08/10/2026
SRI LANKA HAS MORE THAN ONE STORY TO TELL ABOUT BARS
Today, Smoke & Bitters has been recognised again on the World’s 50 Best Bars 51–100 list, for the second time.
We are proud to be the only Sri Lankan bar on this year’s list.
But for us, the more exciting story is what is happening within and beyond our own four walls.
When we opened Smoke & Bitters six years ago, there wasn’t much of a global conversation about Sri Lankan bars. Today, Sri Lankan bartenders and bars are increasingly being recognised on international stages, and we’re proud to have played a small part in helping that happen.
Through Sunset Shifts, we’ve welcomed some of the world’s leading bars to Hiriketiya and taken our own bartenders and chefs around the world. We’ve shared knowledge, created collaborations, hosted masterclasses and helped connect our local bar community with the wider international scene.
For us, that’s the real story.
Not one bar competing for a place on a list, but a Sri Lankan hospitality community becoming increasingly visible to the world.
We’re incredibly proud of our team, our village and everyone who has helped us get here.
And we’re even more excited about what Sri Lankan hospitality can do next.
The 50 Best Bars Perrier 🌍
