Announcing the news on Instagram, Chetiyawardana – otherwise known as Mr Lyan – outlines plans to close the bar, and start a new concept from scratch in its place.
Dandelyan is currently ranked in the second-to-top spot on the World’s 50 Best Bars list, behind American Bar at the Savoy Hotel.
“There’s so much I think we can do, and so much we want to challenge, discuss and create in this industry that, like with White Lyan, it makes sense to burn it down, start afresh, and rise again as something brighter, shinier and more fitting of where we’re (all) now at,” writes Chetiyawardana.
“It would be a disservice to these amazing people, and to what we have created together to continue when we think the landscape, and the conversation, has shifted.”
Dandelyan has picked up a number of accolades during its four-years of service, including winning the award for world’s best cocktail menu at the Spirited Awards in 2016 and again in 2018.
Located within the Mondrian Hotel, it is the brainchild of Chetiyawardana and Ian Griffiths, and its botanical, biological and inventive interpretations of drinks are often copied across other bars.
“The impact of Dandelyan has been wild and can be seen (sometimes a little too literally **eyerolls for days **) in so many venues around the world and we definitely love going out on top,” writes Griffiths on Twitter.
“We think its time to change the conversation, and lead it all in a new direction.”
The Instagram posts from Chetiyawardana and Griffiths were both marked “1/3” suggesting that the bar will be releasing more news as to its closing date and its future.