A Hong Kong Mezcal Den Has Been Crowned ‘Best Bar In Asia’ For The 3rd Year In A Row

Following an uproarious ceremony that took place amid the gilded trappings of Rosewood Hong Kong late yesterday evening, the results for Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023 have just been revealed — with local favourite and agave spirits specialist Coa once again snagging the coveted title of ‘Best Bar in Asia’.

This marks the third time owner-operator Jay Khan (hailed widely as “the nicest man working in Asia’s vibrant hospitality scene”) and his small team of crack operators have pipped the #1 spot: an unprecedented record for any venue in the region.

Beloved by Hongkongers and global cocktail aficionados alike for its “vast collection of…handcrafted Mexican spirits”, Coa remains an exceptional outlier on a list that is habitually dominated by luxury hotels and large corporate sponsorships. For years, it has carved out a reputation for its deliciously approachable and unpretentious mixology; not to mention, service that is warm, down-to-earth, and if you so choose, honed to a fine educational edge.

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As always, Singapore continues to be a force to be reckoned with in these lists, with the Amara Hotel-located stalwart Jigger & Pony snagging this year’s No. 2 spot. The venue has been a fixture of the ‘Asia’s 50 Best’ bar awards for many years, having previously taken home the top position in 2020.

More broadly, the Lion City remains the locale with the single densest concentration of ’50 Best’ bars in the region: accounting for 11 distinctive and exciting venues such as Sago House, Nutmeg & Clove, Republic, and this year’s preeminent leader in sustainability, Analogue Initiative.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong (which plays host this year to ‘Asia’s 50 Best Bars’ for the very first time) came away with a respectable 8 inclusions: with a particularly robust contingent of on-premise luxury hotel bars including (chronologically) Argo, Darkside, and The Aubrey.

Further afield, the excellent Buenos Aires-inspired BKK Social Club climbed 7 spots this year to achieve No. 3 billing and snag the award for ‘Best Bar in Thailand’ overall.

Japan makes a welcome reappearance in the top 10 courtesy of Bar Benfiddich (a Tokyo-based institution renowned for being the world’s first ‘farm to glass’ venue) at No. 4.

Not to be outdone, the Korean bar scene has also emerged as a hugely influential force in this year’s awards, with the top 5 spots being rounded out by the team at Zest in Seoul. A paean to Korea’s bounty of unique regional ingredients, it has climbed a whopping 43 spots to settle in at No. 5 — an achievement that reverberates with unique symbolic significance, given the number of Korean venues that have managed to crack this year’s rankings.

Check out the full list of awardees for Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023 below:

The 50 Best Bars In Asia [2023]

1. Coa – Hong Kong
2. Jigger & Pony – Singapore (Best Bar in Singapore)
3. BKK Social Club – Bangkok (Best Bar in Thailand)
4. Bar Benfiddich – Tokyo (Best Bar In Japan)
5. Zest – Seoul (‘Highest Climber’ award)
6. Tropic City – Bangkok
7. Nutmeg & Clove – Singapore
8. Argo – Hong Kong
9. Darkside – Hong Kong
10. Sago House – Singapore
11. Indulge Experimental Bistro – Taipei
12. Vesper – Bangkok
13. Cham Bar – Seoul
14. The SG Club – Tokyo
15. Analogue Initiative – Singapore
16. Republic – Singapore
17. The Aubrey – Hong Kong
18. Sidecar – New Delhi (Best Bar In India)
19. The Cocktail Club – Jakarta
20. Virtù – Tokyo (Highest New Entry)
21. Manhattan – Singapore
22. Mahaniyom Cocktail Bar – Bangkok (Best New Opening)
23. Lamp Bar – Nara
24. 28 HongKong Street – Singapore
25. Le Chamber – Seoul
26. Penicillin – Hong Kong
27. Atlas – Singapore
28. Alice – Seoul
29. Pantja – Jakarta
30. Employees Only – Singapore
31. Quinary – Hong Kong
32. Stay Gold Flamingo – Singapore (New Entry)
33. Mostly Harmless – Hong Kong (New Entry)
34. The Curator – Manila (Best Bar In The Philippines)
35. The Bombay Canteen – Mumbai
36. Bar Trigona – Kuala Lumpur (Best Bar In Malaysia)
37. Southside Parlor – Seoul
38. Copitas – Bengaluru
39. Hope & Sesame – Guangzhou (Best Bar In Mainland China)
40. Smoke & Bitters – Hiriketiya
41. Vender – Taichung
42. Native – Singapore
43. The Public House – Taipei
44. Bee’s Knees – Kyoto
45. High Five – Tokyo
46. Soko – Seoul
47. The Old Man – Hong Kong
48. The Living Room – Mumbai
49. The Bellwood – Tokyo
50. Penrose – Kuala Lumpur