2018 World's 50 Asia's Best Bars: Complete List and Rankings

Manhattan Singapore has spent a decade as one of Asia's most-awarded cocktail bars, reaching #1 in Asia's 50 Best Bars twice and climbing as high as #3 globally. Located on Level 2 of 1 Cuscaden Road, it trades in American whiskey-forward programming within a format that prizes depth over novelty. A Google rating of 4.7 across more than 1,000 reviews confirms the bar's consistency beyond its trophy shelf.

Grace Tsai's innovative tea-based cocktails and Aki Wang's cultural vision define Indulge Experimental Bistro in Taipei, where Taiwan's multicultural heritage transforms into award-winning mixology. This Asia's 50 Best Bars mainstay reinvents its entire menu every 15 months, creating an ever-evolving luxury cocktail experience that serves as Taiwan's liquid cultural ambassador.

Once ranked among the world's twenty best bars, Speak Low on Fu Xing Zhong Lu remains one of Shanghai's most decorated drinking addresses, with a track record in the World's 50 Best that few Chinese bars have matched. Its multi-floor format and sustained critical recognition place it firmly in the city's upper tier, alongside a food programme designed to hold pace with its drinks list.

Among Singapore's most decorated bars, Atlas has held a World's 50 Best Bars ranking every year since 2017, peaking at #4 globally in 2020. Set inside the Parkview Square lobby on North Bridge Road, it operates at the intersection of grand Art Deco architecture and serious gin and spirits programming, placing it in a distinct tier above the city's cocktail-forward independents.

Operating from Aberdeen Street in Hong Kong's Soho since 2017, The Old Man is a Hemingway-themed cocktail bar that reached #9 in the World's 50 Best Bars global rankings in 2019 and held Asia's #1 position that same year. The I-shaped counter, literary-inspired menu, and technically precise drinks program have kept it a reference point in the region's bar scene across multiple ranking cycles.

Among Tokyo's most decorated cocktail bars, Bar High Five has appeared in the World's 50 Best Bars rankings every year since 2011, peaking at number three globally in 2013. Situated in a basement space on Ginza's Chuo-dori, it represents a specific strain of Japanese bartending — classical technique, guest-led service, and an absence of theatrical gimmickry — that has given Ginza its international standing in bar culture.

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.

Native on Amoy Street has held a place in the World's 50 Best Bars global list every year since 2017, reaching as high as #12 worldwide and #4 in Asia. The bar operates Tuesday to Saturday from 6pm, anchored in a forage-and-ferment philosophy that draws directly from Southeast Asian ingredients and traditions. It sits among Singapore's most recognised bars and is a reference point for the region's bar scene.

One of Bangkok's most decorated bars, The Bamboo Bar at the Mandarin Oriental sits on the Chao Phraya riverfront in Bang Rak and carries a decade of continuous Asia's 50 Best recognition, including a peak ranking of #7 globally in 2020. With a 4.6 Google rating across more than 1,000 reviews, it holds a reference position in Bangkok's premium cocktail scene.

Lobster Bar at Pacific Place has held a position inside Asia's 50 Best Bars every year from 2015 through 2020, peaking at number four in Asia and number 18 globally. Situated on Level 6 of Pacific Place in Central, it sits within Hong Kong's most consistently ranked cocktail tier, drawing a crowd that expects serious programme depth alongside the harbour-adjacent address.

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.

28 HongKong Street has held a position in the World's 50 Best Bars global list every year since 2012, making it one of Singapore's most consistently recognised cocktail bars. Located at 28 Hongkong St in the CBD fringe, it operates as a serious spirits-forward programme in an understated space that prioritises the glass over the room. A 4.4 Google rating across more than 1,100 reviews suggests it delivers consistently at scale.

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 Shanghai's most-awarded bars, Sober Company on Yandang Road operates across four distinct areas — café, kitchen, cocktail lounge, and a hidden bar — anchoring its program in Chinese ingredients and contemporary technique. Consistent appearances on the World's 50 Best Bars and Asia's 50 Best Bars lists since 2017 position it among the most recognised multi-format drinking destinations in Asia.

