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South China Morning Post
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Bar Leone's Lorenzo Antinori on the secret to his latest Asia's 50 Best Bars win
Bar Leone is drenched in Italian kitsch – portraits of famous (and not-so-famous) Serie A footballers, vintage movie posters of Al Pacino, even Vacanze di Natale '91. Now, after being crowned Asia's Best Bar for the second year running at this week's Asia's 50 Best Bars awards in Macau, perhaps it's time staff found room on the wall for one more poster – of Rocky. Bar Leone's story mirrors Sylvester Stallone's underdog tale. Like Rocky Balboa – the unknown brawler who shocked the world by going the distance with champion Apollo Creed – this Bridges Street cocktail bar burst onto the scene, barely a year old, and achieved a historic result, clinching the title of Asia's Best Bar before being announced runner-up at World's 50 Best Bars later in the year. In the sequel, Balboa cemented his legitimacy by defeating Creed. Similarly, Bar Leone topped the Asia rankings again this year, proving last year's result was no fluke. Lorenzo Antinori behind the counter at Bar Leone. Photo: SCMP/Jocelyn Tam 'When you get validated a second time by something like 50 Best, it's amazing,' says co-founder Lorenzo Antinori of his establishment's latest triumph, flashing a grin. 'But we've never really worked towards a number. We work towards creating good experiences,' he adds with perfect Italian charm. Antinori is no stranger to success. His bar programme at The Four Seasons' Argo earned widespread acclaim, and within the F&B industry, he's well-liked and respected for his work across continents. But Bar Leone's success feels different. The constant line outside is a clear sign of Bar Leone's new-found prominence, signalling a shift in Hong Kong's bar scene from (former number one) Coa and Shin Hing Street to Bridges Street. Yet inside, little has changed. The staff are still welcoming despite heightened customer expectations, and the food and drinks are of the same stand-out quality despite the surging number of guests and orders. 'Nothing changed but everything changed,' muses Antinori of the past 12 months. The Asia's 50 Best Bars winners celebrate after the ceremony in Macau. Photo: Handout Last time we spoke, Antinori asserted that Leone's success was 'not about the drinks' – a seemingly fanciful claim for a cocktail bar charging not insignificant sums. After all, why pay for vibes at Leone when cheaper options exist?
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
How to navigate some of Asia's best bars, in Hong Kong
Leave your stilettos at home. Sure, Hong Kong cocktails bars can be dressy, but martini nights in this glittering high-voltage city seem to involve either sprinting up brutally steep stairs or standing in long, patient queues waiting for admission. It takes me a couple of days to get used to bar hopping in the mid-levels. There is a clever escalator that takes you up the hill, with a convenient pause at Tai Kwun, where you can sip a relaxed Aperol spritz. But I lose my way frequently, usually distracted by pastry (make sure you pause at Bakehouse for a sourdough egg tart, or three) and boutiques. Inevitably, every wrong turn leads me to yet another steep ladder street. Nevertheless, I am determined to hit some of the spaces that made Asia 30 Best Bars list, announced recently in Macau to try some of the continent's best cocktails. Bar Leone Naturally, I start with Asia's best bar, which turns out to be disarmingly friendly. Ranked second on the World's 50 Best Bars list, after Handshake Speakeasy in Mexico, Bar Leone has been listed as Asia's best bar once again this year. With warm buttery lighting, puddled with pools of flickering candles, the space is cluttered, but by design: I spot a green toy train and retro posters under a disco ball straight from the Seventies. The space hums with conversation, punctuated by the clink of glasses and cutlery. Founder Lorenzo Antinori defines the bar as cocktail popolari, which in Italian means 'cocktail for the people'. Discussing what sets it apart, he says, 'We're not trying to reinvent the wheel at Bar Leone, we're just making sure it rolls well. I think what makes us different than other bars is that we focus on the overall bar experience: quality