The Curator Lands in Asia’s 50 Best Bars List

Mexican-inspired cocktail bar COA in Hong Kong was named the Best Bar in Asia at this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2021, toppling last year’s champion, Singapore’s Jigger and Pony, who placed second. Tokyo’s The SG Club came in third. The anticipated awards ceremony was broadcasted live on the evening of May 6 on various online channels.

COA Hong Kong

In the Philippines, The Curator was once again named the best bar in the country and was the lone local entry at this year’s Asia’s 50 Best Bar Awards. The coffee and cocktail bar rose up four slots from last year’s 42nd to secure the 38th spot on this year’s list.

The Curator

Singapore’s No Sleep Club is this year’s new entry, debuting on the list at number 8. Hong Kong’s Caprice Bar (10th) and India’s Sidecar (16th) tied for the Highest Climber award, having both moved up the list 24 spots. The Diplomat in Hong Kong won Best New Opening Award while Quinary was named Legend of the List. Industry veteran Shingo Gokan was crowned this year’s Industry Icon.

China dominated this year’s list with 13 entries, followed by Singapore with 12. Thailand had 5 bars on the list, while Taiwan and South Korea each had 4. Malaysia had 3 entries while the Philippines, India, and Indonesia had 1 each.

“The event and lists display to the world that even in the face of the ever-shifting challenges and restrictions being thrown at them, bars have emerged with inspiring resilience and are advancing in their recovery process by doing everything they can to continue providing great hospitality experiences for guests, safely and securely,” shares Mark Sansom, 50 Best’s content editor.

This is the second Asia’s 50 Best Bars ceremony to be conducted online and the 50 Best team made sure to make it a memorable one. “Taking learnings from our virtual ceremony last year, which has accrued well over one million views, we have looked to make this year’s ceremony even more engaging,” tells Sansom. “Working closely with the design, graphics and tech team, we put together a virtual awards ceremony that aims to bring viewers on a journey across the many cities in Asia, and transport them to these places that they have been missing in recent months.”

Mark Sansom, 50 Best’s content editor

With travel restrictions and safety precautions in place, the voting guidelines have been re-evaluated to be able to put together the annual ranking for 2021. “Not only did we need to take into consideration the travel restrictions, but the lockdown restrictions in the respective cities as well, ensuring the voting panel members were being safe and adhering to government guidelines, while still visiting as many establishments as possible,” says Sansom. “Voters were encouraged to look beyond the list for their selections and take into account bars and their teams’ response to the pandemic and progressive nature when voting on the special awards.”

Each Academy member was tasked to nominate a total of five bars, including up to four from their home country. Previously, each Academy member was required to vote for seven bars, with at least two of these from outside their home country. The 18-month voting period ran from August 2019 (pre-pandemic) until February 2020, so votes from before the pandemic as well as those during the recovery period were valid as voters were able to base their votes on the pre-pandemic period, as well as their local experiences as lockdowns eased.

Bars have had to pivot and adapt to survive and thrive amidst the pandemic, and we’ll be seeing lasting changes in the industry. “Essential new revenue streams, such as ready-to-drink cocktails, virtual happy hours and masterclasses have shown bars’ innovation throughout the pandemic and these will be here to stay,” Sansom further observes. “Bars will also look to double-down on creating evolved hospitality and service structures that will focus on allowing guests to feel comfortable and safe in their environments. Technological developments such as interactive digital menus will continue to progress long into the future.”

Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards remain relevant despite the changes in the regional bar scene. “The global pandemic has, indeed, had a devastating impact on the region’s bar scene,” admits Sansom. “Hence, 50 Best’s role in championing great bars is more important than ever as we look to inspire guests to return to bars through our lists and surrounding content programs. We believe that this year’s virtual awards ceremony will unite bartenders, bar owners, drinks writers and cocktail aficionados in recognition of the talent, passion and dedication evident across Asia’s cocktail landscape, and will be a spectacle of recognition for bar teams’ hard work throughout the pandemic.”

The prestige and recognition of being included on the coveted list will be beneficial to the establishments. “The bars’ position on the list will help drive guests to make bookings once travel opens up,” he says. “Ultimately, the list serves as an economic stimulus for those bars featured by helping drive business into their establishments. We are also confident that the awards event and the inaugural 51-100 list announcement will also act as a show of strength and much-needed optimism for the bar community.”

