Asia’s 50 best bars for 2024 have been announced. A newcomer has earned the top spot

Hong Kong CNN —

Bar Leone – an Italian cocktail spot in central Hong Kong – has been crowned the best bar in Asia. It’s an impressive achievement, considering the venue has only been open for about a year.

“We were not expecting this,” co-founder Lorenzo Antinori told CNN shortly after the award ceremony.

A Rome native, he originally pursued a career in law but found himself enjoying his part-time job behind the bar more than he did studying for the bar.

“We have a bar scene in Hong Kong that is vibrant. It’s always been very strong but I can see that after the pandemic there were new ideas and new business models,” Antinori added. “Diversity and energy: those are the words we associate with the bar community here.”

The Asia’s 50 Best Bars ceremony was held at the Rosewood Hotel in Hong Kong’s Kowloon district on July 16. The awards are voted on by members of the bar industry, media and mixology experts in the region, and they look at categories like quality of drinks, level of service and that intangible quality that one might call “vibe.”

Before Bar Leone’s triumph, the top spot was held by another Hong Kong bar, mezcal-forward Coa, which spent a record three years atop the list.

Coa is helmed by Jay Khan, whose latest venture – Hong Kong’s The Savory Project – was recognized for being the year’s best new opening.

When Coa was announced in fourth place, many attendees audibly gasped.

However, Khan, sporting his signature black baseball cap, was among those cheering for Bar Leone’s big win. “One day we’re not going to be crowned number one, and that’s okay,” Khan told CNN last year after the awards ceremony.

A clear winner was Singapore, with eleven bars in the top 50.