🌻 Ryan Chetiyawardana aka Mr Lyan's London 🌻

Few mixologists have had such an enduring impact on the global cocktail scene. The legendary Mr Lyan shares his tips for London and around the world

On my first week on the job at Foodism I accompanied our former editor, Mike Gibson, to a photoshoot and interview with Mr Lyan. He was whipping up the five formative cocktails from his decorated career thus far, and Mike was interviewing him both about the drinks themselves but also his time as a mixologist as a whole. I joined Foodism with a strong footing in food and a budding desire to learn more about the drinks world. At the end of Mike’s 45 minute-long interview with Ryan Chetiyawardana I genuinely felt like my life had been permanently changed.

It’s not often that someone can be so fascinating on a topic that it completely alters your perception of the world, but listening to Ryan talk about cocktails was exactly that. Before that day I had no idea how much thought could go into a drink. I didn’t know that there’s a compound in space that tasted like raspberries, or that it was possible to replicate that exact flavour in a cocktail inspired by the Apollo missions. If you had asked me if it was possible to make curaçao out of pigs’ blood I would have laughed directly in your face – except that’s exactly something Ryan has done in the Plum Americano at Lyaness (his cocktail bar at Sea Containers). Just because a cocktail is perceived to be more simple than a plate of food doesn’t mean it needs to be, and seeing someone put as much thought into a drink as a Michelin-starred chef would into a dish, it seriously just unlocked something in my brain.

Ryan trained as a chef before moving into bartending – perhaps why he approaches cocktails the way that he does. “I fell into the industry – initially from the food side, then into drinks – and I found that it hit the right balance between the sciences and arts that I was looking for,” he tells me over email. “I had been studying (cooking, then fine art, then biology, then philosophy) and bars were the constant until I found that the bar was the perfect outlet for my interests. Hospitality was a mad mix of socialising, intense problem solving, passion and communication – I loved creating unique responses for people; treating them as individuals, and trying to find ways to bring joy to each of the people who'd stumbled in for whatever reason. It's infectious, and magical and hugely rewarding in the most fundamental ways.”

Infectious feels like an apt description of his influence – especially given it was thanks to Ryan himself that I caught the cocktail bug. His first bar, White Lyan, opened in Shoreditch in 2013. It was a true game changer. Everything was made in-house (including the spirits) and there were no perishables kept on-site – a category that includes both fruit and ice. It truly took the world by storm. Numerous other openings followed both in London and around the world (Super Lyan in Amsterdam and Silver Lyan in Washington D.C.). Some stayed, others didn’t, all of them were unique in their own way and brought a fresh perspective to the cocktail industry. His most recent opening, Seed Library in Shoreditch, is one of my favourite bars in London. It’s no surprise he has received the nickname of the ‘world’s most awarded bartender’.

Ryan still lives in east London. “I've always been drawn to the diversity of the place,” he tells me. “Not just the people, but the physicality and the output of the area. I like that it's got polish and grit together, along with the industrial and green – and there's such an incredible reflection of the variety of cultures in the food, sounds and voices of the community.”

Here, he shares his top tips for this vibrant city (not all of them in east), and around the world.

A note – these descriptions have been written by me.

Where to eat

Silo

Few chefs are cooking as creatively as Douglas McMaster. The entirely zero-waste restaurant (everything from the seats you sit on to the plates your food is served on is made from recycled materials) does things you probably wouldn’t even think were possible with food, and yet the genius chef manages to ensure they remain delicious as hell. It’s the kind of restaurant that will truly get you excited about eating.

Bibi

Chet Sharma is a real talent – and his modern Indian food absolutely took London by storm when he opened Bibi in 2021. It was the newest in this slick genre (of which London has no shortage) but no less wonderful, and had echoes of the much-loved Gymkhana about it. Except, Sharma’s cooking is somewhat indefinable in its vigour.

Brutto

A testament to the unparalleled talent of the late Russell Norman, Brutto swaddles you with its warmth and immense hospitality. Norman’s recent passing well before his time is desperately sad. He was a formative restaurateur – few people have fundamentally changed the way we eat more than he did with the introduction of small plates to London through Polpo – and Brutto was, once again, a gift to London. £5 negronis, soul-nourishing plates of pasta and incredibly good value Tuscan-style steaks – this is all the good stuff done exceptionally well. Rest in peace, Russell.

Smoking Goat

I recommended this in my Locals Only which means it now has two recommendations which means you absolutely need to go.

