Cover The team from Bar Leone in Hong Kong, led by Lorenzo Antinori, celebrates being named The World’s Best Bar 2025
The team from Bar Leone in Hong Kong, led by Lorenzo Antinori, celebrates being named The World’s Best Bar 2025
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For the first time in the 17-year history of The World’s 50 Best Bars list, an Asian bar takes the crown, with Hong Kong’s Bar Leone leading a record year for the region
The world raised a Negroni to Hong Kong tonight.
At the 2025 ceremony of The World’s 50 Best Bars, held in Hong Kong for the first time, Bar Leone was named The World’s Best Bar, marking the first-ever Asian winner in the ranking’s 17-year history.
Led by Lorenzo Antinori, the Roman-born bartender known for his work at Argo, Dandelyan and The American Bar, Bar Leone opened just two years ago and debuted at #2 in 2024 before taking the top spot this year. The neighbourhood-style bar channels cocktail popolari, simple Italian-accented classics, mortadella sandwiches, and generous hospitality inspired by Rome’s everyday bars.
Antinori’s win also marks his third time at #1, following earlier triumphs with The American Bar (2017) and Dandelyan (2018). “It’s a dream come true. Proof that simplicity, community and joy still matter most,” he said on stage as Hong Kong’s bar community erupted in applause.
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Above Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City, #2 on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025 and winner of The Best Bar in North America
Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City, #2 on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025 and winner of The Best Bar in North America
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Asia achieved its strongest performance yet with 12 bars in the global Top 50, led by Bar Leone (Hong Kong #1), Jigger & Pony (Singapore #9), Bar Us (Bangkok #15), Zest (Seoul #16), Bar Benfiddich (Tokyo #18) and Hope & Sesame (Guangzhou #29).
They are joined by Coa (Hong Kong #38), Virtù (Tokyo #45), The Bellwood (Tokyo #48), BKK Social Club (Bangkok #49) and Nutmeg & Clove (Singapore #50), while Backdoor Bodega (Penang) earned this year’s Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award.
Above Bratislava’s Mirror Bar makes a stunning debut at #25 on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025, claiming the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award and spotlighting Eastern Europe’s growing cocktail scene
Bratislava’s Mirror Bar makes a stunning debut at #25 on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025, claiming the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award and spotlighting Eastern Europe’s growing cocktail scene
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The 2025 list spans 29 cities across five continents. Handshake Speakeasy (Mexico City) placed #2 and retained the title of Best Bar in North America, sponsored by Amaro Lucano, while Sips (Barcelona) ranked #3 and was once again named Best Bar in Europe, sponsored by Monkey Shoulder.
Paradiso (Barcelona #4), Tayēr + Elementary (London #5) and Connaught Bar (London #6) continued their long reign among the world’s elite. Moebius Milano (#7) earned the Nikka Highest Climber Award after leaping 31 places, and Mirror Bar (Bratislava #25) became the first bar from Slovakia to join the list, also taking the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award. Sip & Guzzle (New York #39) was named Three Cents Best New Opening.
Europe remains the most represented region with 23 bars, followed by Asia with 12, North America with 7, South America with 6, and Australasia with 2, the broadest geographic reach in eight years.
Above Moebius Milano, a dynamic culinary and cocktail hub in the heart of Milan, soars to #7 on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025, claiming the Nikka Highest Climber Award
Moebius Milano, a dynamic culinary and cocktail hub in the heart of Milan, soars to #7 on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025, claiming the Nikka Highest Climber Award
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Among the special awards, The Cambridge Public House (Paris) earned the Sustainable Bar Award, while Lady Bee (Lima #13) received The Art of Hospitality Award.
Jigger & Pony’s Uno Jang was recognised as Altos Bartenders’ Bartender 2025, and Sips’ Simone Caporale received the Roku Industry Icon Award.
The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025
1 – Bar Leone, Hong Kong
2 – Handshake Speakeasy, Mexico City
3 – Sips, Barcelona
4 – Paradiso, Barcelona
5 – Tayēr + Elementary, London
6 – Connaught Bar, London
7 – Moebius Milano, Milan
8 – Line, Athens
9 – Jigger & Pony, Singapore
10 – Tres Monos, Buenos Aires
11 – Alquímico, Cartagena
12 – Superbueno, New York
13 – Lady Bee, Lima
14 – Himkok, Oslo
15 – Bar Us, Bangkok
16 – Zest, Seoul
17 – Bar Nouveau, Paris
18 – Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
19 – Caretaker’s Cottage, Melbourne
20 – The Cambridge Public House, Paris
21 – Satan’s Whiskers, London
22 – Locale Firenze, Florence
23 – Tlecān, Mexico City
24 – Tan Tan, São Paulo
25 – Mirror Bar, Bratislava
26 – CoChinChina, Buenos Aires
27 – Baba au Rum, Athens
28 – Nouvelle Vague, Tirana
29 – Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou
30 – Danico, Paris
31 – Scarfes Bar, London
32 – Svanen, Oslo
33 – Sastrería Martinez, Lima
34 – Panda & Sons, Edinburgh
35 – Röda Huset, Stockholm
36 – Mimi Kakushi, Dubai
37 – Salmon Guru, Madrid
38 – Coa, Hong Kong
39 – Sip & Guzzle, New York
40 – Drink Kong, Rome
41 – Double Chicken Please, New York
42 – Maybe Sammy, Sydney
43 – 1930, Milan
44 – Jewel of the South, New Orleans
45 – Virtù, Tokyo
46 – Overstory, New York
47 – The Bar in Front of the Bar, Athens
48 – The Bellwood, Tokyo
49 – BKK Social Club, Bangkok
50 – Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
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A storyteller by day and a first-class food devourer by night, Fontaine is the Regional Dining Editor at Tatler Asia, overseeing dining content across all regions and shaping the brand’s editorial voice on food, chefs and culinary culture.
She is also Content Lead for Tatler Best and Co-jury Head for Tatler Best Hong Kong and Macau, guiding the awards’ editorial direction and evaluation process. With over a decade in the lifestyle and media industry spanning London and Hong Kong, she brings a cross-regional perspective to the table.
Follow her on Instagram at @fontimes.