cocktails and food, a curated playlist, the right lighting, and warm service.' That is evident as I settle into my seat, guided by a chatty waitress. She recommends the olives, which are big, smoked, and juicy. I pair them with an easy Garibaldi, bright with campari and orange. Then dig into warm slabs of focaccia, hefty with mortadella, creamy whipped ricotta and pickled chillies. Lorenzo says his personal favourites on the menu are probably the Filthy Martini and the Olive Oil Sour. Then adds, 'But honestly, the best part of Bar Leone isn't what's in the glass, it's who's around it. The vibe, the people, the community we've built… that's the real magic.' Coa Jay Khan has been called Asia's hottest bartender, and for a good reason. Born and raised in Hong Kong, he started bartending at 18 at a karaoke club, worked in Melbourne and then discovered the charms of Mezcal in Mexico. He ended up launching Coa in 2017, to celebrate all things agave. Coa shot up Asia's 50 Best Bars list, and is currently at No 17, while Jay won the Roku Industry Icon Award this year for being 'The agave evangelist shaping Hong Kong's cocktail culture.' I meet Jay when I am standing in a long and friendly line to get into Coa. As he walks me in, I'm captivated by the bar's seductive, shabby-chic vibe. It's like stumbling upon a particularly juicy secret: pulsing with music, mirrors and frequent peals of laughter. Scrawled across a wall, I read, 'You don't find mezcal, mezcal finds you.' A pepper smash finds me. An assertive agave-based cocktail, blending jalapeno-infused tequila, Cointreau, fresh shiso and capsicum juice, it's herbaceous with an addictively spicy kick. The food is from Chicano, a neighbouring Mexican restaurant. I try their popular Al pastor tacos, generously filled with pork and pineapple, as well as the quesadillas rich with Oaxacan cheese and cool dollops of guacamole. 'When I opened this space, I was quite naive. I was driven by passion,' says Jay, adding that it took a year-and-a-half for people to really discover them. In 2021, however, they won Asia's best bar, and then went on to top the list for the next two years. His secret? Jay's been building a culture, not just creating memorable cocktails. 'We always have something in the loop, we constantly have new things coming up...' He says, adding 'We are trying to activate the community.' Savoury Project Opening this bar took guts. Focussing on spicy, savoury notes instead of the more traditionally accepted sweet fruity flavours, Jay Khan and Ajit Gurung launched The Savoury Project in May 2023, and were quickly rewarded by zooming up the list of Hong Kong's favourite bars, Currently listed as 32 on Asia's 50 best Bars list, the Savoury Project, set in trendy Soho district, jostling with beautiful people, is dominated by a custom-made hexagonal bar that encourages customers to chat with the bartender. Realising that more guests were choosing savoury cocktails, the partners decided to create a menu pivoting on umami. While the menu is short, with just eight signature cocktails (as each one requires hours of prep), there is plenty of variety, from a salty Michelada made with clamato, habanero, pickle and lager, to the deliciously intense Pepper + Corn, heady with mezcal and cumin. 'We char the husk, and that aroma reminds you of Mexican barbeque,' says Ajit. There's also a Temperance section, which includes a nutty Teriyaki freeball, with Japanese white soy sauce, and Seed of Life that includes papaya seeds and ginger kombucha. Ajit says is getting increasingly popular as more people give up alcohol. I am not one of them. He slides across a Chilled Biryani, a cocktail made with ghee, biryani masala, tequila, plum, pineapple and peppers as we chat. It is both familiar, and intriguing. Says Ajit, 'People believe savoury cocktails are like a glass of soup, but they're actually light.' He explains why being 'commercially successful' was not enough for the ambitious partners. 'It's like selling your soul to the devil,' he says, adding that they decided it was time to try something new. 'Not because we wanted to be cool or stand out. We looked at what defines us as founders. You don't want to be too ahead of the curve, but you don't want to be too late either.' I sip on my biryani reflectively. Fortunately, like Goldilocks, their timing and flavours are just right.
