Ahead of the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022 announcement on 28 April, the 51-100 list is out with Nepal making its debut. While Japan and Singapore have claimed nine spots each on the list, this year’s roster includes bars from 24 cities throughout Asia. Thailand is featured on the 51-100 list with 4 entries from Bangkok.
With an aim to highlight a wider range and greater number of bars and hospitality establishments in Asia, the 51-100 list is showcased in addition to the top 50.
Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022: The 51-100 ranking
24 cities across Asia feature on the 2022 list
Mark Sansom, Director of Content for Asia’s 50 Best Bars, said in a press release: “In 2021 we decided to extend the Asia’s 50 Best Bars ranking to include more bars that deserve to be recognised for the remarkable drinking experience they provide their guests. We continue that tradition for the second year in our endeavour to support the region’s bar industry as it emerges with extraordinary resilience from the pandemic’s struggles and challenges.”
“As countries open up and gastronomic travel resumes, it gives us great pleasure to recommend double the number of establishments that visitors should seek out and experience. To be able to reference 24 different cities across Asia can only be a good thing,” he added.
23 first-time entries
In the lead-up to the 50 Best awards, the extended 51-100 list features the Asian continent’s top drinking spots from Thailand all the way to Nepal, including 23 first-time entries.
Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022 will be sponsored by the French brand of natural bottled mineral water, Perrier. For the 51-100 ranking, Hong Kong has 5 bars on the prestigious list. 4 bars each from Bangkok, Seoul and Taipei feature in the list too.
With 3 bars from India and one notable debut from Nepal, 4 new entrants from South Asia are seen on the 51-100 Best Bars list. The Indian bars include New Delhi’s PCO at No.54, and Mumbai’s The Living Room and The Bombay Canteen at No.73 and No.76, respectively.
Armed with years of experience in the New York City hospitality business, American-Nepali owners of the Blackbird Bar in Nepal, made their debut on the coveted list at No. 96. Having travelled across the world for years and explored new palettes, the owners Santosh Faiia, Andrew Robertson and Devanksh Rana aspire to introduce the world’s best cocktails and hospitality services to the Kathmandu Valley.
11 bars in total are featured on the list from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China collectively.
Bagging the first place on the extended list at No.51 is Taipei’s Room by Le Kief, led by founder and head mixologist Seven Yi. Trained as a chef from the Robuchon school, Yi’s expert molecular gastronomy techniques, culinary craftsmanship and carefully curated seasonal menu, is what landed his bar at the top position in the 51-100 list.
Shanghai’s progressive disco-funky cocktail bar Epic, led by founder Cross Yu, follows suit with rank No.52.
Four bars from Seoul, South Korea also appear on the 51-100 list. Among these, Soko jumped from last year’s No.89 to this year’s No.57.
Nine Japanese bars spanning across seven of its towns are seen on the list, as well. Climbing 27 places up from last year’s spot at No. 94, Ark Lounge from Aomori is leading this Japanese group at No.67.
Just like Japan, Singapore claimed nine places on the ranking list, an upgrade from last year’s seven. The first one on the 51-100 list from Singapore is D.Bespoke at No.58, which is followed by Smoke & Mirrors at No.60, Papa Doble Bar (formerly The Old Man) at No.61, Live Twice at No.65 and Origin Grill & Bar at No.66, among others.
The Bangkok bars that made the 51-100 list
Featuring four bars on the list, Thailand secured spot No. 88 by The Loft (a newcomer this year), No. 78 by #FindTheLockerRoom, No. 69 by Suan Phlu’s beloved Smalls, and No. 64 by the notorious Teens of Thailand. The unveil leaves plenty to the imagination as to which Bangkok bars will feature on the 1-50 ranking, with high hopes for several Bangkok bars to land in the Top 10.
Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022 ceremony
Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022, which is the event’s seventh edition, is geared to be back with a live awards ceremony in Bangkok, on 28 April. The nail-biting countdown for bar aficionados will be over in a week, with a live streaming of the awards ceremony, which is set to take place from the Mandarin Oriental Bangkok on Facebook and YouTube from 7.30 pm local time in Bangkok (6 pm in India; 8.30 pm in Singapore/Hong Kong; 9.30 pm in Japan and 1:30 pm in UK).
