Bar Leone just made history — again. For the second straight year, the Hong Kong cocktail bar founded by Roman bartender Lorenzo Antinori took the top spot at The 50 Best Bars awards, this time announced at Milan’s Palazzo del Ghiaccio on October 7. The first bar in Asia to claim the No. 1 ranking, Bar Leone is now something rarer: a consecutive champion in a field that rarely rewards repetition. If you love discovering incredible bars, this one belongs at the top of your list.
Roman Roots, Hong Kong Address
The concept is deliberately unglamorous — and that’s precisely the point.
The “cocktails for the people” philosophy driving Bar Leone traces back to Rome’s unpretentious corner bars — places where the drinks are good, the welcome is genuine, and nobody talks down to you. According to reporting on the 2026 awards, Antinori attributed the consecutive win to consistent work and continual improvements to the guest experience. The bar reportedly updated its lighting, seating, sound, and glassware — unglamorous upgrades that compound quietly, the way compound interest does.
The signature Leone Martini reportedly combines Italian gin, Marsala wine — a fortified Sicilian wine — and orange blossom water, served with an almond-stuffed olive. Extra-virgin olive oil folds into a whiskey-sour framework in the Olive Oil Sour. The Filthy Martini, meanwhile, runs on vodka and house-smoked olive brine. These aren’t esoteric experiments. They’re confident, recognizable drinks built for people who want to enjoy themselves.
And then there’s the mortadella sandwich. Freshly made focaccia, mortadella, ricotta-mascarpone cream, pickled green chilies, olives. Reportedly a permanent fixture on the menu, it reflects the bar’s Italian neighborhood-bar inspiration — where food is part of the drinking experience, not an afterthought. At the world’s best bar, the most talked-about item is a sandwich, which tells you a great deal about what Bar Leone is actually trying to do.
Hong Kong’s Moment, the World’s List
Four Hong Kong bars placed in the global top 50, reportedly matching Paris and New York for city representation.
Beyond Bar Leone at No. 1, Hong Kong placed:
- Argo at No. 25
- Montana at No. 36
- Gokan at No. 41
The full 2026 list covered 26 cities with 14 new entries. Moebius Milano rose five places to No. 2 and was named Best Bar in Europe; Alquímico in Cartagena, Bar Us in Bangkok, and Line in Athens rounded out the top five.
If you’re planning a trip to Hong Kong, Bar Leone deserves a visit. Order the Leone Martini. Order the sandwich. For those curious how luxury food trends play out elsewhere, the world of $38 Sandwiches offers a telling contrast. The world’s best bar is, apparently, also somewhere worth going back to for focaccia.