On Hollywood Road in Central, Quinary has held a place in the World's 50 Best Bars global list every year since 2013, making it one of Hong Kong's most consistently recognised cocktail bars. Its technically precise program sits at the serious end of the Central bar scene, attracting regulars who return for the craft rather than the occasion. A measured, research-driven approach to cocktails has kept it relevant across more than a decade of industry change.

Bar Trench in Tokyo's Ebisu district has held a place on Asia's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2016, reaching as high as #16 in 2018. The bar earned a spot on the global World's 50 Best Bars ranking in 2025 alongside a Pearl Recommended designation. With a 4.7 Google rating across 780 reviews, it sits among Tokyo's most consistently recognised cocktail destinations.

Le Chamber has held a position inside Asia's 50 Best Bars every year since 2016, making it one of Seoul's most consistently recognised cocktail addresses. Located one floor below street level on Dosan-daero 55-gil in Gangnam's Cheongdam neighbourhood, the bar operates within a scene that has redefined what premium cocktails look like in East Asia over the past decade.

One of Dubai's most decorated bar and dining addresses, Zuma at DIFC has held a position in the World's 50 Best Bars multiple times since 2011 and continues to collect Star Wine List awards across multiple categories. The izakaya-style format — Japanese sharing plates, serious sake, and a wine program with genuine depth — sits at the premium end of the DIFC dining circuit and draws a crowd that treats it as a default reference point for the neighbourhood.

Operation Dagger at 76 Neil Rd has held consecutive placements in the World's 50 Best Bars list every year from 2016 to 2019, reaching #21 globally and #6 in Asia. The bar occupies a subterranean space in the Tanjong Pagar conservation shophouse belt, operating with a technical, ingredient-led cocktail program that sits at the serious end of Singapore's bar scene. Google reviews average 4.3 across 485 ratings.

Bar Benfiddich occupies the ninth floor of a Nishishinjuku building, where Hiroyasu Kayama works a 17-seat walnut counter stocked with antique bottles, farm-grown botanicals, and homemade spirits including his own distilled absinthe. Ranked in the World's 50 Best Bars continuously since 2016 and placed ninth in Asia's Best Bars 2025, it operates nightly from 18:00 to 02:00.

Charles H in Seoul has held a place on Asia's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2016, reaching as high as number seven on the Asia ranking in 2022 and number 42 globally in 2021. Located in Jongno District, it represents the longer-running, internationally recognised tier of Seoul's cocktail scene, sitting well above entry-level hotel bars in both ambition and recognition.

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.

A Singapore outpost of the New York original, Employees Only has held a place on Asia's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2017, peaking at #17 in its debut year and maintaining consistent recognition through 2025. Set on Amoy Street in the Tanjong Pagar conservation district, it brings a prohibition-era cocktail sensibility to one of Singapore's most concentrated bar streets, earning a Google rating of 4.2 across nearly 1,000 reviews.

Four consecutive appearances on Asia's 50 Best Bars list — peaking at #24 in 2018 — position 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana as one of Central's most consistently recognised bar programmes. The bar sits within the celebrated Italian restaurant of the same name on Chater Road, where the cocktail offering draws on the kitchen's European sensibility and a drinks culture shaped by Hong Kong's most competitive fine-dining corridor.

One of Manila's most recognised bars, The Curator on Legazpi Street in Makati has appeared in Asia's 50 Best Bars every year since 2016 — peaking at number 16 in the region. Open from early morning through late night most days, it occupies a specific position in Makati's drinking culture: part coffee bar, part serious cocktail programme, operating across a longer daily arc than almost any comparable room in the city.

Alice Cheongdam has held a place on Asia's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2016, climbing to #13 in 2025. Located one floor below street level on Dosan-daero 55-gil in Gangnam, it operates as one of Seoul's most consistently recognised cocktail programmes, drawing a clientele that spans the neighbourhood's fashion-industry crowd and serious bar travellers from across the region.

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.

