KUALA LUMPUR, July 3 — Two Malaysian bars have been included in the 2025 edition of Asia’s 50 Best Bars’ extended 51-100 list: Coley in Kuala Lumpur comes in at No. 92, continuing its streak of being named on the list every year since debuting at No. 46 in 2018, while Backdoor Bodega in Penang returns at No. 64, after first making the list at No. 97 in 2022.
A veteran of both the list and Malaysia’s cocktail bar scene, Coley recently marked its 9th anniversary with a month-long celebration featuring numerous guest shifts.
Founded by CK Kho, the bar is named in tribute to Ada “Coley” Coleman, the Savoy’s iconic inventor of the hanky panky, a classic cocktail made with gin, sweet vermouth and Fernet-Branca.
In addition to riffs on classic cocktails, the small neighbourhood bar has become a Bangsar staple for its contemporary Malaysian creations and playful food programme.
It gained wider renown after being named the best bar in Malaysia when it was ranked No. 27 on the 2019 list.
The team at Backdoor Bodega. — Picture via Facebook/Backdoor Bodega
Backdoor Bodega, located in the heart of George Town, Penang, is one of the original pioneers in the city’s burgeoning cocktail scene, having been around since 2016.
Fashioning itself as “an overpriced pin shop”, guests purchase lapel pins at the bar to “redeem” cocktails.
The 1–50 list for Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2025 will be announced on July 15, “live” from the Wynn Palace in Macau.
