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Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026: Guangzhou Bar Hope & Sesame Is No 1, Singapore Scores Four Spots
The Guangzhou bar won for its Cantonese cocktail program as Asia’s 50 Best Bars named 14 new entries and two re-entries across 22 cities.
- On Tuesday, July 28, 2026, Guangzhou's Hope & Sesame secured the top spot at the 11th annual Asia's 50 Best Bars awards in Macau, marking the first time a bar from mainland China has claimed the regional ranking's premier position.
- The win concludes the two-year reign of Hong Kong's Bar Leone, which placed third this year, while co-founder Andrew Ho noted the accolade coincides with the bar's 10th year of operation since opening in Guangzhou's historic Dongshankou district in 2016.
- Spanning 22 cities, the 2026 list features 14 new entries and two re-entries, with Seoul's Zest claiming second place and Bangkok's Dry Wave Cocktail Studio and MO Bar Shenzhen rounding out the top five.
- Several Hong Kong bars received major accolades, including Kinsman, which won the Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award, while Shelley Tai of Mius was voted by industry peers to receive the Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award.
- Following this regional recognition, the industry turns its attention to The World's 50 Best Bars awards, scheduled for October 7 in Milan, which will continue recognizing outstanding drinking destinations globally.
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Which Indian bars made it to the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list in 2026? Here is the full list
In this very competitive landscape, bars from Bengaluru and Goa make the cut. We speak to the founders and mixologists behind them, and take a look at the full list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026
·Chennai, India
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Seoul claims 4 spots on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026, Zest retains No. 2 ranking
Korea continues to prove its strong presence in the regional cocktail scene, with four local spots enshrined on the Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026 list. The annual ranking, announced Tuesday night during a ceremony held in Macau, features the top drinking spots across 22 Asian cities. Zest retained its position, coming in second, while Hope & Sesame in Guangzhou took the number 1 spot. This achievement highlights the steady growth of Korea's bar indus…
·Seoul, Korea (the Republic of)
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources14
Leaning Left4Leaning Right2Center6Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Center
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources are Center
50% Center
L 33%
C 50%
R 17%
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