World’s Best Bar revealed at 50 Best 2025

Bar Leone in Hong Kong has ranked No.1 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025 – the first time a bar in Asia has taken the top spot.

The 2025 list, announced at an awards ceremony in Hong Kong, features bars from 29 cities with eight new entries spread across Athens, Bratislava, Guangzhou, Lima, New York, Oslo, Tirana and Tokyo.

At No.19, Melbourne’s Caretaker’s Cottage retained its title as The Best Bar in Australasia with Sydney’s Maybe Sammy at No.42. The Best Bar Design Award went to Sydney’s Tigra + Disco Pantera. 

Other notable awards included Simone Caporale of Barcelona’s Sips, awarded the Roku Industry Icon Award and The Cambridge Public House in Paris winning the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award.

New York’s Sip & Guzzle won Three Cents Best New Opening and Backdoor Bodega in Penang won the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award.

The Bar Leone team win the top spot at World’s 50 Best Bars 2025

Bar Leone on top
Located in Hong Kong’s vibrant Central district, Bar Leone is the brainchild of renowned bartender Lorenzo Antinori, whose background includes some of Europe and Asia’s most beloved hotel bars, including London’s American Bar at The Savoy and Dandelyan (now defunct).

Built on the philosophy of ‘cocktail popolari’ – or ‘cocktails for the people’ – Bar Leone pays tribute to the neighbourhood bars of Rome, where locals gather for coffee, aperitivi and casual conversation. The interior is designed to be approachable, unpretentious and deeply rooted in Italian culture and hospitality.

The cocktail menu is a rotating Google Docs file, updated monthly and including the full recipe and method to ensure each drink is fully accessible to everyone.

Bar Leone opened in June 2023 and quickly rose to fame, debuting at No.1 on the list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 and No.2 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2024. Earlier this year, it was once again named The Best Bar in Asia at Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025. 

W: Find the full list at world50bestbars.com