Japan Times
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Tokyo nabs four spots on Asia's 50 Best Bars list
At the Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 awards ceremony held at Wynn Palace in Macau on Tuesday night, Japan had six bars listed among the top 50 spots. Tokyo had four bars on the list: Bar Benfiddich earned 9th position (a drop from its 5th spot last year), Virtu ranked No. 18 (a slip from its previously held 11th place) and new entries Punch Room Tokyo and Bar Libre landed at No. 36 and No. 49, respectively. Kumamoto's Yakoboku, a minimalist bar specializing in seasonal cocktails, made its debut at No. 25, while Nara's Lamp Bar reentered the list at No. 46 (it previously ranked No. 55). This year's podium finish was the same as last year's, demonstrating the winners' consistent excellence and influence in their respective cities: Hong Kong's Bar Leone (No. 1), Seoul's Zest (No. 2) and Singapore's Jigger & Pony (No. 3). Hong Kong's Bar Leone, run by Lorenzo Antinori (far left), is No. 1 again this year. | ASIA'S 50 BEST BARS 2025 Bangkok stole the show, though: With seven bars listed, including two of them in the top 10 — Bar Us (No. 4) and debutant Dry Wave Cocktail Studio (No. 5) — it was the city with the most entries, an achievement reminiscent of its performance at the recent The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 , in which it also emerged tops with six restaurants on the list. The Thai capital's coup chips away at the dominance of cocktail hubs like Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo on the Asia's 50 Best Bars' roll call while also demonstrating its rise as a drinks destination: In 2024, Singapore led the list with 11 bars — it has five this year — while Tokyo and Bangkok had four entries each. This year's list also saw a more diverse representation across Asia, with more than a dozen new entries from bars in Cambodia, India and Indonesia — regions that didn't gather much attention in previous editions of the event. Jakarta was a standout, with four bars making their debut on the list: Modernhaus (No. 12), The St. Regis Bar (No. 22), Carrots Bar (No. 34) and Cosmo Pony (No. 38). Emma Sleight, head of content for Asia's 50 Best Bars, said Asia's bars 'continue to redefine excellence in cocktail culture, as seen in the talent and creativity of this year's winners.' 'With 20 new entries, the most in recent years, this list is a testament to the boundary-pushing creativity of Asia, with truly memorable drink experiences waiting to be explored by cocktail enthusiasts,' she said. Bar Benfiddich, helmed by bartender Hiroyasu Kayama (center), earned a 9th position this year, claiming the title of Tokyo's best bar. | BAR BENFIDDICH The Japan Times' contributor Melinda Joe said the large contingent of new entries suggested that 'consumers, or at least voters, were seeking out lesser-known destinations' but she expressed surprise at the overall rankings for Tokyo's bars, considering 'the record number of tourists we've seen in the past year.' 'I had always considered the (results of the) 50 Best program as an indicator of where people are traveling,' she said. 'The quality of bars in Tokyo has remained consistently high, but the challenge for these places vis-a-vis the list is that the market is extremely saturated compared to other cities. 'Whereas there might be 100 good bars in a place like Kuala Lumpur, there are probably 10,000 in Tokyo. That's great news for consumers, but this kind of nuance is not easily conveyed through award programs.'
