How Bar Leone, Asia’s Best Bar, Signaled a Return to Simplicity

Lorenzo Antinori is returning cocktails to the people through his Hong Kong aperitivo bar Bar Leone. There’s no high-level mixology or 10-ingredient cocktails. Nor is there bespoke glassware, bar rules, or dress codes. And the world has taken notice. At this year’s Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, the 1-year-old Roman-inspired bar snagged the Best New International Cocktail Bar award. Just prior to that, to Antinori’s surprise and delight, Bar Leone also made Asia’s 50 Best Bars history by collecting a trifecta of top honors: Best Bar in Asia, Best Bar in Hong Kong, and Highest New Entry. “I would have never imagined to get the top spot. Not even in my wildest dreams,” Antinori says. “I knew people and industry peers liked the bar and understood what we tried to do, but still it was a huge surprise.”

Located in Hong Kong’s bustling Central district, the caffè-style space offers bar-goers a respite where they can relax with well-made cocktails and experience consummate hospitality. “We try as much as possible to remember names, faces, and preferences of our guests,” says Antinori. “We hope people come back for that rather than just for a drink.”

Cocktails for the People

Antinori spent much of his career working at high-end cocktail bars. He bar-backed at The American Bar in the Savoy Hotel in London and went on to run the bar programs at the world’s best bars in Seoul, South Korea, (Charles H) and Hong Kong (Argo). But when looking to launch his first solo project, instead of leaning into his luxe experience, he built a neighborhood bar with the motto cocktail popolari (“cocktail for the people”). “I wanted to create a space where people would feel comfortable, welcomed, and where the focus is really on the experience rather than a concept,” he says.

Rather than serving complex cocktails with elaborate presentations and specialized ingredients, the bar program is described as “craft casual,” meaning curated but approachable. The simple but intriguing twists on classics include an olive oil whiskey sour and a mezcal margarita with smoked corn and sloe gin. They don’t make their own ingredients but do use quality spirits and ice, as well as chilled glassware. “We have a ‘low intervention’ approach to cocktails, to shift away from the current trends, where every ingredient needs to have a ‘story behind’ or has to be manipulated somehow,” Antinori explains.

Beautifully Curated Chaos

Bar Leone is Antinori’s ode to the watering holes he grew up around in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood. He even put a mortadella sandwich on the menu, which quickly became a bestseller. With nostalgic decor and a casual, jovial atmosphere, one could easily pass the hours, hanging out with friends and making new ones. With the bar’s popularity supercharged by its awards, bar seats are at a premium, tempting one to linger indefinitely. 

Framed photographs of celebrities adorn the walls. Their placement gives a sense of homeyness versus the planned precision of a designer. Antinori describes it as “a beautiful, curated chaos.” He wanted to re-create the nostalgic atmosphere of Roman caffès and bars. “I always remember as a kid, entering my neighborhood caffè with my dad and seeing on the walls all those photos of ‘people,’” he says. “They might have been football stars, actors, or simply family members, and I found it very fascinating. It felt like entering someone’s home. That’s exactly what I wanted to re-create in Bar Leone.”

Connection Through Simplicity

Before Bar Leone, Hong Kong agave bar Coa dominated Asia’s 50 Best Bars, landing in the No. 1 spot for three years in a row. Inspired by the bars in Mexico that owner Jay Khan loved, it, too, is an unassuming bar with an approachable craft cocktail program. Followed by Bar Leone’s recent accolades, does this signal a move away from complex cocktail recipes and elevated bar experiences? “There will always be space for high concept–driven venues,” says Antinori. “And the beauty of our industry is also bartenders exploring and pushing creativity.” However, he adds that he does sense a return to simpler venues that place equal importance on everything from cocktails to vibes to food. “Sometimes while trying to push the boundaries of creativity, we forget how beautiful simplicity could be,” he says, “and how much easier it could be to connect with our guests.”