Asia's 40 Best Top Bars/Cafés/Lounges/Taverns/Pubs
"The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind." - Humphrey Bogart.
"A woman drove me to drink and I didn't even have the decency to thank her." - W. C. Fields.
"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut." - Ernest Hemingway.
"You're not drunk if you can lie on the floor without holding on." - Dean Martin.
A BAR (also called a pub, tavern, saloon, or taproom) is an establishment that serves drinks, especially alcoholic beverages such as beer, liquor, and cocktails, for consumption on the premises.
Bars provide stools or chairs for their patrons along tables or raised counters. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go dancers, a floor show or strippers (see strip club). Bars that are part of hotels are sometimes called long bars or hotel lounges.
There have been many names throughout history for establishments where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages. Even when an establishment uses a different mane such as a tavern, the area of the establishment where the bartender serves the alcoholic beverage is normally called "the bar".
There are many types of bars, which can be categorized according to the types of entertainment provided at the bar and by their clientèle.
A COCKTAIL LOUNGE is an upscale bar that is typically located within a hotel, restaurant, or airport.
WINE BARS put a new spin on wine tasting. They seek to remove the association of wine with upscale clientèle and overwhelming wine lists and replace it with a more casual and relaxing atmosphere. Many of these bars are furnished with nooks and booths encased in rich colors and plush surroundings in hopes their guests will linger. Wine bars look to embrace the intellectual stimulation linked to wine and offer an alternative to the bar scene. The laid-back environment lends itself to a good socializing setting with a less crowded feel and more intimate appeal.
A CAFÉ is an informal restaurant offering a range of hot meals and made-to-order sandwiches. Depending on the jurisdiction, a café may be licensed to serve alcohol. The term can also refer to bistro or a restaurant facility within a hotel.
A Public House, informally known as a PUB, is a drinking establishment which is part of British, Irish, Australian, and New Zealand culture. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller villages no longer have a local pub. In many places, especially in villages, a pub can be the focal point of the community.
A TAVERN is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging.
A tea house or TEA ROOM is a venue centered on drinking tea. Its function varies widely depending on the culture, and some cultures have a variety of distinct tea-centered houses or parlors that all qualify under the English language term "tea house" or "tea room."
- APRÈS-SKI - Wikipedia.
- Asia’s 50 best bars for 2024 have been announced. A newcomer has earned the top spot - "Bar Leone - an Italian cocktail spot in central Hong Kong - has been crowned the best bar in Asia. It’s an impressive achievement, considering the venue has only been open for about a year."
- BAR - Wikipedia.
- CAFÉ - Wikipedia.
- Difford's Guide - since 1997. "For Discerning Drinkers." Aims to inform and inspire discerning drinkers with engaging and impartial information on cocktails, beers, spirits & liqueurs, as well as the best bars around the world to enjoy them.
- Drinking culture - Wikipedia.
- English coffeehouses in the seventeenth & eighteenth centuries - Wikipedia.
- FIND ALL BARS - "World Bar Guide. Guide to the best bars in the World." Reviews from more than 1400 bars around the world.
- HAPPY HOUR - definition & explanation.
- How to Get & Keep a Bartender’s Attention - The New York Times.
- neknomination - definition & explanation.
- Nineteenth hole - slang term used in golf, generally referring to a pub, bar, or restaurant on or near the golf course, very often the clubhouse itself.
- PUBLIC HOUSE - Wikipedia.
- Raccoons, foxes, meerkats: South Korea clamps down on controversial animal cafes - "In this cafe, in Seoul’s trendy university district Hongdae, there are more than 40 species - including porcupines, snakes, foxes and ferrets - according to a sign on the door advertising it as a unique date spot."
- Skimpy - definition & explanation.
- Social drinking - definition & explanation.
- TAVERN - Wikipedia.
- TEA ROOM - Wikipedia.
- The 50 greatest bars on earth - Sunday Times.
- The Misanthrope Society: A Taipei bar for people who dislike humankind - "Hidden away in a dead-end alley, a skeleton perches on a bar stool with a wine glass and a cigarette. Grinning vacantly, he leans against a wall emblazoned with a quote from Franz Kafka: 'There is an infinite amount of hope in the universe ... but not for us.'"
- THE WORLD'S FINEST CLUBS - since 2003. "Discover the world's best dance clubs, supper clubs, beach clubs and parties. Access The World's Finest Clubs like a VIP with the benefits of our Member Card."
- World’s 44 Best Hotel Bars - "Being named one of Forbes Travel Guide’s Best Hotel Bars wasn’t just a matter of serving top-notch drinks or having a certain atmosphere. The best-of list comes from comprehensive data gathered by the company’s inspectors, who stay at nearly 1,100 hotels anonymously and evaluate them based on up to 900 standards for the guide’s annual Star Ratings, which were unveiled in February."
- world's 50 best bars 2019 - "Discover the 2019 list."
- world's best bar for 2019 revealed - CNN travel.
