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London’s Dandelyan bar to close after four years
Leading bartender Ryan Chetiyawardana is set to close his award-winning London cocktail bar Dandelyan, which will “rise again as something brighter, shinier and more fitting”.
Since opening, Dandelyan has won the award for best cocktail menu, best bar team and World’s Best Bar
Chetiyawardana – aka Mr Lyan, announced the news across his social media profiles this morning on the Southbank bar’s fourth anniversary.
In a post on his Facebook page, Chetiyawardana said: “Happy Birthday Dandelyan – and goodbye! It feels fitting on our fourth birthday to kill off our now-eldest venue.
“The idea for Dandelyan is way older than four – it has its roots in White Lyan and my old biology days. We were so glad it was relevant when it was around.”
Since opening, Dandelyan has built a reputation as being one of the world’s best and most innovative cocktail bars. In its four years, it has won World’s Best Cocktail Menu, World’s Best Bar Team and World’s Best Bar at the Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards, as well as being named the second best bar in the world by the World’s 50 Best Bars.
Chetiyawardana’s post continued: “There’s so much I think we can do, and so much we want to challenge, discuss and create in this industry that, like with White Lyan, it makes sense to burn it down, start afresh, and rise again as something brighter, shinier and more fitting of where we’re (all) now at. Happy Birthday you big green beast, it’ll be great to see you different again.”
The revered bar owner announced the team would be retaining the space at the Mondrian Hotel on London’s Southbank once the venue closes its doors. However, he has released no details of his plans for the site.
“Don’t ask what’s next (although we are keeping the space), please sit tight, and help us usher out the bar we know so many of you love as much as us,” he said.
Last year, Chetiyawardana ‘transformed’ his London bar White Lyan under the new guise of Super Lyan. He also opened drinks-led sustainable restaurant Cub last September above basement bar Super Lyan.
Dandelyan will launch the third and final chapter of its Modern Life of Plants menu in the final quarter of this year, before the bar closes its doors at the end of 2018.
Chetiyawardana said: “It’s been a great four years at Dandelyan and I’m proud of what we have achieved so far – from World’s Best Bar to World’s Best Menu (twice!), with lots more in between. We’re really just hitting our stride and there’s so much to come, to do, and to challenge.
“I can’t wait to reveal more so please keep your eyes peeled for news of what’s to come towards the end of this year. We’ll be launching our new menu in the ‘Modern Life of Plants’ series shortly and we’re excited to celebrate the final chapter of the bar before we begin the reinvention of the space.”