High Spirits: The Top Five from Asia’s Best Bars 2023

Such was the energy among the crowd at this year’s Asia’s Best Bar Awards at the Rosewood Hong Kong, you’d have been forgiven for imagining you’d stumbled into a FIFA World Cup final – these top five establishments capture the essence of the region’s vibrant drinks scene. Cheers!

#1 COA

For the third year running, this Hong Kong watering hole has secured the top spot, the first to do so since the launch of Asia’s Best Bars in 2016. With a menu promising an education in agave spirits, Coa was the first of its kind in the region – and if the nightly queue outside is anything to go by, the stream of new openings hasn’t dented its popularity one iota. The same team’s Savory Project will be eligible to enter next year’s list – and we can’t wait to see if that winning streak will continue. No pressure.

COA, 6-10 Shin Hing Street, Central, Hong Kong

#2 Jigger & Pony

Something of a permanent fixture on the Asia’s Best Bars list, it’s fitting that this year Singapore’s Jigger & Pony also won the Rémy Martin Legend of the List award. The bar’s central ethos revolves around conviviality, with a sophisticated yet unpretentious atmosphere. Its latest menu focuses on the revival of classic drinks while also spotlighting emerging Asian spirits, such as Haku vodka and Himalayan gin.

165 Tanjong Pagar Road, Amara Hotel, Singapore

#3 Bangkok Social Club

With the absence of The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok’s Bamboo Bar from this year’s list, the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok’s number-three-ranked Social Club confidently claims the title of best watering hole on the Chao Phraya River. Led by Philip Bischoff, this opulent establishment exudes the glamour of Buenos Aires with its grand bar and verdant chandeliers. Suitably, cocktails are named after the places and faces of Argentina, such as Pampas or The Hand of God.

Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok, 1 Charoen Krung Road, Bangkok

#4 Benfiddich

Restaurant diners are familiar with the farm-to-table concept but at Benfiddich, Japan’s maestro of mixology, Hiroyasu Kayama, takes it to a new level by creating cocktails with seasonal herbs grown in his own garden. Echoing an apothecary’s laboratory, the bar is lined with vintage bottles and vials. As this 14-seat watering hole is fast becoming one of Tokyo’s top attractions, booking is essential.

1 Chome-13-7, Nishishinjuku, Tokyo

#5 Zest

Winner of this year’s highest climber award, jumping 43 positions from 2022, Zest is a minimalistic, zero-waste bar located in Gangnam, Seoul. It goes above and beyond in its sustainability efforts by upcycling rind and pulp as ingredients, and also makes its own soda and tonic water in-house, eliminating the use of cans or plastic bottles.

26 KR 55 Dosan-daero 55-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

Check out the full list here.