What’s Bar Leone’s secret? The Hong Kong establishment was named best bar in Asia and second best in the world – but it’s not all about the cocktails, says owner Lorenzo Antinori

“It’s not about the drinks,” declares Lorenzo Antinori, making the most counter-intuitive statement uttered in local F&B this year.

Those are stunning words coming from the man behind Bar Leone, the Bridges Street concept that has, in the last six months, been named Asia’s best bar and the second-best bar anywhere on the planet. Imagine Allan Zeman claiming the popularity of his venues has nothing to do with their location in Lan Kwai Fong.

Yet Antinori is completely earnest. Noticing our raised eyebrows and cynical “sure, buddy” smirk, he repeats himself. “No, really. At the end of the day, it’s not about the drinks. And it’s not about the food. It’s about the vibe.”

“Vibes” is an awfully woolly recipe for success but Antinori, like those who worry about the influence of Mercury retrograde, appears to be a firm believer in unseen powers. “Look at Shady Acres”, he says, referencing the venue on Peel Street that was once so popular it suffered round-the-clock police supervision during the pandemic. “Of course there was good food … wine … but it was the vibe.”

Except, Shady Acres, for all its merits, never entered the Asia’s 50 Best Bars list, let alone topped it.

Perhaps that’s because Shady Acres didn’t have Antinori at the helm. There was plenty of talent at Shady Acres – most notably co-founder Ryan Nightingale, whose cocktail menus at the much-missed Back Bar and Aberdeen Street Social were among the best in town at the time – but Antinori’s presence has definitely gifted Bar Leone a certain cache.

Born in Trastevere, Rome, a stone’s throw from Vatican City, Antinori never dreamed of becoming a bartender. He spent three years pursuing a law degree, “for the money”, before dropping out and backpacking and doing “two years of nothing”.