Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2019: A new top dog, but Singapore still top region

The Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2019 ceremony concluded last night in Singapore, and boy, was it an eye-opening shake-up.

Two-time chart topper Manhattan lost its top spot but still triumphed as the best bar in Singapore, while picking up the “Legend of the List” title. This accolade comes along with the establishment placing second on the list — a throne it lost to The Old Man in Hong Kong, a cocktail lounge that pays tribute to Ernest Hemingway. If you want a taste of what The Old Man has to offer, it recently opened its first outpost beyond Sheung Wan in Singapore’s Keong Saik Road.

The highly prestigious Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards ceremony took place yesterday in Singapore’s The Capitol Theatre, with the space overrun by industry insiders from across the region, setting the theatre abuzz for the announcement of bartending’s best in Asia.

Singapore continues to lead as Asia’s principal cocktail city, with 11 bars making it to the list, despite shedding one spot from last year as Nutmeg & Clove did not place. Three KL bars – Coleys, Bar Trigona and Junglebird – placed as well.

A number of Singaporean bars have dramatically changed spots on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2019 list from the previous iteration. For the highs, we had D. Bespoke rapidly ascending seven places up the ladder, to number 25. Jigger & Pony took home the Highest Climber Award, rising 33 places to #9 after its shift to Amara Hotel and following a menu overhaul.

A number of local bars have dipped in placement alongside Manhattan’s fall. Employees Only dropped 18 places to rank at number 41, while Tippling Club exited the top ten to rank at number 11 this time round.

Congratulations to all winners. Here is the full list of winners; asterisks mark new entrants.

ASIA’S 50 BEST BARS 2019

1. The Old Man, Hong Kong
2. Manhattan, Singapore
3. Indulge Experimental Bistro, Taipei
4. Native, Singapore
5. Atlas, Singapore
6. High Five, Tokyo
7. Speak Low, Shanghai
8. The Bamboo Bar, Bangkok
9. Jigger & Pony, Singapore
10. Quinary, Hong Kong
11. Tippling Club, Singapore
12. Coa, Hong Kong
13. The SG Club, Tokyo*
14. Charles H, Seoul
15. Gibson, Singapore
16. Sober Company, Shanghai
17. Bar Benfiddich, Tokyo
18. The Wise King, Hong Kong
19. Le Chamber, Seoul
20. Backstage, Bangkok
21. 28 HongKong Street, Singapore
22. Operation Dagger, Singapore
23. Trench, Tokyo
24. Aha Saloon, Taipei
25. D.Bespoke, Singapore
26. Vesper, Bangkok
27. Coleys, Kuala Lumpur
28. Bar Orchard Ginza, Tokyo
29. Alice Cheongdam, Seoul
30. Union Trading Company, Shanghai
31. Tropic City, Bangkok*
32. The Pontiac, Hong Kong
33. Lobster Bar & Grill, Hong Kong
34. Rabbit Hole, Bangkok*
35. Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou*
36. Stockton, Hong Kong
37. The Curator, Manila
38. Otto E Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong
39. Union Brasserie, Bakery and Bar, Jakarta
40. Bar Trigona, Kuala Lumpur*
41. Employees Only, Singapore
42. Smalls, Bangkok*
43. Bar Mood, Taipei*
44. Junglebird, Kuala Lumpur
45. Draft Land, Taipei
46. The Other Room, Singapore
47. Oto, Manila*
48. Teens of Thailand, Bangkok
49. Mixology Salon, Tokyo
50. The Backroom, Manila*

A version of this article was first published in Lifestyle Asia.

IMAGES: Respective bars; Asia’s 50 Best Bars.