list reflects a shift that has now become unmistakable: the best bars are those with a clear identity, bold storytelling, and the willingness to take creative risks.

Bar Leone: bold simplicity reigns at Asia’s number one bar | Photo: Bar Leone

What Asia’s best bars are doing differently

The standout bars of 2025 aren’t just technically brilliant—they’re brave.

Bar Leone in Hong Kong (No. 1) leads the list by showing that boldness doesn't always mean complexity. With just 20 seats, a pared-down menu, and classic-leaning cocktails, it defies trends by being deliberately simple. But behind that simplicity is precision, confidence, and a razor-sharp point of view. Founder Lorenzo Antinori reclaims the neighborhood bar as a space for thoughtful hospitality and strong, focused identity—proving that doing less, with intention, can be the boldest move of all.

Zest brings fire, fermentation, and finesse to Seoul’s bar scene | Photo: Zest 

Zest in Seoul (No. 2) continues to champion fermentation and elemental techniques, turning fire and acid into language. Sago House in Singapore (No. 16) reinvents its cocktail menu weekly, embracing unpredictability as a creative framework. In Hong Kong, Penicillin (No. 25) fuses sustainability and experimentation through its science-lab approach. Bar Us in Bangkok (No. 19) serves a compact but striking menu that explores Thai identity with creative clarity.

These bars don’t seek universal appeal—they craft experiences that surprise, provoke, and resonate. They’re not just polished. They’re expressive, intentional, and unapologetically themselves.

How that conversation resonates closer to home

That same creative energy is visible in the Philippines.

Despite the absence from the top 50, there’s strong movement locally. OTO continues to layer its menu around sound and ambiance. Bar by East experiments boldly with sampaguita, taba ng talangka, and lambanog, infusing drinks with meaning and heritage. These are more than cocktails—they’re conversations shaped by place and identity.

This local development echoes the regional values being celebrated: clarity, creativity, and storytelling.

Bar by East transforms heritage into bold, unexpected cocktails | Photo: Bar by East 

Momentum and the road ahead

The upcoming Philippine Cocktail Week planned for 2026 presents an opportunity to channel this moment. It can serve as a showcase for Filipino bartending—highlighting creativity, culture, and courage in mixology—on our own terms.

Recognition isn’t only about lists. It’s about setting our own benchmarks—and daring to meet them.

Singapore’s Jigger & Pony proves consistency is a cocktail superpower | Photo: Jigger & Pony

What this year tells us

Asia’s 50 Best Bars continues to reflect what the region’s most exciting cocktail cultures have in common: purposeful design, cultural resonance, sustainability, and narrative depth. The bars celebrated this year are shaping what cocktail excellence looks like—not just through technique, but through identity and intent.

These values are not limited to one city or list—they’re shared, explored, and evolving across the region, including in the Philippines.

The future of cocktails in Asia is unfolding now—drink by drink, story by story. And the Philippines is an essential part of that story.

Want the full list, stories, and sip-worthy updates? Click here.