Black Axe Mangal

LOUD music, LOUDER food, and a bloody good time – Black Axe Mangal is a superlative restaurant that, if you asked me to summarise in one sentence I would say was “like St. John if St. John was going through a highly refined period of teenage angst”. That’s not to say the food is messy or unsure of itself – quite the opposite in fact. This is high-octane, flame-grilled cooking that manages to be as elegant as it is bold.

St. John

Guys, it’s St. John. I recommend it, Mr Lyan now recommends it too – everyone recommends it. It fundamentally changed how we eat in London and beyond. Simply go.

Towpath Cafe

Through the months of March to October there is hardly a better seat in town than one at Towpath, passive aggressively eyeing cyclists as you hoe into the restaurant’s daily blackboard menu. I wrote something of an ode to it in my Locals Only newsletter.

Hoppers

There are a few Hoppers restaurants dotted around London, which makes this a super accessible option. They serve up cracking Sri Lankan and South Indian food (including, of course, the eponymous hoppers). Do NOT sleep on the black pork kari – SO GOOD.

Trullo

Trullo is just so, so good. Probably London’s favourite neighbourhood restaurant, it’s one of those stalwart sports that remains booked up year after year, no matter how many shiny new places open up around it. There’s a reason people go back time and time again – some of the best pasta in the city and thoughtful plates of grilled meats and fish.

Bouchon Racine

Bouchon Racine opened in late 2022 and it is still nigh-impossible to get a table. That’s because legendary chef Henry Harris simply knows what he’s doing – and he’s roped in natural hospitalitarian Dave Strauss to head up front of house. This is like everything you want from a restaurant in France except for the fact, of course, that it’s nestled above a pub in London. Ah, well, tickets to Farringdon are a little cheaper than those to Gare du Nord.

Where to drink (AKA where the best bartender in the world likes to drink… listen up)

The Connaught

The best bar in the world a few times, the fifth best bar in the world this year – and now recommended by Mr Lyan. The Connaught hardly needs kudos to get you to go there, but should you need one more – it definitely serves the best martini in the city. Go, and take a fat wallet with you.

Kwãnt

I have to admit I actually haven’t been to Kwãnt yet. It was in Heddon Street for a bit, and then it closed for a while, and now it’s reopened on Stratton Street, a hop skip and a jump from Green Park station. Friends have told me the cocktails are unlike anything in the city; the food an echelon above bar snacks. I’ll be racing you for a reservation now that it has the Mr Lyan seal of approval too.

Newcomer Wines

Hey! I used to live above Newcomer Wines. I could just about spit on its roof from my balcony (although I’d like it on the record that I never actually did that). It’s a great little wine bar/shop with a real lived in, locals only (see what I did there!!!) feel to it.

The George

There aren’t many good pubs in Fitzrovia, The George is the exception to that rule. Their scotch eggs might change your life and they take the food and cocktails just as seriously as they do the pints – perfection.

Happiness Forgets

An underground speakeasy serving cracking cocktails to a loyal audience – if it ain’t broke, why fix it? Happiness Forgets also happens to be just across Kingsland Road from Seed Library should you want a bar crawl of epic proportions.

Around the world

Bar High Five (Tokyo)

Look at a photo of the back bar in this joint and tell me you don’t want to visit!!

Alquimico (Cartagena)

The ninth best bar in the world, Alquímico exists over three floors that exhibit three very distinct personalities – all of them equally as vibrant and wonderful as the other.

La Venencia (Madrid)

Fancy stepping back in time? Head into La Venencia for a sherry, and soak up the magic of a watering hole that has remained unchanged for over a century.

Caretaker's Cottage (Melbourne)

Ok this bar is actually housed in a storybook little cottage which is just the sweetest wee thing but it also placed number 23 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list this year, so it’s one to take seriously. A concise cocktail list, Guinness on tap and music by way of a vinyl collection makes this a small but perfectly formed watering hole.

Kay's Bar (Edinburgh)

THIS is my favourite pub in Edinburgh, and I’m absolutely chuffed to have my ranking backed up here. Kay’s bar is perfect, it’s everything you want from a classic boozer. They’ve got a great selection of whiskeys, some good beers on tap and possibly pour the best pint of Guinness outside of Dublin.

Do you work in food and drink and want to share your guide to the city you live in? Or do you know someone who works in food and drink who would like to share their guide to the city they live in? Flick me an email on molly202@live.com to chat!