India’s best bar for 2024 is in Bengaluru, ranked 40th in Asia’s top 50 bars: Report

ZLB23, a “secret” bar known for its Prohibition-era charm in Bengaluru, has been named the best bar in India and ranked 40th in Asia’s 50 Best Bars for 2024.

Published on: Jul 17, 2024, 16:56:56 IST

By Yamini C S

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The Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024 list was revealed during a live awards event held in Hong Kong. Leading the rankings this year are Bar Leone from Hong Kong, Zest from Seoul, and Jigger & Pony from Singapore, taking the top three spots. Among the 50 best bars, only one bar from India made the list: ZLB23 at The Leela Palace in Bengaluru, which claimed the 40th position and earned the title of Best Bar in India for 2024, the NDTV reported.

The ZLB23 in Bengaluru's Leela Palace is designed and located in a Kyoto speakeasy fashion, which denotes a secret bar that operated illegally during the Prohibition era. (The Leela Palace)

To discover ZLB23, patrons must traverse a serene garden, navigate through the bustling hotel kitchen, and ascend via a service lift to reach this concealed bar. Styled after a Kyoto speakeasy from the Prohibition era, the bar features opulent velvet drapes, sparkling crystal chandeliers, and an energetic jazz ambiance. Priyanka Mondal, the bar’s supervisor, is praised for her innovative cocktails, including the Japanese Old Fashioned and the Shiso Negroni.

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In addition to this honor, Yangdup Lama was awarded the Roku Industry Icon Award 2024. Lama, the visionary behind the celebrated New Delhi bar Sidecar, was recognized for his exceptional cocktail-making skills and his significant contributions to elevating India’s bar scene, the report stated.

Furthermore, last week’s extended list of Asia’s best bars ranked from 51 to 100 highlighted four Indian establishments: The Bombay Canteen in Mumbai at 59th, Lair in New Delhi at 68th, Sidecar in New Delhi at 84th, and Home in New Delhi at 96th.

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For reference, Sidecar was honoured as the best bar in India last year, with other Indian bars on the 2023 list including The Bombay Canteen (Mumbai), The Living Room by Masque (Mumbai), and Copitas (Bengaluru).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More