Bar Leone named World’s Best Bar for second straight year
Hong Kong’s Bar Leone has been named The World’s Best Bar for 2026, retaining the title it won in 2025. Co-founded by Lorenzo Antinori, the venue also took the Best Bar in Asia crown for a second consecutive year.
Hong Kong’s Bar Leone has been named The World’s Best Bar for 2026, retaining the title it first won last year and marking the second consecutive year the venue has topped the global ranking.
The bar, co-founded by Italian bartender Lorenzo Antinori, was also crowned Best Bar in Asia for 2026. It is the first venue ever to hold both titles in back-to-back years, according to organisers of The 50 Best Bars.
Bar Leone’s philosophy, which it calls “Cocktail Popolari” – Italian for “cocktails for the people” – centres on straightforward hospitality and well-made drinks rather than theatrical techniques. The interior blends vintage Italian references with a neighbourhood feel, reflecting Antinori’s roots. The drinks menu focuses on classics, many with Italian influences and premium ingredients, alongside snacks such as smoked olives and a mortadella sandwich.
“To be the first-ever No. 1 from Asia was already an outstanding achievement, of which Lorenzo and his team are hugely deserving, but to retain the title for a second consecutive year shows the true impact of Cocktail Popolari,” said Faye Huggett, director of community for The 50 Best Bars.
Since opening in 2023, Bar Leone has risen rapidly. It debuted at No. 1 in Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2024, retained that regional title in 2025, and was named The World’s Best Bar in 2025 after placing second globally the previous year.
Hong Kong has reclaimed its status as Asia’s leading cocktail city, placing four venues in the global ranking. Alongside Bar Leone, Argo returned at No. 25, while two new entries joined: Montana, also co-founded by Antinori, at No. 36, and Gokan at No. 41. Gokan’s founder, Shingo Gokan, received the Roku Industry Icon Award.