Lorenzo Antinori's Hong Kong bar with Italian soul shoots into superstardom by becoming the first bar in Asia to clinch the No.1 spot in The World's 50 Best Bars 2025, sponsored by Perrier.
No-one's had a journey quite like Bar Leone. Hong Kong's beloved Italian enclave has been named The World's Best Bar 2025, having retained its title as The Best Bar in Asia for a second year in a row mere months ago at Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025. The crowning of Antinori's democratic drinking den also marks the first time a bar in Asia has been awarded the top spot on The World's 50 Best Bars list.
The 'firsts' for this bar have been coming since its opening in 2023. Bar Leone – whose manta is 'cocktail popolari', meaning 'cocktails for the people' – made waves from the outset, taking the No.2 position on The World's 50 Best Bars list last year and being named The Best Bar in Asia twice in Asia's 50 Best Bars 2024 and 2025, having debuted on the list at No.1 in 2024, the first bar ever to do so.
Bar Leone's uniquely convival atmosphere won hearts and minds in Hong Kong
Antinori and co-founder Justin Shun Wah have created a timeless Italian charm and sense of belonging at Bar Leone that clearly resonates with cocktail lovers both local and international, earning the team the title of The World's Best Bar at the live awards ceremony in Hong Kong.
Antinori says: "Today is a special day. Getting this recognition in home, in Hong Kong, to share it with these friends is special.
"There are so many bars around the world that deserve to be in this list, we are so honoured," he continues.
Class act
Bar Leone channels Italian culture from the inside out, helmed by its charismatic captain, Rome-born Antinori. The wood-panelled walls are adorned with framed photographs of celebrities and AS Roma football shirts, and the drinks programme features unpretentious revivals of classic cocktails.
The team abides by a low-intervention approach, focusing on quality ingredients and craftsmanship over current trends and complex equipment. A classic vodka martini becomes 'filthy' with the use of smoked olive brine, while yuzu sake breathes new life into a white negroni. Other bars have bespoke glassware and uber-curated concepts – Bar Leone's success is down to classic bartending, brilliant drinks and heart.
"It's about working day-by-day and putting our heart and soul into it," says Antinori of the simple secret to the bar's success.
"Bar Leone was born with the idea of being a neighbourhood cocktail bar. We will never changes that ethos. We will never change our identity," he says.
Braveheart
In a crowded market, it takes courage to embrace a simple, hospitality-focused approach. Given Bar Leone's namesake – the lion was once the emblem of Rome and remains the symbol of the Trastevere neighbourhood, from where much of the inspiration for the bar comes – its unapologetically welcoming ethos is unsurprising.
Warm hospitality is key to Antinori's no-reservations operation, with the convivial atmosphere creating long lines outside the door before service begins.
The team prides itself on a signature warm service style
"I want to believe that there is a human and personal element that makes Bar Leone special. It's a space we call home – we're family," says Antinori. "The simplicity and curation of the programme, that's probably what they enjoy the most."
There's no gatekeeping here. All the recipes used to create Bar Leone's cocktail menu are available for free on its website for those in far flung corners of the world to recreate at home.
If you are lucky enough to swing by The World's Best Bar 2025 anytime soon, Antinori says you can't miss the food too: "The focaccia mortadella [is a must-try]. We think we are mortadella ambassadors around the world. Sometimes we do cocktails," he jokes.
Bright lights, big city
A win on home turf doesn't signal the end of the night for Bar Leone. As the ceremony at Victoria Harbour's iconic Kai Tak Cruise Terminal wraps up, the celebrations will be doing anything but. "We will need a few days to process it. What a day," says Antinori.
Bars from around the world celebrated their immense achievements on stage
If past behaviour is anything to go by – just days after the Asia's 50 Best Bars awards ceremony in July this year, Antinori, Shun Wah and Sips' Simone Caporale opened Montana, a new bar focusing on Cuban-style drinks as well as announcing an outpost of Bar Leone in Shanghai to open soon – the future looks glittering for Bar Leone.
Antinori's final word before the party gets started: "We want to be a bar that people can go to everyday. I can't wait to welcome our guests and friends tomorrow."
The World's 50 Best Bars 2025, sponsored by Perrier, was revealed at a live awards ceremony in Hong Kong on 8 October 2025
