Bar Leone to open Shanghai site
Hong Kong-based Bar Leone will open its second venue this autumn, in Shanghai, China.
The venue recently retained its title of Best Bar on the continent at Asia’s 50 Best Bars awards and will be bringing its concept of ‘cocktail popolari’, or cocktails for the people, to Shanghai.
Guests at the new site can expect the same form of Roman hospitality, signature cocktails, snacks and aperitivo-style service, set across two floors in the city’s Huangpu neighbourhood.
Bar Leone’s drinks programme focuses on reviving classic cocktails with an emphasis on ingredients, producers and seasonality.
The bar took to Instagram to announce the opening: “Ciao ragazzi! We are extremely excited and humbled to announce that will be opening this fall in the beautiful city of Shanghai.
“Bar Leone was always meant to be a neighbourhood bar, celebrating conviviality and community. We can’t wait to join the thriving Shanghai bar scene, meet old friends and make new ones along the way.
“Finally, we wanted to sincerely thank all those who have supported us on this journey since the very beginning. We would be nothing with you.”
The Shanghai venue is slated to open late autumn, with no confirmed date yet.
Bar Leone Hong Kong was launched in 2023 in central Soho by Lorenzo Antinori.
Hailing from Rome, Antinori has previously led bars as head bartender at Charles H in Seoul, Dandelyan (now known as Lyaness) in London, and as beverage manager at Argo at Four Seasons Hotel Kong.
In its two-year life, Bar Leone has already scooped a number of industry awards.
Alongside its back-to-back ‘Best Bar in Asia’ title, Bar Leone nabbed two honours at 19th annual Spirited Awards in July 2025; individually for Antinori as International Bartender of the Year, and Best International Cocktail Bar.
Antinori delves into its ‘cocktail popolari’ ethos on an episode of The Spirits Business Podcast, as well as his new Cuban-inspired bar Montana – also located in Hong Kong and opened in partnership with Sips Barcelona co-founder Simone Caporale.
Bar Leone isn’t the only big-name cocktail bar to make the Hong Kong to Shanghai followup in recent times. Closed-loop bar Penicillin also opened a second site in the city earlier in the summer.
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