In Galle, delve into some fascinating history with a side of arrack shots and kothu at Sydney Hotel

Walking into Joe’s Pub in Galle, Sri Lanka, feels like travelling back in time. The glass tables, covered with chequered bright-green tablecloths, must have seen many pints of beer, shots of arrack, and rounds of steaming hot plates of kothu over the years.

It is the promise of a local bar experience that takes us outside the walls of Galle Fort to Sydney Hotel, where Joe’s Pub is. The hotel building stands tall right outside the fort, and is a slice of formidable history, located right next to the Galle bus stop, surrounded by fruit shops, lottery ticket stalls, snack vendors and more. Operational since 1921, Sydney Hotel is probably the oldest-functioning bar in Galle, now run by the fourth generation of the same family.

Yoshan’s family at the bar, in a photograph from the mid-1960s
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

At Joe’s Pub, we are sandwiched between two distinctly different spaces — on one side is the Sydney Arrack Bar, an old-fashioned standing bar with a long counter, a grilled partition and a few scattered tables; on the other side is the modern, recently revamped, 1921 by Sydney Galle restaurant. Joe’s seems like the appropriate mid-point. There is also a fourth space; Snooz Station, a premium travellers hostel on the first floor.

Yoshan De Zoysa introduces himself as the fourth-generation owner of the hotel. He hands us a menu with their “Signature sips”. “I do not like calling these drinks, cocktails,” he chuckles.

From the menu at Joe’s Pub
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

But first, we partake in a history session.

“In the 1800s, the building was constructed by a local who wanted to see the races at what is now known as the Galle International Cricket Stadium. He wasn’t allowed by the British to enter the Gymkhana horse track club to watch the races, and decided to build his own space with a great view,” says Yoshan. Fast-forward to 1921, and his great-grandfather JL Pimanda took over the building soon after the first World War was over. The harbour at Galle then was bustling with activity. “There were many soldeirs and sailors, and many of their ships docking into the harbour had ‘Sydney’ emblazoned on the hull. My great-grandfather decided it would be fitting to start a bar, and thus the name as well,” Yoshan says.

The family, over the next few decades, made part of the building its home with the bar and later, a restaurant and rooms for guests. In the 1960s and 70s, post-Independence, arrack began to get popular and Yoshan says this was the time when people switched to this local liquor. “I have heard that we used to have six barmen just to keep pouring these drinks for the crowds that kept coming in. We were probably the only bar in this area and we had people travelling distances just to have a drink here,” he adds, narrating stories that he has heard from his family, especially of long queues outside their bar. With the highways yet to come up, back then, travellers and locals going down South had to pass through Galle, which meant Sydney Hotel became a much-awaited pit stop.

(Left) Signature Sips at Joe’s Pub and (right) the chicken kothu
| Photo Credit:
S Poorvaja

In 2024, when his father, the third generation owner of the hotel, was mulling over stepping back from managing the hotel, Yoshan, who was then in a corporate job decided to take the plunge. “I had no intentions of taking over the business then, but when my dad said he wanted to retire, it got me thinking about this business that has been in the family for over 100 years. I didn’t want to be ridden with the guilt of having given this up,” he says.

From Joe’s signature sips, we settle for Galle Island Tea, a blend of passionfruit, Indiapress and rum, and a drink called ‘Alright, it’s time to leave now’. This is the much preferred combination of the locals when they want a quick fix— a glass of strong beer and a small glass bottle of extra special 50ml arrack wrapped in a tiny piece of checked sarong fabric is placed on our table alongside some bar specials that include boiled chickpeas topped with large pieces of coconut, and devilled sausages. The piece de resistance here however, is a large, steaming hot plate of chicken kothu, flaky, golden parottas and minced chicken meat that is perfectly spiced.

A view of the arrack bar
| Photo Credit:
S Poorvaja

While Joe’s is best for a lazy afternoon drink or an evening of watching sports on their TV, the arrack bar has a different story to tell. An old signboard there lists the prices of arrack from 50ml to 750ml quantities starting at 310 Sri Lankan rupees. “From labourers to doctors, lawyers and even travellers passing through who wanted a quick drink, the 50ml quantity we sold was perfect. It was harder back then to find arrack being sold in small quantities,” Yoshan points out.

While the arrack bar continues to be a local haunt, a ‘quick shot’ at the standing bar is now also becoming a part of traveller itineraries; for those staying at the hostel there or others who walk into the hotel fascinated by its history, and for a taste of a local experience.

The recently revamped 1921 by Sydney Galle restaurant meanwhile has a fusion menu with local influences, and a selection of warm and cold beverages. The vibe here is that of a modern cafe, one that the flocks of tourists making a beeline for Galle will no doubt, take to.

Yoshan(left)with Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Since Yoshan took over however, he notes with much cheer that the arrack bar and Joe’s Pub have unexpectedly been in the limelight. “We had Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan, judges from Masterchef Australia visit Sydney Hotel twice, and they loved sitting at Joe’s and heading to the arrack bar for quick shots,” says Yoshan. Former cricketer Kumar Sangakkara too, ahead of his birthday this year, celebrated and posted on his Instagram page about the century-old hotel.

The fact that Sydney Hotel’s distinct spaces each remain accessible at a different price point is an important part of how the space has retained its charm over the years. This, Yoshan says, is something he is determined to keep going. “We do face challenges with operational costs, but I hope that I bring about a model where prices can only get lower with time, not higher,” he says, with an eye on the future.