Union Trading Company on Fen Yang Lu has held a place in the World's 50 Best Asia's Best Bars rankings every year from 2016 through 2022, peaking at #9 in both 2016 and 2017. That sustained recognition positions it among Shanghai's most consistently decorated cocktail programs. The bar sits in the French Concession, a neighbourhood whose leafy streets and colonial-era architecture set the tone before you've ordered a drink.

Smalls occupies a quiet soi off Sathorn and has twice ranked among Asia's 50 Best Bars, peaking at #29 in 2018. The bar operates in the serious end of Bangkok's cocktail conversation, where programme depth and consistency matter more than theatrics. Rated 4.6 across nearly a thousand Google reviews, it holds a clear position in the city's upper tier of independent cocktail destinations.

One of Beijing's most recognised cocktail bars, Janes & Hooch ranked in Asia's 50 Best Bars three consecutive years, peaking at No. 18 in 2016. Positioned in the Sanlitun embassy district, it operates in the upper tier of Beijing's bar scene, where technique and programme depth matter more than spectacle. A serious address for anyone tracking China's cocktail evolution.

The Pontiac has held a position in Asia's Best Bars rankings every year from 2016 through 2022, reaching as high as #16 in 2017. Located on Old Bailey Street in Central, it occupies a niche distinct from Hong Kong's hotel bar circuit: casual in format, consistent in recognition, and built around a crowd that treats it as a neighbourhood local rather than a destination trophy. A 4.6 Google rating across 256 reviews reflects that sustained goodwill.

On Bukit Pasoh Road, D.Bespoke has held a place in Asia's 50 Best Bars rankings every year since 2016, peaking at number 13 on the continent. The bar operates within Singapore's mature cocktail culture, where format discipline and technical precision define the upper tier. A Google rating of 4.4 across 351 reviews suggests consistent execution rather than occasional brilliance.

Nutmeg & Clove on Purvis Street is one of Singapore's most awarded cocktail bars, ranked #24 on Asia's Best Bars 2025 and #28 globally in 2024. Now in its 11th year and third home, the bar builds its menu around Singapore's vernacular food culture — kopi shops, mama stores, hawker nostalgia — translated into technically precise cocktails for a room that seats around 50.

Gen Yamamoto in Azabujuban operates at a tier where the cocktail itself carries all the argument. Recognised by Asia's 50 Best Bars and holding a Pearl Recommended status, this intimate Tokyo bar has built a reputation around ingredient-forward drinks and deliberate pacing. It sits in a different competitive set from Ginza's hotel bars, closer in spirit to a tasting-menu counter than a conventional cocktail lounge.

TCRC on Xinmei Street is one of Tainan's most recognized bars by international standards, having ranked twice on Asia's 50 Best Bars — #23 in 2016 and #35 in 2018. It holds a 4.2 Google rating across more than 1,500 reviews. The bar's depth of spirits curation and its position within Taiwan's broader cocktail circuit make it the reference point for serious drinking in Tainan.

Ranked among Asia's 50 Best Bars in both 2017 (#43) and 2018 (#36), Potato Head Beach Club is one of Seminyak's most recognised drinking destinations. Set on Jl. Petitenget, it occupies a sprawling open-air complex where the bar program and spirits curation carry genuine regional authority, drawing a crowd that arrives as much for the back bar as for the sunset.

Bar Orchard Ginza has held a consistent position in Asia's 50 Best Bars rankings every year from 2016 through 2020, peaking at number 25 in 2017. Located on the seventh floor of a Ginza building, the bar operates in the upper tier of Tokyo's fruit-forward cocktail scene. The 2025 Pearl Recommended Bar award confirms its continued standing among the city's serious drinking establishments.

Junglebird has held a place on Asia's Best Bars list every year since 2018, making it one of the most consistently recognised cocktail bars in Southeast Asia. Located in Bukit Damansara, the bar has built its reputation around tropical-leaning cocktail craft with genuine regional depth. A 4.5 Google rating across 464 reviews signals broad appeal without sacrificing the focus that keeps it on the awards circuit.

