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Cathay Members’ Choice Awards 2025: Asia’s best bar
Welcome to the Cathay Members’ Choice Awards. Our annual awards celebrate the very best in travel, dining and lifestyle – as voted for by you, our global community of members.
After receiving tens of thousands of votes, we’re thrilled to share which watering hole you voted to be Asia’s best bar, as well as the four nominees that made it to the shortlist.
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Winner: COA, Hong Kong, China
At this Hong Kong hideaway, which narrowly edged out Bar BenFiddich, Jay Khan and company serve nuanced cocktails that highlight all things agave. From earthy and smoky to smooth and tropical, at COA there are dozens of different mezcals and tequilas to try. New drinkers will appreciate the team’s relaxed approach to bringing complex flavours down to earth, too.
“COA is Hong Kong’s agave-soaked temple of cool, where every cocktail is a masterstroke and every sip tells a story.” - Raul Manzano
Shortlisted nominees
Atlas, Singapore
It’s all about gin at this grand Art Deco bar. Atlas stuns with soaring interiors and an unrivaled spirits collection – including more than 900 kinds of gin stacked upon a 15-metre-tall tower. The cocktails are equally opulent, ranging from the classics to in-house innovations, making this Singapore icon a must-visit.
Bar BenFiddich, Tokyo, Japan
Every sip is a surprise at Tokyo’s most exciting bar. Hidden away in Shinjuku, Bar BenFiddich is where bartender-owner Hiroyasu Kayama crafts custom cocktails with rare spirits, including his own absinthe, plus herbs from his farm. There’s no menu – just delicious, inventive drinks inspired by Japan’s landscapes and guided by Kayama’s singular vision.
BKK Social Club, Bangkok, Thailand
An award-winning bar at the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok at Chao Phraya River, BKK Social Club exudes Latin American energy and Belle Époque glamour. With lush living walls and gilded mirrors as a backdrop, its vibrant cocktails draw inspiration from Mexican landmarks and personalities, using regional ingredients like mezcal, guava, cacao and rum with finesse.
Hope & Sesame, Guangzhou, China
Hidden within a cha chaan teng, Hope & Sesame was once one of Guangzhou’s best-kept secrets. But the word’s out: today, this pioneering speakeasy pours inventive drinks with Chinese ingredients for legions of eager patrons. With its intimate setting and unrelenting creativity, it’s become a standout in China’s bar scene.
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