Bangkok Bars Win Big at Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023

Bangkok Bars Win Big at Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023 – The prestigious eighth edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars took place at the Rosewood Hong Kong on July 18, 2023. The event, sponsored by Perrier in collaboration with the Hong Kong Tourism Board, celebrated the crème de la crème of the Asian cocktail scene.

Despite challenging weather conditions due to Typhoon Talim, the evening witnessed a grand gathering of the most influential individuals in the region’s bar industry.

Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023

The 2023 edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars featured entries from 17 cities and 12 countries, including an impressive 13 new entries. Singapore led the pack with 11 bars, followed closely by Hong Kong and Japan. Thailand, represented by Bangkok, had four bars on the list this year, one less than the previous year’s representation.

The best bar in Asia 2023

Hong Kong’s COA took home the crown as the best bar in Asia for the third consecutive year, setting a new record. The bar’s consistent excellence and dedication to its craft have earned it this prestigious accolade. Following closely behind COA, Jigger and Pony secured the second spot, while Bangkok’s very own BKK Social Club proudly claimed the third position on the list.

Bangkok bars on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023 list

Bangkok’s bar scene showcased its prowess in the 2023 edition, and bar lovers in the city had reason to celebrate. The 51-100 ranking had already hinted at Bangkok’s impressive showing, with four bars making it to that list. As a result, Bangkok earned a total of eight bars in the top 100 ranking.

The Bangkok bars that made it to the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023 list are as follows:

Special awards

As is tradition, a number of special awards went out this year, honouring key individuals and bars.

• Campari One to Watch: Night Hawk, Singapore
• Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award: Analogue, Singapore
• Altos Bartender’s Bartender: Beckaly Franks of The Pontiac, Hong Kong
• Roku Industry Icon Award: Hiroyasu Kayama
• Michter’s Art of Hospitality Award: Sago House, Singapore

The full list

A warm congratulations to all winners on this list. Find the full ranking below, with Bangkok bars marked in boldface.

50. Penrose, Kuala Lumpur
49. Bellwood Tokyo, Tokyo (new entry)
48. The Living Room, Mumbai (new entry)
47. The Old Man, Hong Kong (re-entry)
46. Soko, Seoul (new entry)
45. High Five, Tokyo (re-entry)
44. Bee’s Knees, Kyoto
43. The Public House, Taipei (new entry)
42. Native, Singapore (re-entry)
41. Vender, Tai Chung (new entry)
40. Smoke & Bitters, Sri Lanka (best bar in Sri Lanka)
39. Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou (best bar in Mainland China)
38. Copitas, Bengaluru
37. Southside Parlor, Seoul (new entry)
36. Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur (best bar in Malaysia)
35. Bombay Canteen, Mumbai (new entry)
34. The Curator, Manila (best bar in the Philippines)
33. Mostly Harmless, Hong Kong (new entry)
32. Stay Gold Flamingo, Singapore (new entry)
31. Quinary, Hong Kong
30. Employees Only, Singapore (re-entry)
29. Pantja, Jakarta (new entry)
28. Alice, Seoul
27. Atlas, Singapore
26. Penicillin, Hong Kong
25. Le Chamber, Seoul
24. 28 Hong Kong Street, Singapore
23. Lamp Bar, Nara
22. Mahaniyom, Bangkok (new entry, best new opening)
21. Manhattan, Singapore
20. Virtù, Tokyo (new entry)
19. The Cocktail Club, Jakarta (best bar in Indonesia)
18. Sidecar, New Delhi (best bar in India)
17. The Aubrey, Hong Kong
16. Republic, Singapore
15. Analogue, Singapore
14. The SG Club, Tokyo
13. Cham Bar, Seoul
12. Vesper, Bangkok (previously no. 19 in 2022)
11. Indulge Experimental Bistro, Taipei (best bar in Taiwan)
10. Sago House, Singapore
9. Dark Side, Hong Kong
8. Argo, Hong Kong
7. Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore
6. Tropic City, Bangkok (previously no. 17 in 2022)
5. Zest, Seoul (best bar in Korea, and highest climber from no. 48 as of last year)
4. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo (best bar in Japan)
3. BKK Social Club, Bangkok (previously no. 10 in 2022)
2. Jigger & Pony, Singapore (best bar in Singapore)
1. COA, Hong Kong (best bar in Hong Kong)

About Asia’s 50 Best Bars