2 Best Bars in Cotai Strip, Macau

Macau’s only entry on Asia’s 50 Best Bars list, the St. Regis Bar sets a high standard for cocktails and live entertainment. Inspired by the hotel’s New York heritage, the signature drinks mostly nod to Big Apple history. The Cotton Club, for example, is a whiskey sour that pays tribute to Harlem’s prohibition era jazz. But don’t miss the Macau-inspired Maria do Leste, a bold reimagining of the Bloody Mary with cinnamon, piri piri, and a lobster tart on the side, or the Macao Egg Tart, a boozy ode to the city’s favorite pastry. Both are great drinks to sip as you enjoy the live jazz.

Hidden within the W Hotel’s ground-floor Living Room lounge, A.P.D. is a speakeasy-style haven for mezcal lovers. The smoky, earthy agave spirit is the sole focus here, with a curated selection that includes more than a dozen artisanal labels, from Derrumbes, made from wild agave grown in the San Luis Potosi plateaus, to George Clooney’s new premium brand Casamigos. The space is small and intimate. Go behind the open bar to examine the labels up close and chat with the friendly bartenders.