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Mr Lyan to open first international bars

Revered bar owner Ryan Chetiyawardana has revealed plans to open new bars in Amsterdam and Washington DC, marking his first international ventures outside of London.

Dandelyan was named ‘World’s Best Bar’ last year

Chetiyawardana – aka Mr Lyan – announced the news across his social media profiles yesterday (15 January).

Taking to social media, Chetiyawardana said: “It gives me huge pride to announce our latest endeavours, and first explorations outside our beloved London: Lyaness (London), Super Lyan (Amsterdam) and Silver Lyan (Washington DC) – all opening this year! Did say 2019 was gonna be a big year for team Lyan.”

Super Lyan, based in Hoxton, will relocate to Amsterdam in 2019. A post on the bar’s Facebook page read: “We quickly outgrew our Hoxton basement space, so we’ll be reviving bigger and better than before, with the same love of taking a very Lyan, very unusual take on familiar flavours, serves and cocktails.”

In 2017, Chetiyawardana ‘transformed’ his London bar White Lyan under the new guise of Super Lyan. He also opened drinks-led sustainable restaurant Cub in September 2017 above basement bar Super Lyan.

Despite the relocation of Super Lyan, it seems that Cub will remain open at its current site in Hoxton.

Chetiyawardana said: “When you see the word Lyan, you know it’s ours, and stands for our unique take on accessible innovation, and the desire to have something inclusive, fun and honest that helps bring people together. And this includes the ones we kill, White Lyan, Dandelyan, (Lyan) Cub [def not being killed!] will always be part of the family (look out for zombie versions coming to life soon).”

‘Lyan’, which has formed part of the name of the bar owner’s venues, is a nickname from when kids would mispronounce ‘Ryan’ as ‘lion’.

The ‘Lyan’ name “seemed the ideal anchor for the business” and will continue to be used for Chetiyawardana’s future projects.

An announcement made last week on social media also revealed that Will Meredith will take over from Alex Lawrence as head bartender of the new Lyaness site, formerly known as Dandelyan. Lawrence will take on the newly-created role of group Lyan bar manager.

Chetiywardana announced the closure of his award-winning cocktail bar Dandelyan on London’s Southbank in October last year. At the time, Chetiyawardana said he planned for the site to “rise again as something brighter, shinier and more fitting”.

Prior to its closure, 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 best bar in the world by the World’s 50 Best Bars in 2018.

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