Smoke & Bitters, a coastal bar on Pehembiya Beach in Dikwella, Sri Lanka, has been awarded the Michter's Art of Hospitality Award in the lead-up to Asia's 50 Best Bars 2026. This marks the first time a Sri Lankan venue has received this honor, which is voted on by more than 300 members of the Asia's 50 Best Bars Academy. The award recognizes establishments that have delivered exceptional hospitality over the past 18 months, setting new benchmarks for guest experience across the region.
Since opening in January 2020, Smoke & Bitters has steadily gained recognition. In 2025, it ranked No.14 on Asia's 50 Best Bars and No.67 on the extended list of The World's 50 Best Bars, becoming the first bar in Sri Lanka to appear on the global ranking. It has also been named The Best Bar in Sri Lanka on the Asia's 50 Best Bars list for four consecutive years. Co-founders Don Ranasinghe and Lahiru Perera created Smoke & Bitters to showcase Sri Lanka's culinary heritage through contemporary cocktails and dining. All dishes are cooked using traditional wood fire, either smoked or chargrilled, while the cocktail menu features bitters made from indigenous Sri Lankan herbs and spices, drawing inspiration from global cultures.
Hospitality is central to the Smoke & Bitters experience. The team delivers relaxed yet attentive service, creating an easy-going beachfront setting where guests feel genuinely welcomed. This balance of informality and care has become a defining feature and underpins its recognition with the Michter's Art of Hospitality Award. The drinks menu integrates local ingredients and techniques, with signature serves like the Bananarama, which combines smoked wild bee honey with Rockland arrack, banana peel, falernum, and smoked hellfire bitters. Other popular offerings include the Mai Chai, blending Ceylon chai tea with rum, triple sec, spiced orgeat, and chai syrup, and the Pani Like Dodang, featuring Sri Lankan sweet orange and gin with ginger honey, triple sec, salt and pepper, mint, and orange bitters. The bar emphasizes ingredient-led cocktails built around seasonal local produce such as rambutan, mangosteen, and woodapple.
Emma Sleight, Director of Content & Creative for Asia's 50 Best Bars, stated: "Smoke & Bitters has played a pivotal role in redefining perceptions of Sri Lanka's bar scene. Its commitment to local ingredients, open-fire cooking and heartfelt hospitality creates an experience that feels both deeply personal and globally relevant." Ranasinghe and Perera added: "It's honestly pretty crazy to receive the Michter's Art of Hospitality Award and see Sri Lankan hospitality being recognised on this level. From day one, Smoke & Bitters has been about creating a warm, relaxed space genuinely rooted in our culture—so to be recognised for our hospitality is incredibly meaningful." Matt Magliocco, Executive Vice President for Michter's, congratulated the team, noting that the bar has become a destination for thoughtful hospitality.
The Michter's Art of Hospitality Award is the first of two special accolades announced ahead of the 11th edition of Asia's 50 Best Bars, sponsored by Perrier. The 2026 edition will culminate in a live awards ceremony at Wynn Palace, Macau on 28 July, featuring the official unveiling of The Best Bar in Asia 2026. The ceremony will be livestreamed on the 50 Best YouTube channel.