Loewy has held a place on Asia's Best Bars 50 list twice, ranking as high as #32 in 2016, which places it among Jakarta's most recognised cocktail programs. Located in the Kuningan district at Premier Cozmo, it draws a crowd that expects precise, considered drinks in a setting designed to hold attention well past the first round. A 4.5 Google rating across more than 3,000 reviews confirms its sustained reputation.

On the 13th floor of a Ginza tower, Mixology Salon holds two consecutive Asia's 50 Best Bars rankings — #40 in 2018 and #49 in 2019 — and a Google score of 4.5 across more than 500 reviews. The bar operates in the upper tier of Tokyo's serious cocktail circuit, where precision technique and considered spatial design define the experience as much as what's in the glass.

Union Brasserie, Bakery and Bar has held a position inside Asia's 50 Best Bars every year since 2016, ranking as high as #33 in 2021. Located on the ground floor of Plaza Senayan in central Jakarta, it operates daily from 10:00 to 22:00 and carries a Google rating of 4.6 across more than 4,400 reviews — a consistency that places it among the most-visited serious bar programs in the Indonesian capital.

Ranked #3 in Asia and #5 globally on the World's 50 Best Bars list for 2025, Jigger & Pony has held a place in Asia's top tier of cocktail bars continuously since 2016. Operating from the lobby of the Amara Hotel in Tanjong Pagar, the bar is known for its annual 'menuzine' format and a drinks program that roots itself in classic technique while pushing contemporary presentation.

Few bars in Tokyo carry a ranking history as consistent as Star Bar Ginza, which appeared on the World's 50 Best Bars list across multiple years between 2010 and 2014, and on Asia's Best Bars through 2021. Set in a basement in Ginza's 1-chome, it operates as a reference point for the classic Japanese bar tradition — serious, unhurried, and built around technique rather than spectacle.

Teens of Thailand has ranked on Asia's 50 Best Bars list every year from 2016 through 2021, peaking at #27 in its debut year. Tucked into the Nana district of Bangkok's Pom Prap neighbourhood, the bar has built a sustained reputation on cocktails that draw from Thai botanicals and local produce without losing technical rigour. A Google rating of 4.4 across 769 reviews confirms the consistency that awards alone cannot capture.

Lamp Bar has appeared on Asia's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2017, making it one of the most consistently recognised cocktail programmes operating outside a major Japanese city. Located in Nara's historic centre, it draws a focused international crowd to a city better known for deer and temples than bar culture — which is precisely what makes it worth understanding.

Coley in Bangsar has held a place on Asia's 50 Best Bars list every year since 2018, peaking at #27 in 2019. Positioned on Jalan Abdullah in one of Kuala Lumpur's most established bar neighbourhoods, it operates as a serious spirits-led program with the kind of award consistency that places it among the city's most recognised bars. Rated 4.5 across 473 Google reviews.

Keepers occupies a measured position in Cheongdam's bar tier, twice ranked No. 47 on Asia's 50 Best Bars in 2017 and 2018. The Gangnam address places it inside Seoul's most concentrated cluster of serious cocktail programs, where the drink-and-food relationship is taken as seriously as the spirits list itself.

Occupying the 51st floor of the Galaxy Macau tower, The Ritz-Carlton Bar & Lounge earned a place on Asia's 50 Best Bars list in 2018, positioning it inside Macau's small tier of hotel bars with genuine cocktail credentials. The elevation and harbour views set the physical context; the drinks programme carries the editorial weight. A 4.7 Google rating across 69 reviews reflects consistent execution at the luxury hotel-bar tier.

Bangkok's most enigmatic cocktail destination, Ku Bar transforms minimalist design and monthly-changing menus featuring local Thai ingredients into an intimate speakeasy experience. Hidden on the third floor of an Old Town heritage building, this award-winning bar creates meaningful connections through masterful mixology and deliberately tranquil atmosphere.

A cocktail bar inside the Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel on Orchard Road that has placed on Asia's 50 Best Bars three consecutive years, peaking at number 35 in 2017. The Other Room operates in the more intimate, hotel-bar tier of Singapore's cocktail scene, where the drinks program and format carry the weight of the experience rather than neighbourhood theatre.