London’s Dandelyan named world’s best cocktail bar

Dandelyan, Ryan Chetiyawardana’s ground-breaking, botany-inspired bar on London’s Southbank, has been named the world’s best cocktail bar.

Dandelyan, which opened in 2014, scooped the award at the 15^th annul Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards in New Orleans, which is regarded as the Oscars of the drinks industry.

In addition to its best bar gong, Dandelyan, which is housed inside the Mondrian hotel, picked up the award for the best international bar team and the best international hotel bar.

Former scientist Chetiyawardana takes inspiration from botany and the British countryside at the bar, which boasts and ever-evolving menu of unique cocktails.

Last year the bar launched a menu inspired by hunters, gatherers, witch doctors and explorers, and how they shaped what we eat and drink. The menu included unusual ingredients like plant haemoglobin and zedoary root, which was once used as an antidote to cobra venom.

Dandelyan’s inaugural menu focused on seasonal field guides divided up into cereal, vegetal, mineral and floral cocktails, while its current menu delves into the shadier side of the plant world, exploring the role of botany in human vices.

London triumphed at the awards, with newcomer Swift in Soho picking up the best new international bar award, and Trailer Happiness in Notting Hill winning the best international high volume cocktail bar award.

Across the pond, Cuban-themed bar BlackTail in New York won the best new American cocktail bar award, Jeff Bell of PDT was named American bartender of the year, and the NoMad bar at the NoMad hotel won best American bar team.

Black Pearl in Melbourne won best international cocktail bar, while The Tippling Club in Singapore picked up the best international restaurant bar award.

On the product front, Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto, which won a drinks business design & packaging award for its beautiful sea blue bottle, was named best new spirit.