Vlad Bunoan

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Macau

ABS-CBN Lifestyle

<p>MACAU — The bar industry once again gathered for the annual Asia’s 50 Best Bars, which was held for the first time in Macau. For its 10th edition held on July 15, a prestigious ceremony brought together the most respected names in the industry, along with drinks connoisseurs, media, VIPs, and sponsors.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752656329618No. 1 in Asia - Bar Leone from Hong Kong.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Bar Leone from Hong Kong is No. 1 in Asia.<em> JC Cailles Lo</em></span></span></span>Bar Leone from Hong Kong was declared the winner for the second consecutive year, and our very own The Curator was part of the extended list, ranking No. 73.</div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/2025/7/15/hk-s-bar-leone-tops-asia-s-50-best-bars-list-for-2nd-consecutive-year-2246">HK’s Bar Leone tops Asia&#x27;s 50 Best Bars list for 2nd consecutive year<br/></a></div><p>Bar enthusiasts around the world tuned in with anticipation, following every update on social media and watching the action unfold across various online platforms. It was a truly high-profile and ultra-exclusive gathering, often likened to the Oscars of the bar world. That said, the awards ceremony remained strictly by invitation as it has always been in the previous years.</p><p>Though the main event may be limited to a select few, the spirit of the celebration is open and welcoming. Because if there&#x27;s one truth about bar culture, it’s that great drinks are meant to be shared with fantastic company, and it’s about feeding off each other’s energy. Without a doubt, the best bar experiences are never confined to the red carpet.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752657514781A sample of the cocktails served during the festivities .jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A sample of the cocktails served during the festivities. <em>JC Cailles Lo</em></span></span></span>Emma Sleight, Head of Content for 50 Best Bars, shared, “We are looking at ways of bringing more of the bar culture outwards as well because ultimately, it’s the consumers that we want to encourage to these places. Our mission is to increase how we can talk about bars and celebrate talent. We do that by increasing our editorial output in our newsletters and the introduction of events such as the Signature Sessions.”</div><div><strong>Wynn Palace and Wynn Macau as official host venue</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752656560977Stunning Wynn Palace - the host venue for the Awards Ceremony.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Stunning Wynn Palace, host venue for the Awards Ceremony. <em>JC Cailles Lo</em></span></span></span></strong></div><p>It was a momentous event for the two Wynn luxury properties in Macau to host the grand festivities for this year’s edition. Wynn Palace and Wynn Macau joined forces, despite the 9-kilometer distance between them, to curate first-of-its-kind experiences leading up to the awards night that the general public can enjoy.</p><p>Wynn Macau, which opened in 2006, holds an extraordinary distinction as the only resort in the world to have received six Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star Awards. Its two acclaimed restaurants, Wing Lei and Golden Flower, as well as the two spas and the two hotel towers, were individually awarded the prestigious five-star distinction.</p><p>Wynn Palace, on the other hand, is home to the highly acclaimed Chef Tam’s Seasons restaurant, which recently received the Highest Climber Award at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, ranking at number nine. It also earned two Michelin stars in just two years of operation. </p><p>Guests will also find the flagship Wing Lei Bar, which had a grand and much-talked-about relaunch a few months ago. The bar champions a philosophy of limitless cocktails, sustainability, and personalized service.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752656753761Mark Lloyd of Wing Lei Bar with his signature drinks.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Mark Lloyd of Wing Lei Bar with his signature drinks. <em>JC Cailles Lo</em></span></span></span></div><p>At first glance, it’s hard to imagine how two upscale hotels could recreate the lively, bar-hopping atmosphere typically reserved for outdoor street-style celebrations. However, they had an ingenious plan to transform their signature drinking and dining concepts into pop-up venues and invite international talents to join them. </p><p>The result was a packed lineup of guest shifts, bar takeovers, and cross-collaborations in every form imaginable. As the saying goes, if you can’t make it to the bars, we will bring the bars to you!</p><div><strong>Gastronomy meets mixology</strong></div><p>In a historic first, the headline pre-awarding event of Asia’s 50 Best Bars, called 50 Best Signature Sessions, was not a collaboration between renowned bartenders for exclusive shifts, but a dining and drinks experience. For fine dining restaurants, it’s quite common to have wine and cocktail pairing options curated by the in-house sommelier and head mixologist. But inviting some of the world’s leading bars for one-night-only dining events with cocktail pairing is unparalleled.</p><p>On July 12, Sydney’s hotel-bar concept Maybe Sammy (No. 26 in the world) brought its signature cocktails alongside an Asian seafood-centric dinner tasting menu from Wynn Macau’s popular restaurant Drunken Fish. The following day, late-night snacks from the same restaurant were paired with Cantonese-inspired drinks from Hong Kong’s Kinsman bar. </p><p>Meanwhile, Wynn Palace’s premier Japanese restaurant Mizumi partnered with New York’s renowned Martiny’s Bar (No. 24 in the World), notably led by a Japanese mixologist. The result was an opulent Japanese tasting menu paired with cocktails rooted in traditional Japanese techniques.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><br/><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752656945077Chef Tam&#x27;s Seasons collaboration events.