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Silver Lyan

Washington DC

New Entry

Silver Lyan offers a literal vault of cocktail gold in Washington DC’s iconic Penn Quarter. Located in a converted bank space blocks from the Smithsonian complex, the subterranean lounge serves up post-modern delights in a mid-century environment. The Avant Garde style is exactly what devotees have come to expect from proprietor and international cocktail mogul Ryan ‘Mr. Lyan’ Chetiyawardana.

Chetiyawardana and his team use their first US location to push the boundaries of the cuisine-driven libations that they popularised at their London flagship, Dandelyan (No.1 in The World’s 50 Best Bars 2018). The signature style begins with culinary ingredients that are transformed into unique modifiers like blood foam, blueberry tea, and tomato honey. The resultant drinks are made to challenge traditional conceptions of the cocktail: consider the Unspeakable Snap (Scotch whisky, barley miso, sea buckthorn and huckleberry vermouth, pinecone bitters) or Press Gang Daisy (poppy gin, calamansi cordial, chanko nabe of sake, sandalwood, lychee).

A light food menu compliments the theme with mashups like pizza spring rolls and matcha cream sandwiches on brioche. While tastebuds and preconceptions are challenged at Mr. Lyan’s dens, comfort is paramount. Lavish design, heavy on mirrors and velvet, coddles the stylish crowd of local professionals and cocktail pilgrims. Translating the scientific methods and rare delicacies for all guests requires an elite team, and Lyan delivers with expert yet accessible service. The experience will make guests rethink the role of a bartender, which is exactly the point at Silver Lyan.

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