---
title: The Best Bar in Asia Is Now in Guangzhou, and Six More Chinese Bars Made the Top 50
description: Hope & Sesame climbed from seventh to first at Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026, and mainland China now holds seven of the top 50 places, level with Hong Kong.
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
updated: 2026-07-28T19:21:59.841Z
canonical: https://richtravelmagazine.com/article/best-bar-in-asia-2026-guangzhou
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/hope-sesame-asias-best-bar-60543.webp
categories: Food & Culture
content_type: News
region: Asia Pacific
publication: Rich Travel Magazine
access: members
schema_type: Article
---

For most of the time anyone has been ranking bars in Asia, the answer to where you go for a serious drink has been Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong or Bangkok. The 2026 edition of Asia's 50 Best Bars, announced at Wynn Palace in Macau on 28 July, puts the top spot in Guangzhou.

Hope & Sesame took it, a year after finishing seventh. The bar sits behind a working Cantonese store on MiaoQian Xijie in the Dongshankou district, trades under the Chinese name 庙前冰室, and has been on the list for seven consecutive years. It was also named the best bar in mainland China, and was ranked 29th on The World's 50 Best Bars in 2025.

## Seven Mainland Bars, Spread Across Six Cities

---

*This article is only available to registered readers. Visit the article URL to read the full piece.*