The best bars in Asia

Bangkok meets Buenos Aires at this sultry and swish cocktail bar. Located inside the stunning Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, it was ranked the #1 bar in Asia last year by 50 Best (it’s #7 this year). Awards aside, the team here is known for serving up a killer Negroni flight, fun bottled cocktails, and cocktails with South American flavours. So, make a reservation, strap on some heels and perch yourself at the bar with a martini while tango music plays.

Stepping inside ATLAS feels like stepping into another century.  An ode to 1920s Art Deco glamour and glitter, this gin bar is next-level grand. Imagine 8-meter hand-painted ceilings, ornate ironwork everywhere, and sexy burgundy velvet booths. Now add Asia’s largest collection of gins and voilà; you’ve got Singapore's swankiest bar. Start off with one of their classic G&Ts, then venture into cocktails draped in gold leaf. Word to the wise: there is a relatively strict dress code here, so read up before you get turned away.

On the 7th floor of an unassuming building in Ginza, Bar Orchard is like Willy Wonka’s laboratory, but for booze. There are no menus here; instead, you pick a fresh fruit or vegetable from a giant bowl, and the lovely couple behind the bar creates a bespoke cocktail just for you. As if the cocktail creations weren’t innovative enough, the vessels they come in add even more whimsy to the evening. Drinks may be served in a little pink trash can, an inflated flamingo, or a ceramic turkey drumstick. Trust us, you’ll have such a good time here; the 1000 yen cover charge is well worth it.

Swaying palm trees and sunset evenings personify this open-air beachside bar in Hiriketiya. Arguably Sri Lanka’s best place to drink, Smoke & Bitters’ tiki-inspired tipples pair perfectly with the food menu, highlighting smoked meats. Comprising local liquors like arrack, combined with ingredients like smoked wild bee honey, Ceylon vanilla and local pineapple, cocktails here are  a true sip of Sri Lanka. Given its reputation, this place is always packed, so book well in advance for a seat under the stars.

Hybrid Saigon is a true speakeasy – you’ll need a map and a microscope to find this secret bar. Hidden down an alley and inside another bar, Hybrid Saigon is cosy and calming; however, its drinks are anything but. Innovative and slightly chaotic, its cocktail menu is a masterclass in wacky flavours. Try the Black Tomato with white chocolate, tomato, mint, and Bacardi or the Maestro Mushroom with mushrooms, honey, chicken fat, and whisky. Hybrid is a place where being adventurous pays off and gets you drunk.

Hong Kong has no shortage of spectacular cocktail bars to charm the glitterati, and Bar Leone is its latest. Ranked the #1 bar in Asia by 50 Best within a year of opening, you know there’s something special in the sauce here. This Italian-themed bar combines Italian cocktails with some of the world’s tastiest bar snacks. Order a Negroni with fries Arrabbiata or try something off its ever-changing seasonal cocktail menu. But whatever you do, try the smoked olives and mortadella sandwich; oh hell, just order the whole menu.

Upping Jakarta’s cocktail scene since 2021, The Cocktail Club is reminiscent of an old-school gentleman’s club. Leather chairs, billiard table lights, handmade tiles, and stained-glass windows decorate the space. More importantly, cocktails are grouped so you know exactly who among the expert bar staff is the mixologist.. Sample the Unjung Pandan, made with kaffir lime gin, housemade pandan liquor, absinthe and housemade coconut syrup from Kiki Moka. Or try the Surf & Turf Martini made with beef seasoning distillate, lobster bisque distillate, vermouth and absinthe by Erik Opung. You can’t go wrong with whichever bartender’s elixir you choose.