Asia’s 50 Best Bars 51-100 full list
No.100 —
Coley
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Notable name: Owner-bartender Kho Chee Keong ‘CK’
No. 99 —
40 Thieves
Location: Bali, Indonesia
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Owner Shah Dillon
No. 98 —
Junior The Pocket Bar
Location: Singapore
Notable name: Owner Joe Alessandroni
No. 97 —
Backdoor Bodega
Location: George Town, Malaysia
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Owner Koh Yung Shen
No. 96 —
Blackbird
Location: Kathmandu, Nepal
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Owners Santosh Faiia, Andrew Robertson and Devanksh Rana
No. 95 —
Barbary Coast
Location: Singapore
Notable name: Celia Schoonraad and Michael Callahan
No. 94 —
Bar D
Location: Fujisawa, Japan
No. 93 —
Wishbone Bar
Location: Semarang, Indonesia
Notable name: Manager Intan Priscilla
No. 92 —
Barossa Cocktailier
Location: Gifu, Japan
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Bartender Shigeyuki Nakagaki
No. 91 —
Moonrock
Location: Tainan City, Taiwan
Status: Newcomer
No. 90 —
Southside Parlor
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Notable name: Co-founders Johnny Yu, Robbie Nguyen and Phil
No. 89 —
Bar Mood
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Notable name: Founder Nick Wu
No. 88 —
The Loft
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Co-owner Reid Verner
No. 87 —
The Bellwood
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Notable name: Master bartender Atsushi Suzuki
No. 86 —
HiBoRu
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Bartender and owner Mark Huang
No. 85 —
High Five
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Notable name: Bartender and owner Hidetsugu Ueno
No. 84 —
Stir
Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Owner Lam Duc Anh
No. 83 —
Mixology Bar
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Notable name: Mixologist Kim Bong-ha
No. 82 —
Mesa
Location: Macau
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Chef de Cuisine Andre Lai
No. 81 —
The Old Man
Location: Hong Kong
No. 80 —
Bar Landscape
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Notable name: Chief bartender Kazuma Matsuo
No. 79 —
Bar Rocking Chair
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Notable name: Owner Kenji Tsubokura
No. 78 —
#FindTheLockerRoom
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Status: Newcomer
No. 77 —
Employees Only
Location: Singapore
Notable name: Co-owner Steve Schneider
No. 76 —
The Bombay Canteen
Location: Mumbai, India
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Founder and CEO Sameer Seth
No. 75 —
Shin Gi Tai
Location: Singapore
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Owner Anthony Yuexiang Zhong
No. 74 —
The Sailing Bar
Location: Nara, Japan
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Chief bartender Takumi Watanabe
No. 73 —
The Living Room
Location: Mumbai, India
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Owner Aditi Dugar
No. 72 —
Cocktail Bar Nemanja
Location: Yokohama, Japan
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Hosts Tomo and Kumiko
No. 71 —
Mizunara: The Library
Location: Hong Kong
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Lead Bartender Masahiko Endo
No. 70 —
Three X Co
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Notable name: Co-owner David Hans
No. 69 —
Smalls
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Notable name: Founder David Jacobsen
No. 68 —
The Public House
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Status: Newcomer
No. 67 —
Ark Lounge
Location: Aomori, Japan
No. 66 —
Origin Grill & Bar
Location: Singapore
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Bar manager Adam Bursik
No. 65 —
Live Twice
Location: Singapore
Notable name: Founders Indra Kantono and Guo Yi
No. 64 —
Teens of Thailand
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
Notable name: Founder Niks Anuman-Rajadhon
No. 63 —
Oto
Location: Manila, Philippines
Notable name: Owner David Ong
No. 62 —
The Curator
Location: Manila, Philippines
Notable name: Owner David Ong
No. 61 —
Papa Doble Bar
Location: Singapore
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Founder Andrew Yap
No. 60 —
Smoke & Mirrors
Location: Singapore
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Head Bartender Jorge A. Conde
No. 59 —
Pine & Co
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Notable name: Mixologist Du Ui Hong (Joe)
No. 58 —
D.Bespoke
Location: Singapore
Notable name: Owner Daiki Kanetaka
No. 57 —
Bar Soko
Location: Seoul, South Korea
No. 56 —
Quality Goods Club
Location: Hong Kong
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Beverage Director Alexander Gilmour
No. 55 —
Honky Tonks Tavern
Location: Hong Kong
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Founders Ryan Nightingale and Mike Watt
No. 54 —
PCO (Pass Code Only)
Location: New Delhi, India
Status: Newcomer
Notable name: Founders Rakshay and Radhika Dhariwal
No. 53 —
Tell Camellia
Location: Hong Kong
Notable name: Sandeep Hathiramani and Gagan Gurung
No. 52 —
Epic
Location: Shanghai, China
Notable name: Founder Cross Yu
No. 51 —
Room by Le Kief
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Notable name: Founder and Head Mixologist, Seven Yi
Eesha is a passionate digital nomad with a master’s degree in architecture and industrial design from Politecnico di Milano, Italy. A jack of all trades who enjoys writing art, architecture, travel and lifestyle features, she is found petting dogs, taking walks in nature and sniffing books in her free time.
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