Tokyo's Punch Room leads Japan's three placings on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026, but none crack the top ten

Punch Room Tokyo, Virtù and Bar Libre all placed on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026, the annual ranking run by William Reed — the group behind The World's 50 Best Restaurants, Hotels and Vineyards — but none of Japan's three entries reached the top ten, according to the organisation's announcement at a ceremony in Macau on 28 July.

Hope & Sesame in Guangzhou took the No.1 spot, a mainstay of the list for seven years and also ranked No.29 on The World's 50 Best Bars 2025, the announcement said. Zest in Seoul placed second, and last year's No.1, Hong Kong's Bar Leone, fell to third. Bangkok's Dry Wave Cocktail Studio, Bar Us and Lennon's, Shenzhen's MO Bar and Obsidian Bar, Goa's Boilermaker and Singapore's Jigger & Pony rounded out the top ten.

Punch Room Tokyo, styled after 19th-century London private clubs, was Japan's highest finisher at No.23 and was named the Best Bar in Japan, sponsored by Mancino Vermouth, the organisers said. Virtù, a cocktail bar and cognac lounge on the 39th floor of a Four Seasons hotel, placed No.26, and Bar Libre — described in the announcement as a longstanding speakeasy on Tokyo's cocktail scene — rose to No.39.

The three Japan placings sit well behind the regional leaders. Bangkok took eight spots, its most of any city on the list, mainland China's seven placings were its highest tally yet, and Hong Kong also placed seven bars, William Reed said. The rankings are decided by a voting academy of more than 300 regional drinks-industry figures, with Deloitte engaged as independent adjudication partner.

"This year's ranking showcases the remarkable depth and diversity of Asia's bar scene — from Hope & Sesame's well-earned ascent to No.1, to 14 new entries spanning emerging cities," said Faye Huggett, William Reed's director of community.

That leaves Tokyo's strongest showing, Punch Room at No.23, well outside a top ten split this year between mainland China, Seoul and Hong Kong. The ranking is an industry-voted popularity read rather than a sales figure, but the winning bars trade on it for a year in reservations, press coverage and tourist footfall — so a mid-table finish for Tokyo's best-known rooms is a competitive signal worth watching as Bangkok, Hong Kong and mainland China keep adding volume near the top of the list.