Hong Kong’s Bar Leone Crowned Asia’s Top Bar, Eyes Global Glory
Hong Kong’s cocktail scene has just claimed its biggest victory yet. Bar Leone, the intimate Italian-style neighbourhood bar in Soho, has been crowned the World’s Best Bar 2025 by The World’s 50 Best Bars. It’s a win that goes beyond trophies; a celebration of craftsmanship, character, and community that defines Hong Kong’s growing global influence in the world of drinks.
An Italian neighbourhood bar with Hong Kong soul, Bar Leone is the brainchild of renowned bartender Lorenzo Antinori. His idea was simple: bring the warmth, attitude, and spontaneity of a Roman bar to Asia’s most dynamic city. Inside, the space glows with amber light and vintage Italian posters. Football memorabilia hangs quietly between shelves of amari and vermouth, a reminder that this isn’t a concept bar — it’s a lived-in one. The philosophy is summed up in two words: cocktail popolari “cocktails for the people.” Drinks are beautifully built but never over-complicated. Hospitality is warm, familiar, and joyfully unpretentious.
Bar Leone opened in mid-2023 and immediately reshaped expectations. Within months, it topped Asia’s 50 Best Bars, debuted at No. 2 globally, and this year, rose one final step to No. 1. That rise has been powered less by hype than by heart. Co-owner Justin Shun Wah often credits the win to “great hospitality, above all else.” Guests are greeted with genuine smiles, not scripted service. Antinori himself describes the success as a blend of discipline and generosity, serving world-class cocktails while keeping the door open to everyone.
Bar Leone’s menu reads like a love letter to Italian drinking culture. The Olive Oil Sour is their quiet showstopper: whiskey, lemon, honey, olive oil, and egg white shaken into a glossy foam. The Negroni is bold and bittersweet, while the Caffè Paradiso channels late-night Rome. Snacks are just as thought-through. House-baked focaccia stuffed with cured pork, antipasti, and marinated olives make the bar feel as much like a trattoria as a cocktail destination.
This moment is bigger than one bar. It’s a turning point for Hong Kong’s entire cocktail landscape, proof that the city can stand shoulder to shoulder with New York, London, and Barcelona as a global drinks capital. Bar Leone’s success highlights something deeper too: that true hospitality never goes out of fashion. In an era of theatrical cocktails and viral gimmicks, Antinori’s “for the people” approach feels quietly revolutionary.
The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025: Top 25
- Bar Leone – Hong Kong
- Sips – Barcelona, Spain
- Handshake Speakeasy – Mexico City, Mexico
- BKK Social Club – Bangkok, Thailand
- Little Red Door – Paris, France
- Licorería Limantour – Mexico City, Mexico
- Double Chicken Please – New York City, USA
- Jigger & Pony – Singapore
- Alquímico – Cartagena, Colombia
- Paradiso – Barcelona, Spain
- Amano – London, UK
- Galaxy Bar – Dubai, UAE
- Coa – Hong Kong
- Tayer + Elementary – London, UK
- Line – Athens, Greece
- Tropic City – Bangkok, Thailand
- Carey Lane – Dublin, Ireland
- Bar Benfiddich – Tokyo, Japan
- Café La Trova – Miami, USA
- Himkok – Oslo, Norway
- Freni e Frizioni – Rome, Italy
- Alquimia Bar – Santiago, Chile
- Maybe Sammy – Sydney, Australia
- Sago House – Singapore
- The Clumsies – Athens, Greece
With that Bar Leone’s victory feels both intimate and monumental. It’s a reminder that the world’s best bar can also be a neighbourhood one that excellence, when built on authenticity, can travel far beyond its four walls. Hong Kong has every reason to raise a glass.
