Best bars in Asia

Bar Leone brings the feel of a Roman neighbourhood bar to Central's Bridges Street. Its Cocktail Popolari approach keeps familiar drinks and easygoing hospitality at the centre of the experience. It takes walk-ins only.

Soho / Central · Italian neighbourhood cocktail bar · site · IG

BKK Social Club pairs Latin American glamour with Thai hospitality at Four Seasons Bangkok. Its Mexico City-inspired menu moves through places, people and parties, with cocktails, elevated bar bites, cigars, wine and Champagne. Smart-casual dress and a 20+ age policy apply.

Yan Nawa / Sathon · Latin American-inspired hotel cocktail bar · site · IG

Argo is Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong's first-floor cocktail bar, open to hotel guests and other visitors. Its Exploration list draws on local collaborators and includes both spirit-forward drinks and alcohol-free versions. Dress is smart casual.

Central / IFC · Hotel cocktail bar · site · IG

Bar Us treats cocktails like a dinner menu, moving from lighter starters through savoury main-course drinks to after-dinner pours. The intimate Sukhumvit 26 room suits adventurous drinkers who enjoy culinary flavours and guided choices. Reserve the 6pm or 8pm seating, or walk in later.

Sukhumvit 26 / Phrom Phong · Culinary, savoury cocktails · site · IG

Native explores Singapore and the wider region through cocktails built around local produce, crafts and spirits. The second-floor bar is the place for its story-led drinks, while the Amoy Street shophouse also serves food. Reserve ahead for a compact, ingredient-focused night.

Amoy Street · Regional, ingredient-led cocktail bar · site · IG

Jigger & Pony is a polished but convivial hotel cocktail bar at Amara Singapore. Its current BLOOM menu explores growth through modern signatures, supported by a substantial food list, wine, beer and zero-proof choices. Daily happy hour runs early in the evening.

Tanjong Pagar · Contemporary cocktails and convivial hospitality · site · IG

Fura is a sustainability-led drinking and dining room on Amoy Street. Its menus use abundant, invasive and low-carbon ingredients in cocktails and food, including a mealworm margarita and Jellyfish Martini. Walk-ins are welcome, while its five-course pairing requires an enquiry.

Amoy Street / Tanjong Pagar · Sustainability-led cocktail and dining bar · site · IG

COA is a compact Central bar devoted to agave. Its list explores tequila, mezcal and lesser-seen Mexican spirits, with cocktails that keep the same regional focus. It is walk-in only, so arrive early or expect an in-person waitlist at busy times.

Central / Shin Hing · Agave-focused cocktail bar · site · IG

Bar Benfiddich is a 15-seat, ninth-floor Shinjuku bar where drinks are built through conversation instead of a printed menu. Expect herbs, house tinctures and a close view of the bartender at work. Reservations are released around the owner-bartender’s irregular travel calendar and are strongly advised.

Nishi-Shinjuku · Bespoke botanical cocktails · site · IG

Hidden behind a small Cantonese shop in Dongshankou, Hope & Sesame pairs modern cocktail technique with flavours from the local pantry. The current programme includes the “Bittersweet” menu and a separate upstairs space for classics and bespoke drinks. Reservations use the venue’s WeChat mini app.

Dongshankou · Cantonese-inspired modern cocktails · site · IG

VIRTÙ is a 39th-floor Four Seasons lounge where Japanese technique meets French spirits and Art Deco glamour. Cognac, whisky, shochu and house umeshu anchor the cocktail list, with Tokyo skyline views and polished hotel service completing the experience. Reservations are optional.

Otemachi · French-Japanese hotel cocktail lounge · site · IG

Cat Bite Club explores agave and rice spirits side by side, arranging its menu around classic cocktail styles and parallel variations. It also offers spirit flights, bar bites and a 5–8pm happy hour.

Duxton · Agave- and rice-spirit cocktail bar · site · IG

Bar Cham occupies a traditional hanok in Seochon and builds cocktails around Korean spirits, ingredients and regional traditions. Oak furnishings, low lighting and a compact room keep the atmosphere intimate, while the menu moves from familiar structures to distinctly local flavours.

Seochon / Tongin-dong · Korean regional cocktails in a hanok · site · IG

Manhattan is Conrad Singapore Orchard’s grand hotel bar, built around the world’s first in-hotel rickhouse. Its Circle of Celebration menu travels through American rituals, while barrel-aged signatures include the Manhattan and Solera-aged Negroni.

Orchard · Golden-age hotel cocktail bar · site · IG

Mahaniyom turns one ingredient at a time into resourceful cocktails that use its peel, flesh, juice, leaf or other parts. The warm, playful room above 100 Mahaseth also serves Thai bar food, making it a strong choice for adventurous, often savoury drinks with snacks.

Si Phraya, Bang Rak · Whole-ingredient Thai cocktails and bar food · site · IG

The Bellwood blends the feel of a Taisho-era kissaten with modern Shibuya energy. Its Cocktail Kaiseki format turns seasonal Japanese ingredients into a structured drinks journey, while refined bar food and the four-seat Bell Sushi counter make it a strong choice for a full evening.

Shibuya / Udagawacho · Taisho kissaten-inspired cocktail bar · site · IG