‘Smoke & Bitters’ makes history by being first from Sri Lanka on World’s Best Bars list

Soaring on to the global stage, Smoke & Bitters made history this week by becoming the first and only bar and restaurant in Sri Lanka to ever make the World’s 50 Best Bars list, competing with the best bars in the world from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. 

The extended list, representing the ultimate international guide to the world’s top bars and drinking destinations, was announced on 8 October, ranking the beloved Smoke & Bitters at 86 with the likes of bars from Melbourne, New York, London, Tokyo, and Mexico City.

Being the only Sri Lankan-owned bar featured in this latest list – just one of 11 bars from Asia and the only one from South Asia. Smoke & Bitters is steady in its rise from Asia’s 50 Best list from 42 in 2022 to 29 in July this year, being awarded the title ‘Best Bar in Sri Lanka’ three years in a row.

This year’s list has fantastic bars from the world’s greatest capital cities such as Cantina OK! (Sydney), Attaboy (New York), Sin + Tax (Johannesburg), Native (Singapore), Thunderbolt (Los Angeles), A Bar with Shapes For A Name (London), Wax On (Berlin), Carnaval (Lima), and Hanky Panky (Mexico City). Now the small town of Hiriketiya, Dikwella shares a place with these giants thanks to the tenacity, sheer passion, and craft of the Smoke & Bitters team.

Dhee, one of our freshest Lankan music artists, said “I wear my roots like a medal” and it is an understatement to say the same of Don Ranasinghe and Lahiru Perera, the Co-Founders of Smoke & Bitters. Starting out with very little, these two best friends, who met at age 18, came from the world of hospitality and entertainment in service of its audiences. Waiting bars, clearing glasses and toilets, putting on events, they each worked hard and played even harder, but where they are today is a testament to the mantra that if you believe in it enough, it will happen.

This is a remarkable achievement for a venue that was opened over four years ago, by two best friends, with one goal: to offer its people a uniquely Sri Lankan culinary and cocktail experience.

Reaching this new and astounding height did not come easy. There were no kickbacks, no secret partners, and no faking it. This award is down to the grit, commitment, and humility of Don, Lahiru, and their teams who have strived hard to deliver an experience that is real, fresh, honest, and different – they are dedicated to their craft, to their team, and the family they have unknowingly built around them.

What makes this an even more powerful story are their village bartenders – a total staff nearly 40 strong made up of people from the the Dikwella area who, until not long ago, had not even left the district. Now, their lead bartenders, like Sameera and Himaru, travel to Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Maldives, and Kazakhstan. This is the kind of vision that has separated Smoke & Bitters from the rest and garnered much deserved global recognition.

This beachside bar stands out brightly despite its best efforts to stay low key, their inclusive stance spread to its deep network of famous and passionate international food and drink enthusiasts, bringing them to our shores and sharing them with local audiences. These local bar and kitchen guest collaborations, called Sunset Shifts, have featured famous names like EKAA, Jigger & Pony, Masque, Elephant Room, Kotuwa, Bees Knees, Bombay Canteen, Bar Trigona, and El Loquio from across India, Singapore, Japan, and Thailand.

Don and Lahiru with their team are driven to change the nature of how brands and partners engage bars in Sri Lanka, from being purely transactional stock-based to having much more meaningful and purposeful relationships that truly elevate the industry and its communities. Often, a bartender job isn’t seen as prestigious nor of a fair income, something they wish to change locally to match their international counterparts, who enjoy much respect and prestige globally. They recently launched their Smoke & Bitters Loves Local takeover series, showcasing local bartenders from the wider bartending community on the same platform as their international counterparts.

Both the Co-Founders are confident that being featured in international rankings consistently is a major step to their bigger plans, which undoubtedly involve providing an unparalleled and authentic Sri Lankan dining and mixology experience to tourists and locals alike. This includes launching a new authentically Sri Lankan bar and food experience called RAA Hiriketiya, focusing primarily on the famous local spirit Arrack and well-known home grown Sri Lankan flavours.

The World’s 50 Best Bars is an annual list that celebrates the best of the international drinks industry.

First published in 2009, the list is anonymously voted for by a gender balanced Academy of more than 700 bartenders, consultants, writers, and cocktail specialists from around the world, with the results independently adjudicated by Deloitte. The annual awards ceremony will be held in the Spanish capital, Madrid, later this month, where Smoke & Bitters hope to attend and meet their global community.