A neighborhood joint in Hong Kong has been named the world’s best bar

No one is aware of for certain what number of bars exist on Earth, however there are doubtless tens of millions of spots round the world the place patrons can get a glass of wine or a bottle of beer.

No one is aware of for certain what number of bars exist on Earth, however there are doubtless tens of millions of spots round the world the place patrons can get a glass of wine or a bottle of beer.

But inside that quantity, what number of supply cocktails which might be served inside large balloons, produced from foraged elements, or topped with pastel-colored edible foam? And of all these large and various alcohol-vending institutions, which of them are value touring for?

That’s a query that the World’s 50 Best group tries yearly to reply. The UK-based group places collectively an annual rating of the world’s best bars and divulges the winners in October.

For 2025, the No. 1 reply to that query is Hong Kong’s Bar Leone. This Italian spot in the modern Sheung Wan space is helmed by Rome native Lorenzo Antinori, who mentioned he wished the bar to really feel “like my grandmother’s living room.”

It is the first-ever bar in Asia to win the No. 1 spot.

“Grazie mille!” he mentioned as the bar’s identify was referred to as.

“Our idea was try to be a neighborhood bar as much as possible,” Antinori mentioned at a press convention after the ceremony.

“We are living in times where consumers are seeking for comfort. There’s no smoke and mirrors. What you see on the menu is what you’re going to get.”

The world’s best bars list was introduced at a splashy, cocktail-attire-please occasion in Hong Kong, the place the hometown crowd appeared firmly on Bar Leone’s cheering squad.

Second place went to Handshake Speakeasy, a Prohibition-inspired cocktail spot in Mexico City. It received the World’s Best Bar title final 12 months. Sips in Barcelona earned the No. 3 rating.

One method to spot potential future honorees is to have a look at the listing of the 51st-100th best bars, which was launched on September 24. New entries to the listing embrace New York City’s Schmuck (“effortlessly cool”), São Paulo’s Exímia (“a taste of Brazil in a glass”), and Taichung’s Vender (“disguised as one of Taiwan’s many vending machines”).

The World’s 50 Best started as a restaurant rating in 2002, then expanded to bars and inns.

There are additionally prizes for sustainable practices and for standout bartenders.

The world’s 50 best bars for 2025