Asia’s Best 50 Bars Does Beijing Dirty, Fails to Mention a Single Bar in the Capital

What is it with this Asia’s Best List people? Their recently-released list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars somehow ended up with not a single Beijing watering hole on their list.

Oh, I know, you’re going to say that Beijing has a long way to go before it can be considered world-class. But are you really going to tell me that Singapore has 11 of Asia’s best – and Hong Kong, eight – and yet not a single bar in Beijing is worth a mention?

We’d like to think the voters in this Singapore-based poll just don’t travel north that often (38 percent of their list are bars in Singapore and Hong Kong), but that doesn’t explain how Tokyo (six bars) and Taipei (three) landed in the top 50.

Four bars on the mainland made the list – Shanghai’s Speak Low, Sober Company, and Union Trading Company, and Guangzhou’s Hope & Sesame.

Here’s the breakdown of cities with bars on the list, in order of number of appearances:

• Singapore (11)
• Hong Kong (8)
• Bangkok (7)
• Tokyo (6)
• Taipei (4)
• Kuala Lumpur (3)
• Manila (3)
• Seoul (3)
• Shanghai (3)
• Guangzhou (1)
• Jakarta (1)

The annual poll, now in its fourth year, is compiled by 200 voters across the region. According to the website:

“The Asia’s 50 Best Bars list is compiled from the votes of the Asia’s 50 Best Bars Academy, comprised of more than 200 drinks experts, including renowned bartenders and consultants, drinks writers and cocktail specialists from across Asia.

Each of the voters is asked to rank the seven best bars in Asia in their considered opinion. They must vote for bars they have visited in the previous 18 months, which are still open, and bars in which they have no financial interest.”

Only one Beijing establishment has ever graced their list in its four years of existence – Janes and Hooch, which made the lists last year, 2017, and 2016, but fell off the list this year.

Perhaps not coincidentally, nine sponsors were listed as supporters of “individual country awards” (China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, The Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand... and yeah, we know Taiwan is not considered a country around these parts) – which may indicate why the list has the particular geographic spread it has. Otherwise we’d imagine an even higher percentage of awards would go to Singapore alone.

The list is obviously not a local award (for anyone but the Singaporeans)... so what’s a traveler to Beijing to do if they’d like a drink?

Our staff of drinkers suggest checking out some of the city’s pride and joy, such as Black Moth, Finders Keepers, Herbal, Atmosphere, Centro, Scandal, D Lounge, Ala House, or Maltail.

Image: Asia's 50 Best Bars