Football memorabilia on the walls, a negroni sweating gently on the bar, and a room that feels like it has been there for decades. That’s Bar Leone — except it opened in June 2023 on Bridges Street in Central Hong Kong, and it just claimed the No. 1 spot in the 2026 Top 500 Bars ranking. The world’s top-ranked bar doesn’t want to impress you. It wants you to stay for another round.
What Makes a Roman Bar the Best in the World
Lorenzo Antinori trained at Dandelyan and the American Bar at The Savoy in London before bringing his neighbourhood-bar vision to Hong Kong — and leaving the theatrics behind.
His “cocktail popolari” philosophy leans heavily on approachability: classic drinks, done with conviction. Negronis. Martinis. Old fashioneds. The interiors draw from Italian pop culture and Trastevere neighbourhood-bar sensibility — warm, laid-back, and deliberately unpretentious. In an era when cocktail culture often feels like an omakase tasting menu with a fifteen-step garnish, Bar Leone’s restraint reads as radical.
Before you visit — or pitch it to a friend Hong Kong-bound — here’s what matters:
- Location: 11–15 Bridges Street, Central, Hong Kong
- Opened: June 2023 by Roman-born bartender Lorenzo Antinori
- Drinks: classics-focused — negronis, martinis, and old fashioneds are reported staples; confirm the current menu before visiting
- Awards: 2025 World’s Best Bar, Best International Cocktail Bar (Spirited Awards), and now 2026 Top 500 Bars No. 1
- Heads up: Demand is high; queues may occur, especially during busy periods
According to Top 500 Bars’ 2026 methodology statement, the ranking’s ethos centers on “beautiful simplicity” — cocktail popolari that feel communal rather than curated.
Hong Kong Is Quietly Running the World’s Bar Scene
Three Hong Kong venues placed in the global Top 25, a result that reflects a sustained shift in where cocktail culture’s centre of gravity now sits.
Bar Leone took first. Montana — also associated with Antinori — placed third. ARGO, a bar he helped establish at the Four Seasons Hong Kong, came in 24th. Oslo’s HIMKOK grabbed second, keeping the list genuinely global. The Top 500 Bars methodology aggregates data from thousands of rankings, publications, reviews, and social-media sources across more than 20 languages, evaluating cocktails, hospitality, atmosphere, and cultural relevance — not drinks alone.
Bar Leone’s expansion to Shanghai in November 2025 suggests the concept travels well beyond one room in Central.
The No. 1-ranked bar in the world just wants you to feel like a regular, not a pilgrim. If you’re passing through Hong Kong, Bridges Street is worth the queue. The negroni won’t dazzle you with molecular technique. According to everyone who has pulled up a stool there, it’ll simply be very, very good.
