Guangzhou’s Hope & Sesame tops Asia’s 50 Best Bars list, with China making a big showing

The 2026 edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars crowns Hope & Sesame in Guangzhou as No.1 in Asia, while bars in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan secure a strong cluster of places across the list

Asia’s 50 Best Bars: the big picture

• Hope & Sesame (Guangzhou) is named the Best Bar in Asia 2026 and also takes the Best Bar in Mainland China.
• Mainland China records its highest-ever tally in the ranking, with seven bars on the 1–50 list.
• Hong Kong remains “a regional authority in bar culture” with seven bars recognised, including last year’s overall Asia’s 50 Best Bars No.1, Bar Leone.
• Macao re-enters the list with the St. Regis Bar at No.45, named the Best Bar in Macao.
• Taiwan continues its steady presence with three bars in Taichung, Taipei and Tainan, led by Vender at No.14 as the Best Bar in Taiwan.

Mainland China’s milestone year in Asia’s 50 Best Bars

China’s cocktail scene is singled out by Asia’s 50 Best Bars as having “a milestone year,” with a new generation of bars soaring into the list.

• Hope & Sesame (Guangzhou), No.1 & Best Bar in Mainland China: A speakeasy hidden behind a traditional Cantonese store in Dongshankou, praised for “boldly rewriting China’s cocktail playbook.” Founders Bastien Ciocca and Andrew Ho are recognised for inventive drinks rooted in Cantonese cuisine and the shared culinary heritage of Chinese communities worldwide.
• Shenzhen’s top‑10 double: The MO Bar Shenzhen (No.5) at the Mandarin Oriental is described as a “liquid tribute to Chinese cultural heritage” from a sky‑high perch, while Obsidian Bar (No.10), atop the Ping An Finance Centre, debuts as a “gothic‑chic hotspot” and high‑flying newcomer.
• Other Mainland standouts include Pony Up (Shanghai, No.19) on Jinxian Road joins as a new entry. Ralph’s Bar (Chengdu, No.28) at Ralph Lauren’s first dining store in China makes the list. Tiao (Beijing, No.50), tucked in a hutong at Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, rounds out China’s contingent.

Hong Kong’s bar culture stays in the spotlight

Seven Hong Kong bars secure places or major awards in Asia’s 50 Best Bars, reinforcing the city’s reputation as a regional bar capital.

• Bar Leone (No.3): Last year’s Asia No.1 returns as the Best Bar in Hong Kong, sponsored by Amaro Lucano.
• Gokan (No.22): The eponymous bar from renowned Japanese mixologist Shingo Gokan rises up the list.
• Coa (No.24): The long‑time favourite agave and mezcal bar receives the Rémy Martin Legend of the List Award for sustained influence at the forefront of Asia’s cocktail scene.
• Mius (No.36): Shelley Tai’s first Hong Kong bar (she also won the pre-announced 2026 Altos Bartenders’ Bartender Award) earns the SevenRooms Best Bar Design Award.
• Argo (No.37) in Hong Kong also features, alongside newcomer Montana (No.47), which pays homage to Cuba’s golden age through a “Miami disco haze.”
• Penicillin (No.49) also edges into the top 50.
• Beyond the ranking, Kinsman is honoured with the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award for a programme that reimagines Hong Kong’s Cantonese heritage through contemporary cocktails.

[See more: Inside Mius, the bar where Shelley Tai is quietly rewriting Hong Kong hospitality]

Macao and Taiwan on the map of Asia’s 50 Best Bars

• The St. Regis Bar (No.45): Inspired by New York’s Golden Age at its namesake hotel, it re‑enters the top‑50 and is named the Best Bar in Macao.
• Taiwan’s trio: Vender (Taichung, No.14) leads and is named the Best Bar in Taiwan, sponsored by Langjiu, for the second year running. To Infinity & Beyond (Taipei, No.35) edges higher with space‑themed cocktails paying tribute to the planets. The Han‑Jia (Tainan, No.41) joins as a new entry, noted for industrial design, high ceilings and exposed brick.

The takeaway

This year’s list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars reads like a roadmap of the Greater Bay Area: Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao together now anchor one of Asia’s densest clusters of world‑class bars.