Latest news with #50BestBars2025
Time Out
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
This pop-up store in Shibuya is selling blue Hello Kitty merch
It goes without saying that Japan is the place for Hello Kitty lovers. From airports to theme parks, Kitty-chan fans are spoiled for choice when on the hunt for merch. If you're looking for items that are a little different this summer, you're in luck, as Kitty's just gotten a bit of a makeover. For a limited time only, the cat-girl is ditching her iconic red bow and going all blue. Until August 6, you can pick up sky-blue Hello Kitty merch at Marimo Craft's pop-up store on the third floor of Shibuya Sakura Stage. Items include bags, hairbands, scrunchies, keychains, stickers and much more. We didn't find the little shop to be crowded in the slightest following its July 17 opening, but the store has announced it would implement a ticket system to manage visitors if necessary. Check its official social media account here for updates (in Japanese only). If you aren't able to make it to the store in person, the online shop is your best bet. The items sold online are the same as what you'll find in the store, but note that only shipping within Japan is available. More from Time Out Tokyo 4 Tokyo bars named in the World's 50 Best Bars 2025 list The timetable for Summer Sonic 2025 is out now The Fuji Rock timetable for 2025 is here The Mt Fuji climbing season has officially begun
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Five Indian bars have made it to Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025. Is Indian mixology on the rise?
This year five Indian bars have made it to Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025. Released on July 15 in Macau, the list features New Delhi's Lair among its top-10 bars. But to anyone who has been paying attention to the country's rapidly evolving cocktail culture, this is no surprise. With cutting-edge cocktail programmes, sleek interiors and menus that champion local ingredients, there has been a conscious effort to elevate Indian bars, by balancing between global trends and local flavours. The list (long-list included) has three bars from Bengaluru, two each from Goa and Delhi, and one from Mumbai. We speak to the people behind these bars, to find out their winning formula. Indian bars that feature on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 list 8. Lair, New Delhi 28. Soka, Bengaluru 30. Boilermaker, Goa 31. ZLB23, Bengaluru 37. Bar Spirit Forward, Bengaluru The bars on the long list 62. Sidecar, New Delhi 69. The Bombay Canteen, Mumbai 94. Hideaway, Goa Technique meets design Delhi's Lair, which takes the eighth spot on the list, also won the Best Bar in India 2025 award by Asia's 50 Best Bars. Its cocktails are inventive, and its ambience minimalist and edgy. On the official 50 Best website, Lair is described as a sleek hidden retreat. 'The menu, divided into three levels — beginners, intermediate, and superior — guides patrons through a journey of flavour complexity. Signature cocktails include the Blueberry Cheesecake, infused with blueberry and cream liqueur, and the Mountain Breeze, inspired by the Himalayas, with regional infusions. Don't let the extensive menu scare you, the friendly bartenders go out of their way to listen to preferences and suggest drinks suited to your taste and mood.' The bar is designed in shades of black and grey, and the design aesthetic is almost Brutalist. Founder and managing director Jairaj Singh Solanki says, 'We went with a unique design, monochrome concept. It feels like you are inside a cave. Lights are dim and we have spotlights on the tables. Colours are on the plates and drinks.' Delhi-based architecture and interior-design studio Renesa is the creative force behind the decor. Back to basics Boilermaker in Goa is a new entry on the list, coming in at 30. The bar was founded in late 2024 by Nakul Bhonsle, a craft beer entrepreneur and Pankaj Balachandran, a mixologist. 'India's bartending community is stronger than ever. The quality of our bars continues to rise, and the industry is evolving. A few years ago, I said this was the best time to be part of this space — and this year proves that statement truer than ever. We're not just growing; we're thriving,' Pankaj says. So what makes this bar in Siolim click? 'Boilermaker is bringing back what a bar should be — unpretentious, laid-back, and full of soul. A true dive bar atmosphere where the priority is simple: good drinks, good times, and great people. At its heart, Boilermaker celebrates the classic shot-and-beer combo — no frills, just fun. But it is more than that. Walking in feels like stepping into a friend's house party, where everyone is welcome and the vibe is effortless,' says Pankaj. The drinks pay homage to Goa with Biso Manana Karamel, a twist on an Old Fashioned made with overripe Moira bananas and local feni. The food too has Goan touches, with tambdi bhaji sourdough melts and balchão stuffed pickled cucumbers. The Asia's Best Bar official website says, 'Everything about Boilermaker is carefully considered, but the feeling you get is one of a remarkably relaxed place that's made to hang out with your gang. It's a refreshing change as well as a reminder of that local flavour that defines Goa.' Modern meets local ZLB23 in The Leela Palace Bengaluru ranks 31 on the list. The Kyoto-inspired bar has chic, vintage decor and skilled mixologists that shake up Prohibition era cocktails like Tokyo Bees Knees, Japanese Old Fashioned, and Bootlegger. The interiors make you feel like you could be in New York or London. 