Hong Kong’s Bar Leone is Crowned Best in the World at The 50 Best Bars 2026

At The 50 Best Bars 2026 awards ceremony, hosted in Italy for the first time, Italian mixology won away and placed second at home.

The title of best bar in the world has gone for the second consecutive year to Bar Leone in Hong Kong, opened by Roman Lorenzo Antinori, modeled after the capital's neighborhood bars. It is followed closely by Moebius in Milan, the city that hosted the ceremony last week, October 7th, at Palazzo del Ghiaccio.

For the Milanese venue, this is the highest ranking ever achieved by an Italian bar, accompanied by the title of Best Bar in Europe. Third place on the podium goes to Alquímico in Cartagena, a town on the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

Now in its eighteenth edition, the ranking is based on the votes of over 800 experts including bartenders, consultants and specialized journalists, who this year selected bars from 26 cities, including 14 new entries.

Hong Kong's Bar Leone is Confirmed as The Best Bar in The World

Antinori worked in London and Seoul before moving to Hong Kong, where he opened the venue in the Central district together with Justin Shun Wah in 2023. Bar Leone is clearly inspired by the bars of Trastevere, evoked by period furnishings, football memorabilia and tobacco shop signs.

Its philosophy, built on what the founder calls "popular cocktails", focuses on great classics like the Negroni, prepared with precision and served without formality.

To accompany their drinks, the house treats guests to finger foods like smoked olives and mortadella sandwiches. In July, Bar Leone ranked third in the Asian rankings, behind Hope & Sesame in Canton, which ranked twelfth in the global rankings.

Together with Simone Caporale, in 2025 Antinori also opened Montana, a bar dedicated to traditional Cuban cocktails that debuts at number 36.

Milan's Moebius Ranks Second in The World, Best Result for an Italian Bar

In two years, Lorenzo Querci‘s restaurant, just steps from Central Station, has climbed from thirty-eighth place in 2024 to seventh in 2025, and finally to second this year. The result is even more surprising considering the European rankings in July, where Moebius had stopped at sixth place, behind five competitors who are now following suit.

In the same building as the cocktail bar, there's a bistro serving shared dishes and the Michelin-starred restaurant of chef Enrico Croatti. The drinks menu also draws heavily from Italian cuisine, as evidenced by the Pesto Martini created by Genoese bartender Giovanni Allario, made with pesto-infused vodka and served with grated Parmesan cheese on the side, to be added to taste.

How Many American Bars Are in The Ranking?

New York City completely dominated the U.S. presence on the 2026 World's 50 Best Bars list with four standout venues, led by Schmuck (No. 11), an East Village spot from Moe Aljaff and Juliette Larrouy that captured the Best New Opening Award for its unpretentious living-room energy and high-concept mixology.

Greenwich Village’s Sip & Guzzle (No. 14) follows closely in the top 20 with its bi-level concept pairing a high-energy saloon with a refined Japanese-style lounge, while Gramercy’s Martiny’s (No. 46) brings precise Japanese hospitality and bespoke ice carving to a restored 1800s carriage house. Rounding out the U.S. representation is East Village newcomer Bar Snack (No. 49), which blends casual "snaquiri" shots with dressed-up classic drinks and elevated bar bites.

The 50 Best Bars 2026's Special Awards

In addition to the ranking, the organizers awarded the titles of best bar by geographical area and a series of special prizes, two of which were announced in previous weeks:

• Best Bar in Asia – Bar Leone (Hong Kong)
• Best Bar in Europe – Moebius (Milan)
• Best Bar in North America – Handshake Speakeasy (Mexico City)
• Best Bar in South America – Alquímico (Cartagena)
• Best Bar in the Middle East – Mimi Kakushi (Dubai)
• Best Bar in Australasia – Caretaker's Cottage (Melbourne)
• Best Bar in Africa – Front/Back (Accra), 80th in the extended ranking
• Altos Bartenders' Bartender Award, voted on by peers and announced in September – Takuma Watanabe, director of Martiny's (New York)
• Roku Industry Icon Award – Shingo Gokan, founder of Gokan in Hong Kong and Sip & Guzzle in New York
• Michter's Art of Hospitality Award, announced prior to the ceremony – Alquímico (Cartagena)
• Disaronno Highest New Entry Award – Bar Mauro (Mexico City), debuts at 10th place
• Three Cents Best New Opening Award – Schmuck (New York)
• Nikka Highest Climber Award – The Bar in Front of the Bar (Athens), climbed 28 places
• Rémy Martin Legend of the List Award, for the most consistent bar in the history of the ranking – Paradiso (Barcelona)
• Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award – Line (Athens)
• Siete Misterios Best Cocktail Menu Award – Panda & Sons (Edinburgh)
• SevenRooms Best Bar Design Award – Saikindō (Abu Dhabi)
• Campari One to Watch Award – Three Horses (Melbourne), 84th in the extended ranking
• The 50 Best Bars Scholarship – Isa Mejia (Ecuador)

Geographically, Paris surpasses London for the first time and shares the top spot with Hong Kong and New York for the most represented cities, with four bars each. Europe boasts eighteen establishments among the top fifty, while Latin America and Asia each have thirteen.