Forbes
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Hong Kong's Bar Leone Is The Best Bar In Asia
Bar Leone is the best bar in Asia for the second year in a row. Bar Leone Each year, World's 50 Best Bars recognizes the world's top bars, with offshoot lists to honor the best bars in North America and Asia. On July 15, the group announced Asia's 50 Best Bars at a live awards ceremony in Macau, and once again, Bar Leone in Hong Kong took the top spot. Zest (Seoul), Jigger & Pony (Singapore), Bar Us (Bangkok) and Dry Wave Cocktail Studio, also in Bangkok, rounded out the top five. Bar Leone opened in summer 2023 and—impressively—this is the status quo for the Italian-inspired neighborhood bar. Last year, it made history, becoming the first-ever bar to debut on the list in the no.1 position. Bar Leone also entered the World's 50 Best Bars list in the no. 2 position, so it's found success quickly. Bar Leone is run by Lorenzo Antinori, who previously worked at top bars including Argo in Hong Kong (currently no. 11 on Asia's list) and Dandelyan in London. The bar team also includes Justin Shun Wah and Wing Lo. It's known for serving 'cocktail popolari,' or cocktails for the people, and Italian sandwiches. The menu features classics like the Negroni alongside creative takes on classics, like a Yuzu Negroni featuring gin, gentian aperitif, bianco vermouth and yuzu liqueur. The Filthy Martini is made with vodka and smoked olive brine. 'Last year, we said we're speechless, and we continue to be speechless,' said Shun Wah while holding the award on stage. He was born in Hong Kong and his mother is from Macau, so the recognition is especially meaningful to him. 'This is, for me, something that I'd never have imagined. We could not be more happy. We could not be more surprised.' Bangkok leads the way with seven bars in the top 50. (The city is on a tear lately, as it also leads the current World's 50 Best Restaurants lineup with six restaurants in the top 50.) It's followed by Hong Kong with six bars and Singapore with five. Tokyo, Seoul and Kuala Lumpur each features four bars in the top 50. Sustainability-focused Zest is the second best bar in Asia for the second year in a row. Kevin Gray There were lots of newcomers this year. Twenty venues made their debut on Asia's 50 Best Bars list, led by Bangkok's Dry Wave Cocktail Studio at no. 5. Zest in Seoul and Jigger & Pony in Singapore both maintained their positions from last year, so there were no changes among the top three bars. After that, the list saw a lot of movement. Bar Us in Bangkok jumped 17 places to take the title of the Best Bar in Thailand, and Bar Cham in Seoul upped its placement from no. 20 to no. 6. Alice in Seoul was the highest climber of all, leaping 33 spots from last year to no.13 on the list. Here are the 50 best bars in Asia. Use this list as your drinking roadmap the next time you find yourself in one of these cities. Asia's 50 Best Bars — 2025 1. Bar Leone, Hong Kong 2. Zest, Seoul 3. Jigger & Pony, Singapore 4. Bar Us, Bangkok 5. Dry Wave Cocktail Studio, Bangkok 6. Bar Cham, Seoul 7. Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou 8. Lair, New Delhi 9. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo 10. Penrose, Kuala Lumpur 11. Argo, Hong Kong 12. Modernhaus, Jakarta 13. Alice, Seoul 14. Smoke & Bitters, Hiriketiya 15. Three X Co, Kuala Lumpur 16. CMYK, Changsha 17. Coa, Hong Kong 18. Virtu, Tokyo 19. BKK Social Club, Bangkok 20. Vender, Taichung 21. MO Bar Shenzhen, Shenzhen 22. The St. Regis Bar, Jakarta 23. Offtrack, Singapore 24. Nutmeg & Clove, Singapore 25. Yakoboku, Kumamoto 26. G.O.D in Bangkok 27. Penicillin, Hong Kong 28. Soka, Bengaluru 29. Vesper, Bangkok 30. Boilermaker, Goa 31. ZLB23, Bengaluru 32. The Savory Project, Hong Kong 33. Gokan, Hong Kong 34. Carrot Bar, Jakarta 35. Barc, Kathmandu 36. Punch Room, Tokyo 37. Bar Spirit Forward, Bengaluru 38. Cosmo Pony, Jakarta 39. Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur 40. The Public House, Taipei 41. To Infinity & Beyond, Taipei 42. Moonrock, Tainan 43. Opium, Bangkok 44. Cat Bite Club, Singapore 45. Native, Singapore 46. Lamp Bar, Nara 47. Reka, Kuala Lumpur 48. Bar Sathorn, Bangkok 49. Bar Libre, Tokyo 50. Le Chamber, Seoul
Time Out
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
We tried Montana, Hong Kong's latest great cocktail destination with a Latin soul, and here's what we thought