'ZLB has carved a unique identity by blending theatrical storytelling with innovative cocktails and deeply personalised service. It is not just a bar but an immersive experience,' says Madhav Sehgal, area vice president, (operations south & Head of Sales – South India, The Leela Palace Hotels and Resorts. ZLB23 has invited more than 50 international and domestic bar takeovers in the past few years, making its presence felt on the global stage. At the same time, the bar is also honouring its roots. Madhav says, 'Our newest 'Native' section is a tribute to the soil we stand upon, drawn from Bengaluru's heartland, and crafted with ingredients that belong to these roots. For example, the drink Fire and Water is made with bhajji chilli, Coco Fizz uses tender coconut water and annanas has local rani pineapples.' Asia's 50 Best Bars describes ZLB23 as 'A stroll down a winding garden path, a trot through a bustling hotel kitchen and a short ride in a service lift: this brief journey, albeit confounding, is well worth it.' Tending to the bar 'This is one of the greatest times to be part of the Indian bar community,' says Arijit Bose, founder of Bengaluru-based Bar Spirit Forward, that is listed at number 37. 'A bustling bar with a fun, boisterous crew manning the counters, Bar Spirit Forward is built for cocktail enthusiasts who appreciate craft, clarity, and context in their drinks. With a rich backstory led by industry veterans, including Arijit Bose, formerly of Countertop India and the team behind Goa's Tesouro, ranked No.4 in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2022, it focuses on creating a buzzy atmosphere that is punctuated by technically sound cocktails,' says the award list about this bar in the heart of the city. Perhaps because Arijit is a veteran in the industry, he knows it is the bartenders who make the bar work. Arijit says, 'If closely examined, bartender-lead-and-owned bars are making a splash, which was always the key to building a good bar. To cite a few examples, Goa's Hideaway, with Sheldon Abranches and Aditya Tribhuvan; Delhi's Sidecar, with Yangdup Lama and Minakshi Singh; Bengaluru's Soka, with Avinash Kapoli and Sombir Choudhary; Lair, with Navjot Singh at its helm — are all run by people who care about the business and craft. This will spur more people to open bartender lead programmes and venues similar to NYC, London, Thailand, Singapore or Tokyo.' The long list features three Indian bars Sidecar in New Delhi came in at number 62. Founder Yangdup Lama, who won the Roku Industry Icon award last year, says, 'With the inclusion of many Indian bars, the list puts a lot of attention on India.' What makes Sidecar stand out? 'I would say it is purely the focus — on not just awards, but on what's in the glass,' he says. The 94th spot went to Hideaway in Goa. Nathaniel da Costa, partner, says, 'It is an incredible feeling to be amongst some of the best bars in Asia and the world. At Hideaway, the main focus is on the customer experience and that is multifold, through our drinks, our food, the music, whether live or through our playlists and the interactions with our staff. As soon as you walk in, you know you're at a bar unlike any other.' The Bombay Canteen clinched the 69th position. 'This is a landmark moment for India's bar community,' says Yash Bhanage, founder and COO. 'Our bar evolves with a menu that explores regional Indian ingredients and craft spirits, always designed to feel in sync with the overall dining experience. But at the same time, it holds its own, whether you are just here for a cocktail at the bar or sipping one alongside a meal, the drinks are meant to engage, surprise, and delight.' Capturing the spirit of the city With three bars from Bengaluru on the list, there must be something the city is getting right. From being called the pub capital and the brewery capital, it may now be the craft cocktail capital of India. It is this spirit that Soka (number 28) captures just right. 'Bengaluru loves to chill. Our drinks try to do the same,' says Avinash Kapoli, the co-founder. 'They are inventive without being pretentious, familiar without being boring. Whether it is a reimagined filter coffee cocktail for our fragrance-paired menu or a highball with local ingredients, we build drinks the way this city lives. curious, complex, a little rebellious, and always laid-back.' He says their bar programme is technical, but also human. The drinks are a tribute to old Bengaluru: Black Cadillac is named after an old pub on MG Road and Cheese Cherry Pineapple is an ode to a bar snack at Downtown Pub. 'We didn't build SOKA to follow a template. We built it to feel. Just damn good drinks, super snacks, honest hospitality, and a team that shows up every single night with heart.' With inputs from Prabalika M. Borah and Priyamedha Dutta
Vogue Singapore
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue Singapore
