Cocktails For The People: How Bar Leone Claimed The World’s Best Bar 2025

Bar Leone’s mix of unpretentious design, thoughtful cocktails, and the principle of ‘cocktail popolari’ has propelled it to the summit of international bar rankings, securing the top spot on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025.

Earlier this month, at a live awards ceremony in Hong Kong, titans of the bar industry and cocktail connoisseurs alike awaited with bated breath as the list of The World’s 50 Best Bars 2025 was unveiled. An evening steeped in anticipation culminated in Bar Leone of Hong Kong taking the coveted spot at the top of a formidable heap, cementing itself at the pinnacle of bar-craft excellence.

This marks the first time that the number one spot, in all of the 17 editions that have come to pass, has been awarded to a bar in Asia. A landmark fixture in Hong Kong’s bustling Central district, Bar Leone is the brainchild of Lorenzo Antinori, a man whose sparkling résumé encompasses such celebrated hotel bars as London’s American Bar at The Savoy, as well as Dandelyan.

With his creative mind at the helm, it is to nobody’s surprise that Bar Leone would eventually go on to cruise at the highest altitudes of mixology. What is surprising, though, is the speed at which it got there, having only opened its doors in June 2023.

Fashioned according to the principle of ‘cocktail popolari’—or ‘cocktails for the people’—Bar Leone draws from the spirit of the neighbourhood bars of Rome, where the locals commune for casual chats over coffee or aperitivi. It’s a philosophy that is far more than just declarative, and nowhere is that more evident than in the menu. Taking the form of a rotating Google Docs file updated on a monthly basis, the menu includes the full recipe and method to ensure the utmost accessibility for everyone.

Inside Bar Leone

Walk into the bar, and you’re greeted with an interior that is as welcoming as it is unpretentious, evocative of Rome as it was in the 1980s and ’90s. This was very much a deliberate decision, as Antinori, a Roman by birth, sought to strip away the over-elaboration of modern mixology and return to the fundamental tenets of pared-back, high-quality beverages crafted with exacting precision. It’s an approach that speaks for itself: Bar Leone took the number one spot on the list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars only a year after it first opened its doors, as well as the runner-up spot in The World’s 50 Best Bars that same year—both unprecedented feats.

Emma Sleight, Head of Content for The World’s 50 Best Bars, put it aptly when she said: “It is such a delight to unveil Bar Leone as The World’s Best Bar 2025, sponsored by Perrier. Not only is this remarkable achievement the first time a bar from Asia has claimed the top spot, but it is a dazzling testament to the commitment of Lorenzo and the entire Bar Leone team to redefining hospitality excellence.”