Asia’s cocktail scene has a new champion. Hope & Sesame in Guangzhou has been named The Best Bar in Asia at the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026 awards, announced during a ceremony in Macau on July 28.
The hidden speakeasy, concealed behind a traditional Cantonese storefront in the city’s historic Dongshankou district, rose to the summit after seven consecutive years in the rankings, underlining the rapid evolution of Mainland China’s drinks scene.
Founded by Bastien Ciocca and Andrew Ho, Hope & Sesame has built an international reputation for cocktails inspired by Cantonese cuisine and the culinary traditions of Chinese communities around the world. Seasonal menus draw on regional ingredients, nostalgic flavours and contemporary techniques, helping establish the bar as one of Asia’s most inventive drinking destinations.
The annual ranking, voted for by more than 300 members of Asia’s 50 Best Bars Academy, recognised 50 bars across 22 cities, including 14 new entries and two re-entries. The results highlight the growing geographic diversity of Asia’s cocktail culture, with emerging destinations joining long-established heavyweights such as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Seoul.
China enjoyed its strongest showing yet, placing seven bars in the top 50. Alongside Hope & Sesame’s victory, Shenzhen claimed two top-10 positions through MO Bar Shenzhen (No.5) and newcomer Obsidian Bar (No.10), while Shanghai‘s Pony Up, Chengdu‘s Ralph’s Bar and Beijing‘s Tiao all entered the rankings.
Bangkok once again proved itself Asia’s premier cocktail city, leading all destinations with eight bars in the top 50. Dry Wave Cocktail Studio climbed to No.4 and was named Thailand’s Best Bar, while Lennon’s at Rosewood Bangkok made an impressive debut at No.7 to claim the Highest New Entry Award. Bar Sathorn surged 31 places to No.17, earning the Highest Climber Award, while BKK Social Club, Opium and Aqua Bar also featured among the city’s diverse collection of acclaimed venues.
Hong Kong placed seven bars on the list, led by Bar Leone at No.3, while Singapore, Jakarta and Seoul each secured four entries.
Elsewhere, Hanoi‘s Workshop14 was named Vietnam‘s Best Bar and won Best New Opening, while Makati’s Problem Child debuted as the highest-ranked bar in the Philippines, further illustrating how excellence is spreading beyond Asia’s traditional cocktail capitals.
Faye Huggett, Director of Community for Asia’s 50 Best Bars, said this year’s results demonstrated “the remarkable depth and diversity of Asia’s bar scene”, with a new generation of venues helping redefine hospitality across the region and emerging cities increasingly challenging the dominance of established cocktail capitals.