Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024: Hong Kong bar nabs top spot, 11 SG bars make the list

The verdict’s out on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024: Local industry stalwart Jigger & Pony has clinched third place, behind Zest in Seoul and Bar Leone in Hong Kong. 

The rankings were announced at the Asia’s 50 Best Bars ceremony held on July 16 at Rosewood Hong Kong hotel. This comes after the extended longlist, comprising bars Nos. 51 to 100, was released earlier last week on Jul 9. 

There was a considerable shake-up in the extended list last week, with many new bars making the list and several well-established names making a dip on the charts.

The No. 1 to 50 rankings were similarly tumultuous, with a number of new entrants catapulted to top spots — Singapore bars included. 

11 Singapore bars on the 2024 Asia’s 50 Best Bars list

Singapore bars lead the pack, with 11 bars in the top 50 list, followed by nine bars in Hong Kong and five from Seoul.

Jigger & Pony retains its position as the top bar locally with its No. 3 spot this year, one down from its No. 2 spot, which it has held onto for the last three years.

These were the Singapore bars that made the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list: 

3. Jigger & Pony
6. Nutmeg & Clove
15. Sago House
16. Night Hawk (New to the 50 Best list, ranked 73 in 2023)
25. Offtrack (New to the 50 Best list, ranked No. 79 in 2023)
31. Native
32. Origin Bar (New to the 50 Best, ranked No. 95 in 2023)
35. Analogue Initiative
38. Employees Only
42. Fura (New entrant)
49. Atlas

Of note, future-looking, sustainable cocktail bar Fura, opened by Christina Rasmussen and Sasha Wijidessa in October 2023, debuted on the list at a very impressive No. 42.

Night Hawk, which won the Campari One To Watch Award in 2023, had the best showing among the local bars new to the list, coming in at No. 16. 

Hong Kong’s Bar Leone bags top bar in Asia spot

While Hong Kong remains top of the list, the No. 1 spot has changed hands, from Coa (which was ranked No. 3 this year) to the newly crowned Bar Leone.

As this is Bar Leone’s first entry to the list, the bar also won the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award. 

Opened by Italian Lorenzo Antinori, Bar Leone is Lorenzeo’s first solo venture, after having worked at top bars such as Argo in Hong Kong and Charles H in Seoul. 

Other Hong Kong bars that made the Asia’s 50 Best Bar list include: Coa (No. 4), Argo (No. 9), The Aubrey (No. 10), Darkside (No. 17), The Savory Project (No. 19), Penicillin (No. 24), Quinary (No. 26), and Mostly Harmless (No. 45).

Closer to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur bar Penrose clocked in at No. 8, making it the top bar in Malaysia. It also won the Nikka Highest Climber award, having scaled 42 spots from its 2023 ranking. 

Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 list 

Here’s the full list of the bars on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024, including the extended 51 to 100 list:

1. Bar Leone, Hong Kong 
2. Zest, Seoul
3. Jigger & Pony, Singapore
4. Coa, Hong Kong
5. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
6. Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
7. BKK Social Club, Bangkok
8. Penrose, Kuala Lumpur
9. Argo, Hong Kong
10. The Aubrey, Hong Kong
11. Virtu, Tokyo 
12. The Cocktail Club, Jakarta
13. Vesper, Bangkok
14. Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou
15. Sago House, Singapore
16. Night Hawk, Singapore
17. Darkside, Hong Kong
18. Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar, Bangkok 
19. The Savory Project, Hong Kong
20. Bar Cham, Seoul
21. Bar Us, Bangkok
22. The St. Regis Bar, Macau
23. The SG Club, Tokyo
24. Penicillin, Hong Kong
25. Offtrack, Singapore
26. Quinary, Hong Kong
27. Pantja, Jakarta
28. Craftroom, Osaka
29. Smoke & Bitters, Hiriketiya
30. Vender, Taichung
31. Native, Singapore
32. Origin Bar, Singapore
33. The Curator, Manila
34. The Bellwood, Tokyo
35. Analogue Initiative, Singapore
36. Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur 
37. Bar Mood, Taipei
38. Employees Only, Singapore
39. Barc, Kathmandu
40. ZLB23, Bengaluru
41. Reka, Kuala Lumpur
42. Fura, Singapore
43. CMYK, Changsha
44. The Public House, Taipei
45. Mostly Harmless, Hong Kong
46. Alice, Seoul
47. The Halfington, Hanoi
48. Le Chamber, Seoul
49. Atlas, Singapore
50. Pine & Co, Seoul
51. Soko, Seoul
52. Backdoor Bodega, Penang
53. Tokyo Confidential, Tokyo
54. Epic, Shanghai
55. Lamp Bar, Nara
56. Three X Co, Kuala Lumpur
57. Republic, Singapore
58. Stir, Ho Chi Minh City
59. The Bombay Canteen, Mumbai
60. No Sleep Club, Singapore
61. To Infinity & Beyond, Taipei
62. Tropic City, Bangkok
63. Stay Gold Flamingo, Singapore
64. Yakoboku, Kumamoto
65. The Elephant Room, Singapore
66. Mizunara: The Library, Hong Kong
67. Honky Tonks Tavern, Hong Kong
68. Lair, New Delhi
69. Manhattan, Singapore
70. Coley, Kuala Lumpur
71. The Old Man, Hong Kong
72. Under Lab, Taipei
73. Opium, Bangkok
74. Folklore, Tokyo
75. Bee’s Knees, Kyoto
76. Gold Bar, Tokyo
77. Cat Bite Club, Singapore
78. 28 Hongkong Street, Singapore
79. The Han-jia, Tainan
80. Junglebird, Kuala Lumpur
81. The Hudson Rooms, Hanoi
82. Southbank Cafe + Lounge, Muntinlupa City
83. Firefly, Bangkok
84. Sidecar, New Delhi
85. The Sailing Bar, Nara
86. Bulgari Ginza Bar, Tokyo
87. High Five, Tokyo
88. The St. Regis Bar, Jakarta
89. Gong Gan, Seoul
90. Asia Today, Bangkok
91. The Bamboo Bar, Bangkok
92. Sober Company, Shanghai
93. Last Word, Singapore
94. Wu (Nothingness), Taipei
95. Charles H, Seoul
96. Home, New Delhi
97. Tell Camellia, Hong Kong
98. Dry Wave Cocktail Studio, Bangkok
99. Drinking & Healing, Ho Chi Minh City
100. Moonrock, Tainan

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the newest KFC flavour and the latest kimbap concept to hit town. 

Do explore the new GrabFood Dine Out service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to visit the Singapore bars listed on Asia’s Best 50 Bars 2024.