‘Smoke & Bitters’ climbs to No. 67 on World’s 50 Best Bars List
View(s):Famous ‘Smoke & Bitters’ has once again put Sri Lanka on the global map, named No. 67 on the World’s 100 Best Bars extended list 2025 announced recently. Climbing an impressive 19 places from last year, the bar remains the only Sri Lankan owned bar ever to feature and one of just two from South Asia, cementing its place among the world’s most influential drinking destinations alongside icons like Attaboy (New York), The SG Club (Tokyo), Wax On (Berlin), A Bar with Shapes for a Name (London) and Eximia (São Paulo).
Located on the stunning Pehembiya beach in Hiriketiya, in the southern tip of Sri Lanka, Smoke & Bitters has attracted both tourists and locals with its authentically Sri Lankan offerings. All its dishes are cooked using wood fire, either smoked or chargrilled, as signified by the ‘Smoke’ in its name. ‘Bitters’ conveys the co-founders’ passion for creating their own bitters from locally sourced ingredients, which dominate the cocktail menu.
The story of Smoke & Bitters is one of grit, heart, and perseverance. Co-founders Don Ranasinghe and Lahiru (Lalla) Perera, best friends who began their journeys clearing glasses, waiting tables and running events, opened the bar just five years ago with one goal: to create a distinctly Sri Lankan cocktail and dining experience. With no shortcuts or gimmicks, their rise is built on a commitment to craft, authentic hospitality, and real relationships.
This announcement follows Smoke & Bitters’ meteoric rise in the region, from debuting at No.42 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2022 to climbing to No.14 this year, earning the title of Best Bar in Sri Lanka for four consecutive years. Don and Lalla are also behind the newly launched Raa, an arrack and toddy focused bar in Hiriketiya, which remarkably debuted on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars extended list at No.84 in its very first year.
What makes the achievement even more powerful is the team behind it—nearly 50 strong, made up of bartenders and cooks recruited from nearby villages. Affectionately called the ‘village bartenders’, many of them had never left the district until Don and Lalla mentored, trained and put them out there.
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