The latest edition of the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list is out, and there is a new ‘Best Bar In Malaysia”.
Three X Co claims the title after ranking No.32 on the list, which was announced last night (July 28) at the live awards ceremony at Wynn Palace, Macau.
The Bangsar cocktail bar was the highest ranked Malaysian bar on this year’s list, with Bar Trigona also ranking in the Top 50 at No.38
Located in Bangsar Shopping Centre, Three X Co has been one of mainstays in the KL bar scene since it was founded in 2017.
It made its debut at No. 47 on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list in 2021, and last year, it stormed back into the Top 50 at No.15, on the back of a strong cocktail programme, and a reputation of being one of the most hospitable bars in town.
Located at the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Bar Trigona was the first Malaysian bar to make it on the World’s 50 Best Bars list back in 2020, and continues its presence on the list for the seventh year running.
Five other Malaysian bars were listed in the extended 51-100 list which was announced on July 14, ahead of the main awards ceremony – Kuala Lumpur outlets Reka:Bar (No.63), Penrose (No.64), Cabinet 8 KL (No.65), and Coley (No.82), as well as Penang’s Backdoor Bodega (No. 66) are on the extended list, which was announced ahead of the main awards ceremony in Macau on July 28.
Hope & Sesame in Guangzhou, China was crowned The Best Bar in Asia, with Seoul’s Zest at No.2 and Bangkok’s Dry Wave Cocktail Studio rounding out the Top 3.
Founded in 2016, Hope & Sesame was the first speakeasy in southern China. Its menu leans into far-reaching techniques (centrifugal clarification, sous vide infusions, slow cooking and rotary distillation), bringing them to a bar scene that was previously stuck in the traditional.
The Top 50 list featured bars from 22 cities, including 14 new entries and two re-entries.
A number of special awards were also given out last night. Shelley Tai of Hong Kong’s MIUS won the Bartenders’ Bartender Award 2026, while Jakarta’s Hats Bar won the One To Watch Award.
Hong Kong’s Kinsman won the Best Cocktail Menu Award in Asia, for its inventive drinks programme that pays tribute to Hong Kong’s Cantonese heritage through a contemporary cocktail lens.
The Asia’s 50 Best Bars list is voted upon by a region-wide Academy comprising a gender-balanced group of bartenders, bar owners, drinks writers and cocktail aficionados, all of whom place independent and anonymous votes for what they believe constitutes a “best bar experience”.
