Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2019: The Old Man, Hong Kong Takes Top Place

PUBLISHED May 9th, 2019 10:43 pm | UPDATED May 18th, 2020 06:52 pm

Consider yourself a drinks lover? Then you won’t want to close this tab just yet. The second edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, organised by the iconic 50 Best brand, returned today to Capitol Theatre in Singapore along with several hundreds of the bar industry’s biggest VIPs. To put it simply, everyone got pretty darn drunk.

But you’re here to find out the results — drawn up from votes cast by more than 200 industry experts across Asia.There’s been lots of talk going around on who would win, and while some of the results are surprising, the rest were somewhat expected. And here goes: the number one bar of the year is The Old Man, Hong Kong, climbing four spots up from last year to become the Asia’s best bar.

Many eyes at the countdown were on Singapore’s Manhattan, which won the top spot for two years running, but they’ve since become No. 2, which is a very laudable ranking in itself. They’re still one of our favourite hotel bars in Singapore, and retains its title as the Lion City’s top bar as well as ‘Legend of the List’, sponsored by Michter’s.

This time, a total of nine cities made 2019’s ranked list. China claims 12 bars on this prestigious list of 50, dominating the list, while Singapore bagged a total 11 spots. Still, it’s not bad for a little red dot on the map, we say. Thailand is right behind Singapore with seven making the rankings. Singapore’s Jigger & Pony (No. 9) wowed the crowd by climbing up 33 spots from 2018, picking up the Highest Climber Award. From China, top representatives include Shanghai’s Speak Low (No. 7), Hong Kong’s Quinary (No. 10), and Sober Company (No. 16).

There are also 12 new entrants this year. Apart from Oto (No. 47) and The Back Room (No. 50) from the Philippines, newcomers include The Wise King (No. 18) and Coa (No. 12) in Hong Kong, taking home the honour of Highest New Entry.

 

Some bars and individuals that didn’t make it on the list have reason to celebrate as well. The Campari One To Watch initiative recognised South Korea’s Pussyfoot Saloon as a rising star in the region. Their eclectic selection of cocktails runs the gamut from expertly executed classics to inventive and sophisticated tipples. There was also the Altos Bartenders’ Bartender, which went to Japanese cocktail master Shingo Gokan – as voted for by the bartenders from the establishments in the 2019 list.

Is 2019 the year for to finally highlight sustainability in the bar industry? The Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award, which spotlights the bar on the list with the highest sustainability rating, goes to Bar Trigona (No. 40) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, determined by audit partner The Sustainable Restaurant Association.

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Now, here is the full list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2019:

1. The Old Man, Hong Kong, China (The Best Bar in Asia, The Best Bar in China)
2. Manhattan, Singapore (The Best Bar in Singapore, Legend of the List Award)
3. Indulge Experimental Bistro, Taipei (Taiwan Best Bar in Taiwan)
4. Native, Singapore
5. Atlas, Singapore
6. High Five, Tokyo (The Best Bar in Japan)
7. Speak Low, Shanghai, China
8. The Bamboo Bar At Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok (The Best Bar in Thailand)
9. Jigger & Pony, Singapore (Highest Climber Award)
10. Quinary, Hong Kong
11. Tippling Club, Singapore
12. Coa, Hong Kong (Highest New Entry)
13. The SG Club, Tokyo
14. Charles H, Seoul (Best Bar in Korea)
15. Gibson, Singapore
16. Sober Company, Shanghai
17. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
18. The Wise King, Hong Kong
19. Le Chamber, Seoul
20. Backstage Cocktail Bar, Bangkok
21. 28 HongKong Street, Singapore
22. Operation Dagger, Singapore
23. Bar Trench, Tokyo
24. Aha Saloon, Taipei
25. D.Bespoke, Singapore
26. Vesper, Bangkok
27. Coley, Kuala Lumpur (Best Bar in Malaysia)
28. Bar Orchard Ginza, Tokyo
29. Alice Cheongdam, Seoul
30. Union Trading Company, Shanghai
31. Tropic City, Bangkok
32. The Pontiac, Hong Kong
33. Lobster Bar & Grill, Hong Kong
34. Rabbit Hole, Bangkok
35. Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou
36. Stockton, Hong Kong
37. The Curator, Manila (The Best Bar in the Philippines)
38. 1/2 Otto E Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong
39. Union Brasserie, Bakery & Bar, Jakarta (The Best Bar in Indonesia)
40. Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur (Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award)
41. Employees Only, Singapore
42. Smalls, Bangkok
43. Bar Mood, Taipei
44. Junglebird, Kuala Lumpur
45. Draft Land, Taipei
46. The Other Room, Singapore
47. Oto, Manila, Philippines
48. Teens Of Thailand, Bangkok
49. Mixology Salon, Tokyo
50. The Back Room, Manila

Unsure about how the ranking process works? The Asia’s 50 Best Bars Academy consists of over 200 industry leaders across Asia, and members list seven bars in order of preference based on their bar experiences over the last 18 months. Plus, a minimum of three votes must go to bars located outside their country of residence.

For more information, visit the Asia’s 50 Best Bars website.