The world’s best bar is an Italian neighbourhood spot in… Hong Kong?

This is the best bar in the world.

At Bar Leone, you won’t find bespoke glassware and uber-curated concepts – this bar’s success is down to classic bartending, brilliant drinks and heart.

Opened in June 2023 by multi-award-winning Italian bartender Lorenzo Antinori, Bar Leone channels the soul of Rome’s traditional neighbourhood bars – unpretentious, convivial spots that anchor the city’s 21 districts, and Trastevere in particular. For drinks, the bar takes a deliberate step away from current trends, embracing simplicity and celebrating the classic art of bartending that allows guests to truly understand and appreciate what goes into each drink.

However, it’s the warm hospitality that is key to Lorenzo Antinori’s no-reservations operation, with the convivial atmosphere creating long lines outside the door before service begins. And here there’s zero gatekeeping; 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.

The result is a bar with timeless Italian charm and a sense of belonging that clearly resonates with cocktail lovers both local and international. While the cocktails are what draw guests in, it’s the warm service, the welcoming neighbourhood atmosphere and the near-viral mortadella sandwiches that helped earn the venue the coveted title of The World’s Best Bar 2025, sponsored by Perrier.

Learn more about Bar Leone here: https://bit.ly/W50BB25No1

#Worlds50Best #50BestBars
–
50 Best is the leading authority in gastronomy, drinks and travel, showcasing trends and highlighting great restaurants, bars and hotels from across the world. Since 2002, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list has reflected the diversity of the world’s culinary landscape, created from the votes of more than 1,120 independent experts. The regional rankings of Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants and Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants have since followed.

The World’s 50 Best Bars runs in a similar guise, created from the votes of more than 700 drinks experts from across the globe. The launch of Asia’s 50 Best Bars and North America’s 50 Best Bars followed in 2016 and 2022, respectively.

The brand debuted into the travel sector with the launch of The World’s 50 Best Hotels in 2023.

The 50 Best family also includes 50 Best Discovery – a search engine featuring over 3,700 establishments that have received votes from the respective Academies.

Subscribe to 50 Best for more content