How Hope & Sesame is leading mainland China’s rise on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list
Hope & Sesame in Guangzhou has become the first mainland Chinese bar to top the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list. This achievement highlights a significant shift in the regional mixology scene, with mainland China's representation on the list increasing substantially.
Why it matters
It signals the maturation of China's hospitality industry and its growing influence on global luxury and lifestyle trends.
As Asia’s 50 Best Bars counted down the rankings at Wynn Palace in Macau on Tuesday, Hope & Sesame took home top honours, marking the first time a bar from mainland China topped the list, and ending a five-year stretch where just Hong Kong’s Coa or Bar Leone claimed the crown.
The Guangzhou bar (which also has a location in Shenzhen) leads something of a changing of the guard. Mainland Chinese representation has ballooned from three bars last year – Hope & Sesame, MO Bar Shenzhen and CMYK in Changsha – to seven among Asia’s 50 Best Bars this year, plus three more on Asia’s 51-100 extended list. Hong Kong is still one of the most represented territories – but only just, with eight venues on Asia’s 50 Best Bars and three on the extended list.
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