Three Indian Bars Have Made It To Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026 List

Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026 was unveiled at Wynn Palace in Macau, the venue that has hosted the last three editions of the awards, including the World's 50 Best Bars. Hope & Sesame, from Guangzhou, took the No. 1 spot this year. Seoul's Zest held on to No. 2 for a second consecutive year, while last year's winner, Hong Kong's Bar Leone, moved to No. 3.

India placed three bars on the main list. Boilermaker in Goa won Best Bar in India 2026, sponsored by Rémy Martin, and climbed to No. 8, up from its 2025 debut at No. 30. Soka in Bengaluru moved to No. 18, up from No. 28 last year. Bar Spirit Forward, also in Bengaluru, placed at No. 30, up from No. 37. Two further Indian bars featured on the extended 51-100 longlist: Bar Outrigger in Goa at No. 51 and AABBCC in New Delhi at No. 85.

Boilermaker, Goa

Boilermaker is built on Goa's old-school bar culture and the idea that a great drink doesn't need much ceremony. Co-owner Pankaj Balachandran, one of the country's most prolific bar consultants, opened the space in 2024. The cocktail menu is divided into The Smashables, easy, fast drinks built for repeat orders, and The Sessionables, more layered pours meant to be taken slowly. The bar also serves an elevated version of its namesake drink, a shot of whisky chased by a pint of beer, accompanied by the staff singing the Boilermaker song for anyone who orders it. Great State Brewing beer is on tap, and the menu's standout, That Watermelon Drink, pairs watermelon with clarified peanut butter.

Soka, Bengaluru

Soka opened in Domlur in 2023 in a 531 square foot space and debuted on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 at No. 28. The cocktail menu draws on Indian ingredients and regional flavours, reworked into contemporary formats rather than straightforward nostalgia. Its signature MOFO Don uses purple cabbage, while the Mysore High pairs Yelakki banana with rum and coffee liqueur. Co-founder Avinash Kapoli has said the bar's focus is giving familiar ingredients new context without stripping them of their identity. Soka runs regular concept nights, including a Not a Bar Takeover series with visiting bars, and Sunday programming built around food and industry gatherings.

Bar Spirit Forward, Bengaluru

Bar Spirit Forward opened on Lavelle Road in late 2023, helmed by Arijit Bose, who also runs Bar Outrigger and Wineyard in Goa, and Una Hacienda, Middle Room, and Wine In Progress in Bengaluru. The bar placed at No. 37 on Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 and was named India's Best Bar at the 30 Best Bars India awards in January 2026 before this year's climb to No. 30. Bose has described the bar's approach as casual luxury, cocktails built around a strong base spirit, deliberate measures, and restraint. Its 3-Gin Martini is widely cited as one of the best in the country, and its tequila-based Southern Star pairs plum, guava, and jalapeño.