HNB PLC, Sri Lanka’s leading private sector bank, hosted The Connoisseur’s Collective, an exclusive evening for its private banking clients, on Saturday, 17 October 2026 at 1864, the fine dining restaurant at Galle Face Hotel, Colombo, to mark the first anniversary of the Club Elite Metal card launch. The evening featured a guest shift by Toronto’s Cry Baby Gallery, an award-winning bar.
The evening forms part of HNB’s private banking proposition, which pairs curated wealth solutions and investment opportunities with lifestyle events and experiences created for clients in the segment through its Club Elite Metal card.
HNB MD/CEO, Damith Pallewatte said: “Our private banking clients expect us to bring them sound financial solutions and access to experiences they value, delivered with discretion. Our proposition combines curated wealth solutions and investment opportunities with lifestyle events such as The Connoisseur’s Collective, and the first year of Club Elite has shown how closely the two work together. We will continue to develop both to the standard our clients expect.”
HNB’s Club Elite Metal Mastercard sits at the top of the bank’s premium card portfolio and is offered on an invitation-only basis. Launched in February 2025 as Sri Lanka’s first Mastercard World Elite metal card, it carries privileges that include global concierge assistance, luxury travel upgrades, elite golf access and curated retail partnerships.
HNB COO, Sanjay Wijemanne said: “Behind each Club Elite experience is a dedicated service team and a group of partners selected for the standard they deliver. For this evening, we worked with Cry Baby Gallery and Galle Face Hotel to bring that standard to Colombo. Events like this also give us a direct way to hear from our clients in person about what they would like the proposition to include next.”
The Connoisseur’s Collective featured senior mixologist Dalton Welsh of Cry Baby Gallery (CBG), a speakeasy-style bar set behind a contemporary art gallery in Toronto’s Dundas West corridor. It ranked sixth on Canada’s 50 Best Bars 2026 list and 69th on the North America’s 50 Best Bars 2026 extended list. For one night only, HNB Private Banking together with Cry Baby Gallery presented HNB Club Elite customers with a CBG guest shift featuring ingredients flown in from Toronto paired with premium spirits and gourmet delicacies. The evening is part of HNB’s continuing programme of experience-led engagements with its private banking segment.
