A bar from the Philippines has climbed to lofty heights, making it to this year’s Asia’s Best 50 Bars and reaching new grounds for Filipino pride.
The Curator, nestled in Legaspi Village, Makati since 2016, secured 34th place in the prestigious roster, a remarkable comeback since missing the honorees’ list in 2022.
The list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2023, sponsored by Perrier, was announced at a live awards ceremony last July 18 in Hong Kong.
The Curator specializes in its coffee and cocktail beverages, serving the former in the morning and the latter in the evening
“This excellent hostelry, once known as The Curator Coffee and Cocktails and now, simply, The Curator, is dedicated to two of the very finest things in life: caffeinated beverages and mixed drinks,” the description on World’s 50 Best Bar website read.
“The suitably impressive cocktails are served in an intimate back room. The understated bar plays host to a regular schedule of global bartender takeovers and majors in Filipino spirits. A beautifully designed cocktail menu is filled with fun descriptions, a flavour map and, crucially, a credit for the bartender who invented them,” it added.
In 2019 and 2021, it also landed on the list, finishing at 37th and 38th, respectively.
‘We can’t wait to host you’
David Ong, one of The Curator’s founders took to Instagram to express his appreciation to the bar’s supporters.
View this post on Instagram
“We would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to @50bestbars as well as our peers, colleagues, and regulars turned family for this wonderful achievement! We would not be here if it were not for you all – you guys are amazing,” Ong said.
“The last few years have been tough for the Food & Beverage Industry in the Philippines, and so this really means a lot to us!” he added.
“’Kumain ka na ba? Tagay hanggang mamatay’
(Have you eaten? Cheers until death.) PLEASE COME TO THE PHILIPPINES, we cannot wait to host You,” Ong Concluded.
The Curator is the only bar in the Philippines that made it to the top 50 best bars in Asia this year.
Taguig City’s The Back Room also landed on the 75th spot.
The Asia’s Best 50 Bars list was topped by Hong Kong’s Mexican-inspired cocktail bar Coa, the only bar to have landed the no. 1 spot in three consecutive years.
This year, the bars featured were from 17 cities across Asia.
The annual list of Asia’s 50 Best Bars is created from the votes of Asia’s 50 Best Bars Academy — an influential and anonymous group of 260 industry leaders that include bartenders, bar owners, drinks writers and cocktail aficionados.
The voting pattern is based on the same model as the World’s 50 Best Bars but the voting members are strictly based in Asia.