Hong Kong's Bar Leone has been named The World's Best Bar for a second straight year, cementing the city's position as the best-represented drinking destination in Asia.

The ranking, the 18th edition of The 50 Best Bars, was announced at a ceremony in Milan on Oct. 7. Moebius Milano placed second and Alquímico in Cartagena, Colombia, was third, according to the organizer's announcement. Bar Leone also took the title of The Best Bar in Asia.

Hong Kong placed four bars in the top 50, tying New York and Paris for the most of any city, the organizer said. The city had two bars in the 2025 top 50, according to epicure magazine. Alongside Bar Leone, the list included Argo at No. 25, Montana at No. 36 and Gokan at No. 41.

A Bar Built on Classics

Bar Leone opened in Central in 2023 and was co-founded by Italian bartender Lorenzo Antinori, according to the organizer. Its concept, which it calls Cocktail Popolari, or “cocktails for the people,” centers on well-made classic drinks and unfussy hospitality, drawing on the traditional bars of Rome's Trastevere district.

Faye Huggett, director of community for The 50 Best Bars, said keeping the title for a second year “shows the true impact of Cocktail Popolari.”

Montana, which made its debut at No. 36, is a sister venue of Bar Leone, epicure reported. Gokan, led by bartender Shingo Gokan, rose from No. 70 on last year's extended list. Gokan himself received the ranking's Industry Icon Award, sponsored by Roku gin.

Hong Kong's showing extends beyond the top 50. The extended list of bars ranked 51 to 100, published about two weeks before the ceremony, included four more Hong Kong venues: Coa at No. 54, Penicillin at No. 69, Mius at No. 81 and The Savory Project at No. 96, according to Lifestyle Asia. That gives the city eight bars in the top 100.

Asia Claims 13 Places

Bars in East and Southeast Asia took 13 of the top 50 spots, by Capital Times' count of the full list published by the organizer and Haute Living: four in Hong Kong, three in Bangkok, two each in Singapore and Tokyo, and one each in Seoul and Guangzhou. The count excludes Dubai's Mimi Kakushi at No. 42.

Bangkok's Bar Us climbed to No. 4 from No. 15, and Seoul's Zest rose to No. 7 from No. 16, giving Asia two more places in the top 10, epicure said. Hope & Sesame in Guangzhou moved up to No. 12 from No. 29. Dry Wave Cocktail Studio in Bangkok jumped to No. 27 from No. 88 on the 2025 extended list, and BKK Social Club, inside the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok, rose to No. 30 from No. 49.

Some established names slipped. Singapore's Jigger & Pony fell to No. 18 from No. 9, and Tokyo's Bar Benfiddich dropped to No. 44 from No. 18, according to epicure. Singapore's Nutmeg & Clove improved to No. 38 from No. 50, while Tokyo's Virtù placed No. 48.

The 2026 list spans 26 cities and includes 14 new entries across 11 cities, the organizer said. Paris overtook London as Europe's best-represented city for the first time.

A Showcase for the Drinks Trade

The ranking is voted on by an academy of more than 800 drinks experts spread across 29 regions. Each voter casts eight votes based on bar visits over the previous 18 months, and the results are adjudicated by Deloitte, according to the organizer.

The awards double as a marketing stage for the drinks industry. Perrier sponsors the list and the World's Best Bar title, and individual prizes carry the names of brands including Nikka whisky, Ketel One vodka, Rémy Martin cognac, Campari and Disaronno. Reservations platform SevenRooms and delivery company DoorDash are also listed among the partners.

The global result differs from the regional verdict delivered earlier this year. Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026, revealed at Wynn Palace in Macau on July 28, ranked Guangzhou's Hope & Sesame first, Seoul's Zest second and Bar Leone third, according to The 50.

On the global list, Hong Kong's eight entries in the top 100 put it ahead of every other Asian city. Bangkok had six and Tokyo five, based on the full rankings published by Haute Living and Lifestyle Asia.