Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025: Six bars in Singapore make it on the 51-100 list
In particular, we celebrate a fresh face: Side Door steps straight into the spotlight with an impressive debut at No. 53. Tucked away inconspicuously along Neil Road, Side Door is the brainchild of acclaimed bartender Bannie Kang (anyone remember her Bartender's Bartender win in 2021?) and chef Tryson Quek. The cosy space fuses Bannie's clean, minimalist cocktails with thoughtful small plates – and evidently, the judges noticed.
It's not the best day for everyone else on the list, with some major tumbles from last year's top 50 rankings. Following closely behind Side Door is Sago House at No. 56, slipping from last year's 15th place on the main list. Pause the panic though – the gritty, graffiti-splashed dive bar is still a long-time favourite for its fuss-free drinks and relentless charm.
There's also Origin Bar (No. 60) which placed at No. 32 last year, known for its transportative, travel-themed menu. Night Hawk (No. 77) also takes a hit – it ranked at 16th place last year – but the bar is still making waves with its cinematic speakeasy concept and excellent drinks. Rounding off the list for Singapore: OG stalwart Employees Only (No. 89) slips off its 38th place from last year, and Fura (No. 95 this year, No. 42 in 2024) bags the final spot for Singapore with its planet-friendly cocktails and bar bites.
This year's extended list spans 23 cities in Asia and 14 new entries, reflecting the region's dynamic cocktail landscape. The main Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 list will be revealed live in Macau on July 15, marking the first time the awards touch down in the city. Fingers crossed that we'll see even more Singapore bars make the final cut, especially after a particularly stellar performance last year.
While we wait, check out the full Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 51-100 list below:
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Time Out
14 hours ago
- Time Out
Bartender Spotlight: Bannie Kang from Side Door wants you to ST*U and drink her cocktails
Tucked behind a nondescript door along Neil Road, Side Door is the kind of place that doesn't shout for attention – but once you're in, it doesn't let go. Founded by a talented bartender-and-chef duo, this cosy cocktail den (No. 53 on Asia's 50 Best Bars' 51-100 list) is where personal storytelling and technical finesse collide. It's not your typical bar. And Bannie Kang isn't your typical bartender. Our first sip of anything Bannie made was in 2018 during her Anti:Dote days – a time when cocktail-making was more about spectacle. Back then, she was slinging everything from drinks served in fabric-sack lookalike cups hiding baby carrots, to whimsical sharing cocktails spinning on miniature ferris wheels. Bannie's cocktails aren't anything like that now. These days, the 36-year-old has settled into a signature style that's unmistakably her own – clarified, minimalistic, yet layered and complex. She's also racked up an impressive list of accolades, including World Class Bartender of the Year in 2019 and the Bartender's Bartender Award in 2021. And most recently, she's also gained a worthy disciple (and contender) – her husband, Tryson Quek, who was just named World Class Singapore 2025 champion. Seven years later, we had the chance to chat with Bannie to find out about her favourite creations at Side Door, the bar's unofficial anthem (it's a cheeky one) and her thoughts on the latest cocktail trends. Scroll on to see what she's got to say – and don't forget to check out more of Singapore's best bars in the Time Out Singapore 2025 Bar Guide, out now and available for free here. If Side Door had a theme song, what would it be? ST*U by Sophie Powers, from the latest season of American Idol. We chose this song because sometimes we really just don't care. We don't want to bother about others' opinions, we just want to focus on what we do. What is a must-try cocktail at Side Door? Seaside. It's inspired by a classic cocktail – the paloma – but flavour-wise, it's very different. We add fresh watermelon, Amaro, some citrus, and then fat-wash it with curry leaves, coconut oil, and tequila. It's a little savoury, very refreshing, and one of our top sellers. If it's someone's first time at Side Door, we always recommend they try Seaside. What is an underrated cocktail on your menu? There are two. One of them is Shallow Mellow, inspired by a drink I used to love when I was living in Taiwan, called 烏梅汁 (wu mei zhi). It's great for digestion. Our version still has hibiscus and Taiwanese smoked plum, but we also use tequila, peach syrup, and we carbonate the drink. It's very refreshing, but not everybody loves the smokiness of ume. The other is Same Same Salad, a martini-style cocktail with cucumber, basil and olive oil. It's a bright, refreshing style of the martini, but people are scared to order it because they think it's going to be strong. Which cocktail trend do you want to see more of? I want to see more simple, classic, back-to-basics cocktails. Nowadays, lots of people are using fancy equipment and complicated techniques. Back then, when I just started bartending, we didn't have all of that. Just as the fashion industry goes in rounds, and something popular 10 years ago can come back into trend, the bar scene is like that too. That's the reason Bar Leone in Hong Kong is doing very well, because they do really simple cocktails. What's another bar in the neighbourhood you'd recommend? I've always recommended Night Hawk because of the team, the vibes, and the drinks – there's a really great harmony among everything. I love the energy of the bar. Discover more of Singapore's best bars in the Time Out Singapore 2025 Bar Guide, out now and available for free here. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Time Out Singapore (@timeoutsg)