The construction boards had not even come down yet around Montana, but the minute Lorenzo Antinori, of Bar Leone fame, popped his head around the plywood and motioned us into the black-and-white tiled interiors accented with dark wood and ox-blood red, a little zing of electric funky energy was already running through our veins. Bar Leone has just been crowned top slot in Asia's 50 Best Bars for the second year in a row, but Antinori already has his sights set on this new venture with Simone Caporale, co-founder of the acclaimed Sips in Barcelona. The pair met in 2012 while working for different bars in London, and bonded over late-night drinks and a shared vision: that bars should be fun, candid, and alive. Montana leans into this perspective, taking inspiration from the golden age of Cuba, where the pours were long, the beats fluid, and the atmosphere alive. Interestingly, the interiors itself are more of a nod to the Miami dive bar, reminiscent of iconic venues like Mac's Club Deuce on South Beach. Miami in the 1970s saw a lot of Cuban migrants who brought their culture and music to America's shores, and Montana is a love letter to that hedonistic era of rum-soaked, neon-drenched, disco nights. We started with the Montana Daiquiri, a concoction of Havana rum, raspberry eau de vie, and lime, served in a flower-shaped glass with a maraschino cherry. Light, fruity, and the perfect opener to the evening, this drink follows the original recipe found in the 1930s manual of the Club de los Cantineros, Cuba's legendary bartenders' association. The menu of nine cocktails gets progressively stronger the further you move down the list, but you can't go wrong with their signatures marked with a star. Hotel Nacional features rum, apricot brandy, lime, sour pineapple, and absinthe – it's tangy and palatable, but might well put you under the table if you have three or more. Speaking of pineapples, Montana has an oven perched behind the bar, where they roast their own rotisserie chickens or seasonal pineapples. It's well worth asking about their piña of the month snack: rum-marinated pineapple slowroasted with house seasoning and served with a shot of frozen coconut rum. Other bar bites worth mentioning are the chips generously topped with prosciutto, pickled chillis, mascarpone, and Bar Leone's famous smoked olives; the pan con tomate focaccia with tomatoes, Cantabrian anchovies, and salsa verde; and the spicy corn ribs. We've already marked the Doritos veal tonnato to try next time – it sounds like a crispy version of vitello tonnato, so basically mouthwatering. Our favourite among the cocktails so far is the Café Havana, their twist on an espresso martini, made with Beefeater gin, cold-brew coffee, sherry, salted honey, and banana cream. The mouthfeel is immediately smooth, with a rounded taste that lingers on the palate. It's also slightly savoury – a plus in our books – and the banana cream is so beautiful that if we could make off with a tubful of it and get away with it, we probably would. What's also very interesting is that Montana serves an El Presidente, a classic Cuban cocktail that is rarely found in Hong Kong's bars. Featuring rum, fig leaf bourbon, chinotto, quince vermouth, and bitters, it is 'aged' in a bottle coated with dulce de leche, which imparts a smooth sweetness of cacao butter to balance this typically spirit-forward drink. The upstairs seating area of Montana is a little more upscale than the fun rowdiness of the bar below, offering lounge seating in an intimate space bearing shades of dark green, burnt sienna, and images of musical icons. Tunes are a big part of the bar's Cuban vibe, and their playlist is full of throwback hits, Latin funk, and moving beats where the likes of Gloria Estefan, Celia Cruz, Abba, and Selena all share the limelight. There's also a piano upstairs, and the plan is to host live music nights to keep us all grooving into the wee hours. Antinori has taken the laid-back, unpretentious vibe of Bar Leone (as well as some of his friendly staff) and transplanted it within the halcyon days of Cuban pleasure-seeking in its prime. With every spirited shout of 'Ritmo!' – 'rhythm' in Spanish – when newcomers enter the bar, customers are transported back to a sunny, hedonistic, electrifying time, with the drinks to match. If you're a fan of jazz, Latino beats, salsa and disco, vintage moments, not taking yourself too seriously, and a perfectly shaken daiquiri, then Montana will be waiting for you. Visit Montana at 108 Hollywood Road, Central.
