Botanik Bistro Bar named as Asia’s 73rd Best Bar!
Nominated by the prestigious World’s 50 Best Awarding Body; a first for Sri Lanka.

Botanik Rooftop Bistro and Bar (Botanik), located at the Fairway Colombo Hotel, was recently listed in the Asia’s 50 best Bars 2021 (51-100) list by the global awarding body World’s 50 Best. The nomination is a first for Sri Lanka in the ‘Bar’ category, and stands as a testament to the island’s fast paced evolution of restaurant and bar standards. Being ranked by World’s 50 Best, the most prestigious awarding body in the world of mixology, is one of the highest honours for a restaurant or bar. For the first time in history, two Sri Lankan F&B establishments have received a ranking on this prestigious Asia’s Best Bars list; Botanik Bistro Bar is listed as Asia’s 73rd best bar and Smoke & Bitters in Hiriketiya was listed 91st.  

“We are extremely pleased with this honour, and more so we are proud to have been able to represent Sri Lanka. From inception we have always strived to offer our clients a unique experience,” Dmitri Jayasuriya, Managing Director, Cantaloupe & Co (parent company of Botanik Bistro Bar). The true essence of Botanik lies within a completely localised ‘Botanik-Experience’ combining cocktails based on local flavours and ingredients, shining a spotlight on local chefs and mixologists and having the best of home-grown entertainment to combine a wholesome experience that celebrates our country, culture and a zest for island living.

Three of Botanik’s signature cocktails that have received critical acclaim include the Tamarind Arrack, Pandan (Rampe) and Annasi (Pineapple). The Tamarind Arrack cocktail is known for its unique texture attributed to coconut cream and a homemade passion and tamarind syrup. This cocktail is then topped with toasted coconut flakes. While Rampe is used widely in our local curries, Botanik was inspired by the use of this plant in South East Asian desserts to transform this condiment into a cocktail. Often dubbed as the 'Dessert in a Cup' by their patrons, this concoction is made of Arrack, Pandan Extract, Kitul (Palm Treacle) and Thambili (Coconut Water), which all make for a silky sweet cocktail. Botanik has also premiered the ‘fat-washing’ technique for their rum-based cocktail named Annasi (Pineapple). This process of emulsifying virgin coconut oil and rum results in a smooth cocktail which is topped by pineapple, mango, raspberry and togarashi.

Apart from a satisfying cocktail experience, patrons can also dine at the Botanik Bistro where the culinary team has premiered inventive cooking techniques such as the ‘Cryo-Fried Black Angus Beef’ which is a process of flash freezing tender sous-vide beef and deep frying it to combine the flavours and textures of bacon and tender beef. More inventive representations on Botanik’s curated menu include the twelve-hour slow cooked lamb shank and the liquid nitrogen ice cream. 

The location also offers spacious, breezy outdoor areas for patrons to enjoy whilst also providing them with a cosy indoor restaurant area for privacy and secluded dining. The restaurant also features an open kitchen which enables patrons to see how their favourite meals are prepared.