Asia’s 50 best bars for 2016 have been named

Just a few weeks ago the authoritative publication Worlds50bestbars.com debuted their Asian-focused list, sifting through the many elaborate, speakeasy, rustic, and futuristic bars around Asia to come up with a comprehensive, ranked list. Working through the rich stock of bars was no easy feat, as explained by Asia’s 50 Best Bars Editor Hamish Smith who focused on the Asian perspective to curate this list, writing “if you get the voters right, you get the 50 right”.

The publication went to great lengths to travel, network, and pick the brains of movers and shakers across Asia’s bar world, putting together 154 Asian Academy members to vote in the poll based on their knowledge and experience in the Asian bar industry.

Picked from around 14 Asian countries and a few dozen cities, the academy was made up of high-level bartenders, bar consultants, expats, local experts, brand ambassadors (who travel more than anyone in the bar business), and select journalists. Below is the full list of their picks, with Singapore in a strong position, having four bars in the top 10, including 28 Hongkong Street which has taken top honours, ahead of Shanghai’s famed Speak Low and Tokyo’s High Five – second and third place, respectively.

Here’s your bucket list:

1. 28 Hongkong Street, Singapore
2. Speak Low, Shanghai
3. High Five, Tokyo
4. Lobster Bar & Grill, Hong Kong
5. Manhattan, Singapore
6. Quinary, Hong Kong
7. Operation Dagger, Singapore
8. Jigger & Pony, Singapore
9. Union Trading Company, Shanghai
10. Omakase + Appreciate, Kuala Lumpur
11. Alice, Seoul
12. Tippling Club, Singapore
13. D.Bespoke, Singapore
14. ABV, Manila
15. Alchemy, Taipei
16. The Curator, Manila
17. Vesper, Bangkok
18. Janes & Hooch, Beijing
19. The Pontiac, Hong Kong
20. Woo Taipei, Taipei
21. Ben Fiddich, Tokyo
22. Gibson, Singapore
23. TCRC, Tainan
24. Charles H, Seoul
25. Le Chamber, Seoul
26. Q&A, Bangkok
27. Teens of Thailand, Bangkok
28. Royal Bar, Tokyo
29. Honi Honi, Hong Kong
30. Bar Trench, Tokyo
31. Stockton, Hong Kong
32. Loewy, Jakarta
33. Star Bar, Tokyo
34. Bamboo Bar, Bangkok
35. Union Brasserie, Bakery & Bar, Jakarta
36. Codename Mixology Akasaka, Tokyo
37. Bar Orchard, Tokyo
38. Mixology Laboratory, Tokyo
39. Zuma, Hong Kong
40. Ounce, Taipei
41. Maggie Choo’s, Bangkok
42. Constellation, Shanghai
43. Anti:dote, Singapore
44. Ori-gin, Hong Kong
45. The Envoy, Hong Kong
46. R&D Cocktail Lab, Taipei
47. Mahalo Tiki Lounge, Hong Kong
48. Sugarhall, Singapore
49. D.still, Seoul
50. Hyde & Seek, Bangkok

You can check out more information at worldsbest50bars.

Headline image: http://www.straitstimes.com

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Chris Singh

Chris Singh is an Editor-At-Large at the AU review, loves writing about travel and hospitality, and is partial to a perfectly textured octopus. You can reach him on Instagram: @chrisdsingh.