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Chef Tam&#x27;s Seasons collaboration events. <em>JC Cailles Lo</em></span></span></span></div><p>Wynn Palace’s most decorated restaurant, Chef Tam’s Seasons (No. 9 in Asia), staged two impressive events. One was dinner with Bar Mood from Taipei (No. 72 in Asia), where they expertly paired special off-menu dishes with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, including tea-infused drinks. </p><p>Another highlight was a jaw-dropping six-hands lunch, a collaboration among two restaurants and a bar. Mumbai’s Masque restaurant (No. 18 in Asia) was invited to cook, and New Delhi’s Sidecar bar (No. 62 in Asia) crafted the drinks. Together, they delivered an extraordinary meal that fused Chinese and Indian flavors in unexpected ways.</p><div><strong>World’s best bars In one destination</strong></div><p>Bar-hopping from Hong Kong to London to San Francisco in a single night to sip the world’s best cocktails is outright impossible. But with no passport needed and just a few steps away from each other, Wynn made all these a reality. </p><p>The signature bar Wing Lei hosted an almost non-stop lineup of guest bartenders throughout the event. Designed for elites and tastemakers, the Palace Reserve Club also became a venue for bar takeovers. </p><p>Just a few meters away, the bar area of the fine dining restaurant SW Steakhouse came alive and was bursting with energy. Lastly, the intimate sushi counter of the newly awarded one-Michelin-Star Japanese restaurant Mizumi was transformed into a spacious bar counter offering guests a front-row seat to witness world-class bartenders in action.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752657208417Mizumi&#x27;s sushi counter turned into bar counter.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Mizumi&#x27;s sushi counter turned into bar counter. <em>JC Cailles Lo</em></span></span></span></div><p>Here were the highlights from the bar shifts that took place for almost a week.</p><div><em>The Bar Icons Take Over</em></div><p>The event was aptly named Inventors’ Laboratory, as two bar icons, Julio Bermejo of Tommy and Sam Ross of Attaboy (No. 66 in North America), were invited to serve the very cocktails they created, now considered modern classics. </p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17526572765791752657275372.jpeg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Industry icons with their famous drinks: Tommy&#x27;s Margarita, Paper Plane, Penicillin. <em>JC Cailles Lo</em></span></span></span></div><div><em>A Toast To Asia</em></div><p>Hong Kong’s brightest bars took off with an exhilarating lineup. Famous bartenders from Mostly Harmless (No. 88 in Asia) teamed up with another HK bar, Artifact, to showcase funky cocktails, then with Tokyo Confidential from Japan (No. 70 in Asia) to showcase shochu-focused cocktails from the Iichiko brand. The Nashville-inspired Honky Tonks Tavern took over with Bali’s Potato Head and served cocktails as if one were in a beach club. </p><p>Singapore’s music-centric bar Offtrack (No. 23 in Asia) served its signature cocktails, then Sago House (No. 56 in Asia) came together with Jing Bar from Chengdu, China. Also present was 28 Hong Kong Street joined by Tokyo’s Bar Trench (No. 43 in Asia for 2021) for another round of shochu-based drinks. </p><p>Bengaluru India’s ZLB23 bar (No. 31 in Asia) took over the bar for a nightcap together with New Zealand’s Teresa.</p><p>Campari sponsored a star-studded lineup for Aperitivo, complete with a DJ set top-billed by Bangkok’s Opium (No. 43 in Asia) and Bar Sathorn (No. 48 in Asia), plus Hong Kong’s Bar Leone (No. 1 in Asia), along with Shanghai’s Bar S-Otto, Singapore’s Idle Hands, and Milan’s Moebius (No. 38 in the world).</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752657408898Top Bartners visited Macau for guest shifts.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Top bartenders visited Macau for guest shifts. <em>JC Cailles Lo</em></span></span></span></div><div><em>Britain’s Finest Pours</em></div><p>Five of United Kingdom’s luminaries unite in one massive bar shift namely Mark Lloyd of Wing Lei Bar Macao, Joe and Daniel Schofield of Schofield’s Bar Manchester (No. 59 in the world for 2022), Alex Palumbo of Hey Palu in Edinburgh, and Erik Lorincz of Kwãnt Mayfair in London (No. 52 in the world ), complete with a Britpop DJ set.</p><div><em>North America Shakes Things Up</em></div><p>From Canada to the USA, the West Coast visited Macau to showcase its best. Present was Vancouver’s 1920’s Shanghai-inspired speakeasy Laowai (No. 67 in North America), Los Angeles’ Thunderbolt (No. 24 in North America), and San Francisco’s Pacific Cocktail Haven (No. 16 in North America).</p><div><em>Back To The Well</em></div><p>Wynn Palace’s very own Wing Lei bar, helmed by head of mixology and bar operations Mark Lloyd, had two separate days featuring its most memorable signature cocktails. The crowd favorites, Pandantini, Cola Cube, and Sidecar, were all served that night.</p><div><br/></div><p>What a week it was for the bar industry! This year’s edition truly redefined what bar celebrations should be like. It is accessible, inclusive, immersive, and ground-breaking.</p>

<p>From cocktail legends to boundary-pushing newcomers, the world’s best bars descended on Macau for a weeklong celebration of creativity, collaboration, and unforgettable drinks, proving that the party doesn’t end at the awards.</p>

From cocktail legends to boundary-pushing newcomers, the world’s best bars descended on Macau for a weeklong celebration of creativity, collaboration, and unforgettable drinks, proving that the party doesn’t end at the awards.

For one epic week, Macau became the center of the bar world

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For one epic week, Macau became the center of the bar world

ABS-CBN Lifestyle,

JC Cailles Lo

Published Jul 16, 2025 05:25 PM PHT

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Asia's 50 Best Bars

Macau

Wynn Palace

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