Inaugural Edition9 March 2027Colombo

Celebrating
the best of
Sri Lanka’s
bar culture

An annual platform ranking and recognising the country’s finest bars — and the people behind them.

Awards night: 9 March 2027
Venue: Cinnamon Life — City of Dreams, Colombo
Countdown: 131 days 21 hrs 15 min
Ranked by: 100+ independent jurors

Welcome to Best Bars Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s bars have been turning heads around the world. From Smoke & Bitter and Raa to Ropewalk, a new generation of bars is putting the country firmly on the global cocktail map. Now it is time to celebrate them at home.

Best Bars Sri Lanka is an annual platform dedicated to ranking and recognising the country’s finest bars and the people behind them.

From neighbourhood favourites to hotel bars, from exceptional bartenders and teams to inventive cocktail programmes and the ideas shaping the industry, we will shine a spotlight on the people, places and creativity that make Sri Lanka’s drinking culture one of the most exciting in Asia.

Read our story

25⁺Experts curate the long list
100⁺Jurors vote on the shortlist
11Awards on the night
1Island, from Jaffna to Hiriketiya

The island

From Colombo to the coast

Colombo and coastal destinations such as Galle and Hiriketiya have seen a new wave of ambitious bars, talented bartenders and distinctive hospitality concepts.

Colombo skyline at night — 01ColomboThe capital after dark

A bartender garnishing a golden cocktail — 02The craftBehind the bar

Galle Fort and the coast from above — 03GalleThe fort town

A bartender garnishing three cocktails — 04The peopleBartenders and teams

A beach bar on the south coast — 05HiriketiyaThe south coast

Three cocktails on a bar top — 06The serveIsland ingredients, global technique

Tea country in the hills — 07Hill countryWhere Ceylon tea grows

The Awards

Eleven honours. One night.

Step 1: Longlisting

25+ bar enthusiasts & industry experts

An initial long list of bars, curated through recommendations from more than 25 bar enthusiasts and industry experts from across Sri Lanka.
Step 2: Shortlisting

3 key considerations

The shortlist weighs long-list jury votes, self-nominations and geographical representation.
Step 3: Final Voting

100+ jury members

A jury of more than 100 bar enthusiasts, industry experts, connoisseurs and writers votes on the shortlist.

Awards Night

09.03.27

Cinnamon Life — City of DreamsColombo, Sri Lanka

A flagship, invite-only ceremony and industry gathering bringing together Sri Lanka’s leading bars and hospitality professionals with celebrated bar owners from India and Southeast Asia, global spirits brands, media and tastemakers.

131Days

21Hours

15Minutes

27Seconds

About the evening

Cocktail Weekend

One weekend. One island.

Leading up to the awards, the celebration extends into a weekend-long festival of cocktails, spirits and hospitality at participating bars across Sri Lanka.