A look inside mixology's biggest night: Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025
There is a noticeable buzz in the air the moment one steps into Wynn Palace. It is the weekend before the award ceremony for Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025, and hundreds of guests from all over the region—bartenders, journalists and cocktail enthusiasts—are gradually trickling into the hotel where this year's celebration is set to take place. Colossal and opulent, Macau's Wynn Palace feels like a fitting destination for an event of this scale. Courtesy of Wynn Palace Macau Colossal and opulent, Macau's Wynn Palace feels like a fitting destination for an event of this scale. It's a thought that crosses my mind the moment I step through the entrance and find myself greeted by a vibrant pink fabergé egg—three times my height and embellished with more than 60,000 flowers—opening up to reveal a phoenix. U pon checking into my suite, this idea is only reinforced. Huge floor-to-ceiling windows look out to the hotel's performance lake, at which an impressive fountain show that rises several stories up is ongoing. All the while, cable cars leisurely glide across the scene. Inside the room, I find a mixology set sculpted entirely out of chocolate, and a welcome cocktail from the hotel's Wing Lei Bar. Asia's 50 Best Bars ceremony was held on 15 July. Courtesy of 50 Best Bars While this year's Asia's 50 Best Bars ceremony was held on 15 July, the event was more of a week-long affair, filled with countless guest shifts, pop-ups and cocktail pairing dinners in the lead up to the big night. All across Macau, the region's best and brightest came together to celebrate their love for mixology, offering a glimpse of the vibrant and diverse cocktail scene in Asia. From the most exciting guest shifts to the grand night itself, we take you inside the highlights of this year's festivities. Guest shifts galore At Wynn Palace, over 25 intriguing events and guest shifts were held over the course of the week, building up an undeniable and inescapable thrill in anticipation for the awaited night. After all, it's not every day you get to sample drinks made by industry icons like Julio Mermejo and Sam Ross, or try cocktails from bars in less frequently travelled countries like Nepal. The event allowed guests to sample drinks made by industry icons like Julio Mermejo and Sam Ross. Courtesy of 50 Best Bars Some of Singapore's most beloved nightlife spots also made an appearance, from a coffee liqueur-centred pop-up by Offtrack, to a shochu-focused takeover of modern Japanese restaurant Mizumi by 28 HongKong Street alongside Tokyo's Bar Trench. Also on the itinerary was Sago House, in an exciting bar shift, dubbed the battle of the houses, with Chengdu Temple House's Jing Bar. As for some of the most memorable drinks of the week? There was the Shoyu Ramen from Bengaluru's ZLB23, an umami-rich concoction of tequila, shoyu, miso and sake, with dried seaweed on the side. Hong Kong's Artifact also served up The Grape One, a delicious combination of gin, white grape, miso and toasted sesame, whilst Bangkok's Bar Sathorn presented Bangkok Brunch: a tequila and mezcal based libation with salted tomato water and the makings of Thai pad krapow , all poured and served over an eye-catching frozen whole tomato. Chef Tam's Seasons hosted a cocktail-paired dinner with Taipei's Bar Mood. Courtesy of Wynn Palace Macau While it was the cocktails that were in the spotlight all week, the culinary experiences certainly did not fall short either. At Mizumi, executive chef Hironomi Maeda served up a spectacular lunch—think tender cubes of wagyu that melt in the mouth, decadent ribbons of toro wrapped around uni and caviar, and unagi charcoal-grilled to crisp and smoky perfection—paired with a gorgeous selection of sakes and Japanese wines. Meanwhile, two separate dining experiences at Chef Tam's Seasons demonstrated the restaurant's versatility. The first, a cocktail-paired dinner with Taipei's Bar Mood, featured executive chef Tam Kwok Fung's usual elegant Cantonese fare, from unassuming but delicious braised vegetables topped with crab roe, to a delicate pigeon stuffed with 'eight treasures'. In the second—a four-hands collaboration with modern Indian cuisine restaurant Masque, paired with libations from New Delhi bar Sidecar—unique dishes that blend Cantonese and Indian flavours prove that the two cuisines go together surprisingly well. Dry Wave Cocktail Studio clinched the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award at number five. Courtesy of Dry Wave Cocktail Studio The ceremony On the night of the ceremony, we gather in the grand theatre ballroom of the Wynn Palace. Hundreds of guests mill around the room, drinks in hand, eagerly greeting fellow bartenders and friends from the community. With 98 out of the 100 bars on the extended list in attendance, the anticipation in the air is palpable. The lights dim. As the ceremony begins, an exciting tidbit is soon announced: there are 20 new entries to the list this year. A murmur ripples through the room at the promise of a night that will shake things up. Among the 20 bars, we eventually find out, is Singapore's Cat Bite Club at number 44. At number 12, Jakarta's Modernhaus, which opened its doors just last year, is