The bar industry is slowly but surely getting its bearings back despite the hardships, but there is still a long way to go to fully get back in tiptop shape. A lot more work needs to be done. “As bars uncover opportunities while on the road to recovery, they have to keep in mind that consumer behaviors have shifted and hence, business strategies and approach will need to be tweaked in order to meet the new expectations,” adds Sansom. “Bar owners and bartenders also will need to reimagine the overall customer experience, and to build a whole new level of trust, ensuring that a safe space is still a fun place to be.”

50 Best offers further support to bars. “Through our 50 Best for Recovery 2021: Opportunity for Change programme, the overriding motive is to throw a floodlight on more brilliant hospitality venues and people influencing positive change than ever before,” he shares. “We are extending the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list to celebrate those ranked between 51st and 100th, as well as adding 600 new venues to our 50 Best Discovery platform. We have also just released the inaugural 50 Next list, which is an unranked list of young people shaping the future of food and drink, and will also continue to support all those bars we worked with throughout the pandemic, including those 108 bars which received cash grants from the Recovery Fund in 2020.”

“50 Best will continue to amplify diverse voices and positive messages, foster progressive discussion and cross-border collaboration, and encourage greater gastronomic discovery and exploration this 2021 and beyond,” concludes Sansom.

Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2022 will be held in Singapore.

The full list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2021 winners:

1. COA (Hong Kong, China) - Best Bar in China and Best Bar in Asia
2. Jigger & Pony (Singapore) - Best Bar in Singapore 
3. The SG Club (Tokyo, Japan) - Best Bar in Japan 
4. Indulge Experimental Bistro (Taipei, Taiwan) - Best Bar in Taiwan
5. Sober Company (Shanghai, China)
6. Manhattan (Singapore) 
7. Atlas (Singapore)
8. No Sleep Club (Singapore) - Disaronno Highest New Entry
9. Bar Benfiddich (Tokyo, Japan)
10. Caprice Bar (Hong Kong, China) - Nikka Highest Climber Award joint winner **
11. The Bamboo Bar (Bangkok, Thailand) - Best Bar in Thailand
12. Bar Trigona (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) - Best Bar in Malaysia
13. Charles H (Seoul, South Korea) - Best Bar in Korea
14. Native (Singapore)
15. Hope & Sesame (Guangzhou, China) 
16. Sidecar (New Delhi, India) - Best Bar in India - Nikka Highest Climber Award joint winner **
17. Bar Mood (Taipei, Taiwan)
18. Bee’s Knees (Tokyo, Japan)
19. Room By Le Kief (Taipei, Taiwan)
20. The Diplomat (Hong Kong, China) London Essence Best New Opening Award
21. 28 Hongkong Street (Singapore)
22. Backstage Cocktail Bar (Bangkok, Thailand)
23. Tropic City (Bangkok, Thailand)
24. Tell Camellia (Hong Kong, China)
25. AHA Saloon (Taipei, Taiwan) 
26. Quinary (Hong Kong, China) - Heering Legend of the List 
27. The Pontiac (Hong Kong, China) 
28. High Five (Tokyo, Japan)
29. The Wise King (Hong Kong, China) 
30. Barbary Coast (Singapore) 
31. Penicillin (Hong Kong, China) - Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award 
32. Union Trading Company (Shanghai, China) 
33. Speak Low (Shanghai, China) 
34. Union Brasserie, Bakery & Bar (Jakarta, Indonesia) - Best Bar in Indonesia
35. Bar Cham (Seoul, South Korea)
36. Tippling Club (Singapore) 
37. Junglebird (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) 
38. The Curator (Manila, Philippines) - Best Bar in the Philippines 
39. D. Bespoke (Singapore) 
40. Darkside (Hong Kong, China) 
41. Alice (Seoul, South Korea) 
42. The Old Man (Singapore) 
43. Bar Trench (Tokyo, Japan) 
44. Le Chamber (Seoul, South Korea)
45. Mo Bar (Singapore) - Michter’s Art of Hospitality
46. Vesper (Bangkok, Thailand)
47. Three X Co (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) 
48. Teens of Thailand (Bangkok, Thailand)
49. Sago House (Singapore) - new
50. Star Bar (Tokyo, Japan)