Hong Kong’s Bar Leone retains world’s-best crown

Hong Kong’s Bar Leone has been named the World’s Best Bar for a second consecutive year, underscoring the city’s growing influence in the global cocktail industry. The Central venue, co-founded by Italian bartender Lorenzo Antinori, took No. 1 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2026 ranking, announced in Milan on October 7.

Bar Leone, which opened in 2023, has built its reputation around “Cocktail Popolari” – a Roman-inspired, neighbourhood-bar approach centred on familiar cocktails, Italian influences and unpretentious hospitality. It first made history as Asia’s first No. 1 bar in 2025 and has now retained both the global title and its position as Asia’s best bar.

Bar Leone leads Hong Kong field

The win led a strong showing for the Greater Bay Area. Hong Kong placed four venues in the top 50, tying Paris and New York as the ranking’s most represented cities. Argo returned at No. 25, while Montana debuted at No. 36 and Gokan entered at No. 41. Gokan founder Shingo Gokan was also recognised with the Roku Industry Icon Award.

Guangzhou also secured a prominent result: Hope & Sesame ranked No. 12, making it the only mainland Greater Bay Area venue in the top 50. No bars from Shenzhen or Macao appeared in this year’s main ranking.

[Read more: The bittersweet journey to Asia’s No.1: How Hope & Sesame built more than a bar]

The wider list featured bars from 26 cities. Milan’s Moebius Milano took second place, while Cartagena’s Alquímico ranked third. Bangkok’s Bar Us was No. 4, making it the highest-ranked Southeast Asian bar.

The annual ranking is compiled from votes by more than 800 drinks-industry experts across 29 geographic regions. Each voter selects eight bars based on experiences over the preceding 18 months; the process is independently adjudicated by Deloitte.

The result reinforces Hong Kong’s status as a global drinking destination – not simply an Asian one – while Guangzhou’s appearance suggests the region’s cocktail culture is spreading beyond the financial hub.