Time Out
2 days ago
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Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025: Six bars in Singapore make it on the 51-100 list
It's that time of the year again: Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 is drawing near, and ahead of the top 50 announcement ceremony on July 15, the academy has first released its usual extended 51-100 list last evening. This year, Singapore sweeps the charts again with six of our bars making the extended ranking. We may be two short of last year, but the good news is that we're still the city with the most bars on the list. In particular, we celebrate a fresh face: Side Door steps straight into the spotlight with an impressive debut at No. 53. Tucked away inconspicuously along Neil Road, Side Door is the brainchild of acclaimed bartender Bannie Kang (anyone remember her Bartender's Bartender win in 2021?) and chef Tryson Quek. The cosy space fuses Bannie's clean, minimalist cocktails with thoughtful small plates – and evidently, the judges noticed. It's not the best day for everyone else on the list, with some major tumbles from last year's top 50 rankings. Following closely behind Side Door is Sago House at No. 56, slipping from last year's 15th place on the main list. Pause the panic though – the gritty, graffiti-splashed dive bar is still a long-time favourite for its fuss-free drinks and relentless charm. There's also Origin Bar (No. 60) which placed at No. 32 last year, known for its transportative, travel-themed menu. Night Hawk (No. 77) also takes a hit – it ranked at 16th place last year – but the bar is still making waves with its cinematic speakeasy concept and excellent drinks. Rounding off the list for Singapore: OG stalwart Employees Only (No. 89) slips off its 38th place from last year, and Fura (No. 95 this year, No. 42 in 2024) bags the final spot for Singapore with its planet-friendly cocktails and bar bites. This year's extended list spans 23 cities in Asia and 14 new entries, reflecting the region's dynamic cocktail landscape. The main Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 list will be revealed live in Macau on July 15, marking the first time the awards touch down in the city. Fingers crossed that we'll see even more Singapore bars make the final cut, especially after a particularly stellar performance last year. While we wait, check out the full Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 51-100 list below:
Scottish Sun
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Kneecap take swipe at Rod Stewart during controversial Glastonbury set
It comes after the BBC announced that Kneecap's Glasto set would not be broadcast live GLAST-NO Kneecap take swipe at Rod Stewart during controversial Glastonbury set Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) KNEECAP took a swipe at Rod Stewart during their controversial set at Glastonbury. The Irish hip-hop group had a go at the 80-year-old rocker as they took to the West Holts stage at Worthy Farm this afternoon. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 3 Kneecap had a go at Rod Stewart during their performance at Glastonbury today Credit: AP 3 Fans donned tri-colour balaclavas and "Free Mo Chara" t-shirts Credit: Reuters 3 Sir Rod will perform in tomorrow night's Legends slot at Worthy Farm Credit: Getty Thousands of punters turned out for their highly anticipated and heavily scrutinised set, with festival bosses forced to restrict access to the area due to overcrowding. Shortly after kicking off their performance, rapper Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh 27, known as Mo Chara, aimed a jab at Sir Rod. O'Hanna - who faces terror-related charges - addressed the immense crowd: "Is anyone going to see Rod Stewart tomorrow night?" The question was met with boos from many festival-goers who brandished Palestine flags and donned tri-colour balaclavas and "Free Mo Chara" t-shirts. Feigning surprise, O'Hanna asked: "Wait, did I miss something?". He jibed: "He's older than Israel." It comes after Kneecap's Kneecap's Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaícame under fire after their Coachella set in April where they projected anti-Israel messages on stage. More backlash followed when videos dating back to November 2023 surfaced of them urging audience members to "kill your local MP" and claiming that "the only good Tory is a dead Tory". And last month, frontman Mo Chara was charged with allegedly displaying a flag in support of the terrorist organisation Hezbollah. Sir Keir Starmer and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch are among scores of politicians who have criticised the group's appearance at Glastonbury. Fury as Glastonbury crowd chants 'death to the IDF' during Bob Vylan set aired live on BBC Earlier today, the BBC announced that Kneecap's Glasto set would not be broadcast live. Instead, the Beeb said it would "make an on-demand version" available later today. The self-proclaimed "Republican Hoods" were also set to perform at this year's TRNSMT on July 11 but were later dropped from the Glasgow Green festival lineup due to "saftey concerns". First Minister John Swinney even waded into the row - saying it would be "unacceptable" for them to perform at TRNSMT. The band then announced a new performance at Glasgow's O2 Academy on July 8 - with tickets selling out in less than 30 seconds. We told previously how Sir Rod Stewart revealed he thinks Reform leader Nigel Farage is "coming across well" and urged voters to "give him a chance". The Maggie May singer will make a comeback to Glastonbury tomorrow night for the first time in decades. Having last headlined the Pyramid stage 23 years ago, Sir Rod will perform in this year's Legends slot, joining a long list of iconic acts who have taken on the prestigious role.
