Bengaluru: ZLB23, the award-winning Kyoto-style speakeasy at The Leela Palace Bengaluru, will host a one-night-only bar takeover by Hope & Sesame from Guangzhou, China on Saturday, 31st October 2026. From 8 pm onwards, bartenders Bastien Ciocca and Geumseong Liu will take over the bar, bringing the distinctive cocktail philosophy of the bar that was named No. 1 in Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2026.
Founded in March 2016 by Andrew Ho and Bastien Ciocca, Hope & Sesame is Southern China’s first speakeasy bar, nestled in Guangzhou’s historic Dongshankou neighbourhood. Built around warm hospitality and exceptional mixology, the bar has become an experimental hub for modern cocktail culture, pioneering the use of local ingredients, cutting-edge techniques and seasonal concepts.
The takeover finds a fitting home at ZLB23. Over the years, ZLB23 has established itself as a hub for some of the world’s leading bars and bartenders, bringing celebrated names from the global cocktail circuit to Bengaluru. Tucked behind a hidden entrance within Zia’s garden at The Leela Palace Bengaluru, the Kyoto-inspired speakeasy has established itself as an important destination for cocktail culture in India. Its focus on precision, atmosphere and thoughtful cocktail programming makes it a natural setting for an international collaboration of this kind.
Over the years, Hope & Sesame has developed a reputation that extends far beyond Guangzhou. The bar has appeared on Asia’s 50 Best Bars for eight consecutive years since 2019, reaching the top spot as No. 1 in Asia in 2026. It has also been named The Best Bar in Mainland China for four consecutive years, from 2023 to 2026. In 2025, Hope & Sesame made its debut on The World’s 50 Best Bars, entering the list at No. 29.
The bar’s influence has also been recognised by the global cocktail industry. At the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, Hope & Sesame received the Philanthropy Award in 2020, before being named Best International Cocktail Bar in Asia-Pacific in 2024. The bar has also received Top 10 World Honoree recognition for Best International Bar Team and World’s Best Cocktail Menu, with further recognition in 2025 for Best International Bar Team and co-founder Andrew Ho for Best International Bar Mentor.
At the helm for the Bengaluru evening will be Bastien and Geumseong, bringing the spirit of Hope & Sesame to ZLB23 for an evening of cocktails shaped by the bar’s experimental approach, Chinese ingredients and contemporary techniques. The takeover comes as Hope & Sesame celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2026.
For one night, Bastien and Guemseong will bring the flavours, techniques and hospitality of Guangzhou to Bengaluru, offering guests an opportunity to experience the creative energy and distinctive approach that have defined Hope & Sesame over the past decade
From Guangzhou to Bengaluru, the evening will be a meeting point between two cocktail cultures, connected by a shared interest in craft, hospitality and the constant search for what comes next.
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