This autumn, New York will welcome one of the most anticipated bar openings in years: Seed Library New York, the first permanent venue in the city from Ryan Chetiyawardana—better known in the cocktail world as Mr Lyan. The new space will open in the heart of NoMad, tucked into the lower ground floor of Hotel Park Ave with its own dedicated entrance, designed as a retreat from the unrelenting chaos of the city above.
For Chetiyawardana, who has built a reputation as the world’s most awarded bartender, the bar is a homecoming of sorts. Seed Library NY pays tribute to the timeless idea of the “Manhattan bar”—a place equal parts escape and cultural landmark—while infusing it with the thoughtful creativity that has become the Lyan trademark.
A Collaboration of Hospitality Icons
The project is a three-way collaboration between Mr Lyan, Lore Group, and Renwick Hospitality, each bringing a distinctive piece of New York’s evolving cocktail landscape to the table. The inspiration comes from the original Seed Library in London’s One Hundred Shoreditch, a bar that has won praise for its stripped-back warmth and radical unpretentiousness. In Manhattan, that philosophy meets the layered history and constant reinvention of New York bar culture.
“The goal was never to create something flashy,” Chetiyawardana has said in past interviews. “It’s about honesty, flavor, and making people feel welcome.” Seed Library NY promises to channel that ethos into every glass.
Drinks That Tell Stories
Globally, the Lyan team is recognized for pushing sustainability and flavor into new frontiers, and Seed Library New York will be no different. Guests can expect a menu that balances reimagined classics with original creations, each drink designed to spark curiosity as much as pleasure. Supporting the cocktail list will be a thoughtful selection of low-intervention wines, craft beers, saké, and a small but pointed roster of artisanal spirits.
The food menu, crafted in collaboration with Renwick Hospitality, will take the same approach: bar snacks rooted in simplicity, using natural ingredients to complement the drinks program rather than overshadow it.
A Space That Breathes
Design plays a central role in the Seed Library philosophy, and the New York outpost has been shaped by Lore Group Creative Director Jacu Strauss in partnership with RD Studio. The space will feature natural textures, organic materials, and an understated elegance—creating an environment that mirrors the bar’s embrace of nature’s variance.
It’s not about spectacle, but about crafting a room that feels lived-in from day one: intimate, warm, and quietly sophisticated.
A New Neighborhood Classic
With locations in London, Washington DC, and Amsterdam already reshaping cocktail culture, the opening of Seed Library New York marks the next step in the Lyan journey. The bar seeks to honor the past—paying homage to the storied cocktail traditions of Manhattan—while also looking forward, weaving inclusivity, experimentation, and community into its DNA.
If Chetiyawardana and his team have their way, Seed Library NY won’t just be another high-profile cocktail bar. It will be something rarer: a place where locals and travelers alike feel instantly at home, where the experimental and the timeless sit side by side, and where the future of cocktails is written one drink at a time.
Other New York City bar news:
KABIN in New York Unveils New Cocktail Program and Nordic Coffee Service
The Blue Vault Opens in Midtown: A Bourbon Speakeasy with Broadway Secrets
Mexi on Stone Street Brings 400 Mezcals and Mérida-Inspired Design to Manhattan