named Indonesia's best bar as well as the best new opening on the list. And at number five, Dry Wave Cocktail Studio, which also opened last year, clinches the Disaronno Highest New Entry Award at number five. Jigger & Pony comes in third on the list, making it also the best bar in Singapore. Courtesy of Jigger & Pony As the night goes on, Singapore's Native, Nutmeg & Clove, and Offtrack all earn places on the list—at 45th, 24th and 23rd respectively. Seoul's beloved Wonderland-themed bar Alice rises 33 spots to place 13th, making it the bar that has climbed the most ranks. Meanwhile, Hanoi's Workshop14 receives the Campari One To Watch Award after only opening six months ago. Bangkok's seven and Hong Kong's six bars on the list cement the two cities as leaders in the cocktail scene, but more exciting, perhaps, are India's five entries—of which four are new, proving the country a rising one to watch. For the second year in a row, Hong Kong's Bar Leone was crowned the best bar in Asia. Courtesy of Bar Leone Crawling up the list, we eventually arrive at the moment everyone's been waiting for: the top three spots. At this point, everyone can guess who they are—it's just a matter of what order they are in. As the crowd holds its breath, the top three bars in Asia are finally announced. Jigger & Pony comes in third on the list, making it also the best bar in Singapore. Seoul's Zest is second. And for the second year in a row, Hong Kong's Bar Leone is crowned the best bar in Asia. The only thing that's left to do, then, is head on down to the after-party, grab a drink—or multiple—and celebrate.
AsiaOne
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025: 5 Singapore bars make the list, a drop from last year's 11, Lifestyle News
The results of Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 are out, and while several of our local bars have done us proud once again, the number of Singapore-based establishments on the list this year has dropped compared to last year's. In 2024, Singapore had 11 bars listed while this year saw five making the cut. During the awards ceremony in Macau on Tuesday (July 15), it was announced that Jigger & Pony, located in Amara Singapore, had retained its position at No. 3 on the list for the second year running. The other four bars that made the top 50 are Offtrack at No. 23, which moved up from No. 25 last year; Nutmeg & Clove at No. 24, which dropped from No. 6; Cat Bite Club at No. 44, which moved up from No. 77; and finally, Native at No. 45, a drop from No. 31. Five of the bars that were on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2024 list have dropped to the extended 51 to 100 list. These are Sago House at No. 56 (from No. 15), Origin Bar at No. 60 (from No. 32), Night Hawk at No. 77 (from No. 16), Employees Only at No. 89 (from No. 38) and Fura at No. 95 (from No. 42). Atlas, which was ranked No. 49 last year, was not on the top 50 or extended 51 to 100 list. The remaining Singapore bar on the extended 51 to 100 list is Side Door at No. 53. Last year, Singapore had eight bars on the extended 51 to 100 list, and this year, we have six. Hong Kong's Bar Leone at No. 1 Topping the Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 list is Bar Leone, which hails from Hong Kong. Other bars at in the top five are Zest from Seoul (No. 2), Bar Us from Bangkok (No. 4) and Dry Wave Cocktail Studio (No. 5), which also is from Bangkok. With seven bars listed, Bangkok has the most bars in the top 50. Hong Kong follows closely with six bars on the list. The Asia's 50 Best Bars list is organised by UK-based media group William Reed and is the regional edition of The World's 50 Best Bars. The annual rankings are decided by votes from the Asia's 50 Best Bars Academy. The full list can be seen on The World's 50 Best website. Next up is The World's 50 Best Bars awards, which will take place in Hong Kong on Oct 8.
Korea Herald
15-07-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
BAR LEONE IS CROWNED THE BEST BAR IN ASIA AT ASIA'S 50 BEST BARS FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR
For the full 1-50 list, please view here. MACAU, July 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Bar Leone in Hong Kong has clinched the coveted title of The Best Bar in Asia and The Best Bar in Hong Kong, sponsored by Perrier, for the second consecutive year, at the live awards ceremony for Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 in Macau. Bar Leone made 50 Best history in 2024 by being the first-ever establishment to debut on the list at No.1 and as The Best Bar in Asia. Owned by Lorenzo Antinori, the menu features a carefully curated selection of classic cocktails, all while staying true to its identity as a neighbourhood bar. At No.2 is Zest in Seoul, clinching the title of The Best Bar in Korea, sponsored by Tia Maria, while at No.3, Jigger & Pony is The Best Bar in Singapore, sponsored by Torres Brandy. Emma Sleight, Head of Content for Asia's 50 Best Bars, says: "We're thrilled to gather in Macau with Asia's vibrant and passionate drinks community. With 20 new entries, the most in recent years, this list is a testament to the boundary-pushing creativity of the region. Congratulations to Bar Leone for the incredible feat of retaining the No.1 spot."