- WORLD'S BEST BARS - since 2009. "Bars, Cocktail Lounges and Cool Pubs around the World." Reviews of over 2,000 of the world's most prestigious places to drink and be seen in.
China
Beijing
- FACE BAR
 - Glen Bar - "A bar with a history since 2008 and a whiskey collection of close to 200 kinds, mainly single malt whisky from Scotland and a very nice selection of Islay whisky, actually all 8 Islay houses are represented in the bar. Some special representations are also available for special request. Just ask the owner Wilfred Kwok for further services or talk to the amazing bar tender that is probably one of the most skilled and professional bar tender in Beijing. This whisky place is ranked as number 1 in Beijing because of its service, quality, environment, innovative ideas and detailed perfection."
Shanghai
 - BAR ROUGE
- BUDDHA BAR
- CLOUD 9 - "Located on the 87th floor in the apex of the Jin Mao Tower, guests at Cloud 9 Bar enjoy a 360-degree view of Shanghai from one of the highest points in the city. Newsweek has named this "sky lounge" at Grand Hyatt Shanghai one of "The World’s Great Gathering Places"."
- FACE BAR
- M1NT LOUNGE
- THE GLAMOUR BAR
- TOU MING SI KAO
- VELVET LOUNGE
- YONGFOO ÉLITE - members’ bar. Housed in the elegant 1930s villa that used to house the British consulate, YongFoo Elite is one of Shanghai’s most exclusive spots.
Hong Kong (SAR, China)
Central
- Captain's Bar - "Almost as famous as the hotel itself, Captain’s Bar is a city institution." At Mandarin Oriental hotel.
- dragon-i - "Asia's most creative and eclectic vision of lounge, dining and partying for the global glitterati."
- DROP
Japan
Tokyo
- cafe where almost nothing has changed for a century - "Nearly a century old, Cafe Lion, one of Tokyo's last 'masterpiece cafes' discourages socializing and forbids mobile phones. The cafe has more than 10,000 classical music CDs and records."
 - NEW YORK BAR - on the 52nd floor of Park Hyatt Tokyo hotel. "Tokyo’s most spectacular venue for live music, features jazz by top international artists nightly. New York Bar offers classic and original cocktails, premium cognac and brandies, and the largest selection of American wines in Japan, in addition to a casual dining menu."
 - WOMB LOUNGE
Singapore
Singapore City
 - Atlas Bar - 600 North Bridge Road, Parkview Square, Singapore 188778. "ATLAS is a celebration of the 1920’s rich culinary and beverage traditions. The result is something unique in Asia, a truly grand backdrop that harks to a time when - while their American contemporaries were surreptitiously tippling in underground speakeasies - Europeans were revelling in Deco glamour and unabashed Jazz Age elegance, sampling the finest libations in suitably beautiful surrounds. Beverage highlights include elegant European cocktails and one of Asia’s finest collections of gin (1,000+ varieties, some dating back to 1910!), spirits and champagnes sourced from around the world."
 - Long bar - at Raffles Hotel.
- NEW ASIA BAR F. Located on Level 71 of the Swissôtel | The Stamford hotel.
- Una - at One Rochester.
Thailand
Bangkok
 - Above Eleven - rooftop bar & restaurant on the 33rd floor of the Fraser Suites Sukhumvit.
- BED SUPPERCLUB - best described as an upscale restaurant, stage, gallery and club merged into one, where every night is different.
 - Cloud 47 - "CLOUD 47 is the Fine dining restaurant, Beer Garden and Wine bar." The largest rooftop bar in Bangkok.
- FACE BAR
 - Hi So - on the 63rd floor of the Hotel Sofitel So Bangkok.
- LONG TABLE - "Chill out on our sprawling terrace to enjoy our popular bar's selection of cocktails after work or dinner. Enjoy melodic music from international DJ's while dining, as the evening progresses enjoy your stay as the party gets in fill swing."
 - Octave Rooftop Lounge & Bar - located on the 47th floor of Bangkok Marriott Hotel Sukhumvit. "Octave, the hotel’s signature rooftop bar. With stunning 360° views over Bangkok, the contemporary design is inspired by a New York apartment terrace. Showcasing new-age fusion cuisine like Asian-style tapas platters and a seafood bar along with the finest in wines and beverages, Octave is effortlessly the hippest destination in town!"
- Q BAR F
- RED SKY - located on the 55th floor of Centara Grand hotel.
- SKY BAR - on the 63rd floor of The Dome at State Tower, the Skybar is one of the world's highest open air bars, overlooking a panoramic view of Bangkok and the Chao Phraya River.
- Smalls F
- THE RIVER BAR - at The Peninsula hotel.
 - Three Sixty Lounge - "Take the lift to Three Sixty on the 32nd floor of the Millennium Hilton Bangkok hotel and watch in awe as the world goes by."
 - VERTIGO & MOON BAR - located on the 61st floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel.
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