La Rambla

18 Tickell Road
Colombo 8.
Tel: 94-11-2685992

The rather beautiful entrance to the restaurant renders a feel of entering a home in Rajasthan, India, but it’s actually a Spanish (or not so Spanish) restaurant situated within the building’s walls.

Apart from a limited choice of Spanish items, such as Paella and Tapas, the rest of the menu does not stand out as particularly Spanish. The food is above average but not extraordinary. The prices range from moderate to expensive, and there are some good deals such as roast lamb or grilled pork chop for under US$10. While the lamb contains a fair bit of fat, the price is still good for what it offers.

The indoor seating provides a cooler atmosphere, but the outdoor tables allow you to enjoy the beautiful setting by the pool.

The service has one large complaint: the waiters don’t seem to like to give you sufficient space or time to browse through the menus at ease. Even with a subtle hint for more time, you may find your waiter hanging out right behind your chair until you are ready to place your order.

Exterior of La Rambla



Outdoor seating



Poolside



Grilled Pork Chop



Roast Lamb



Crab Cakes


LA RAMBLA MENU

Kids Menu
Corkscrew pasta in Cheesy Cream Sauce with grilled sausages 400
Chicken Maryland – crumb fried chicken wings and legs with fries 500
Fish and Chips 500

Specialties
Crab Cakes – fresh crab meat lightly crumb fried, served on a bed of mash, cucumber and mint salad with yogurt dip 875
Fresh Fish Tacos – three soft corn tortillas filled with fresh grilled fish, spicy avocado cream and a spicy tomato salad served with black beans and guacamole 800

Lunch Menu
Cajun Jambalaya Rice - our most popular seafood dish! Shrimp, cuttlefish, and fish sautéed with onions, peppers, mushrooms in a very spicy Cajun coconut sauce 800
Chicken Piccata – crispy parmesan crusted chicken breast served on a bed of pasta with green bean and coleslaw 750
Devilled Chicken/Pork/Prawns – served with steamed rice 700

Starters and Appetizers
Chicken Bockwurst risotto with pickled bell pepper and eggplant with garlic mayonnaise 500
Smoked salmon on a bed of mixed greens with lemon and mustard sauce 650
Tortilla with mozzarella cheese, Mexican salsa and shrimp (4 pcs.) 425
Mushroom fritters served with chili and garlic mayonnaise 400
Shrimp cocktail 475

Salads
Greek salad 450
Caesar Salad with grilled chicken/bacon/shrimp 400
Taco salad 500

Soups
Cream of chicken and asparagus 400
Spicy tomato and cilantro soup 375
Spicy gingered carrot soup 375

Spanish delight
Paella – authentic Spanish style risotto of fresh seafood, chicken and sliced spicy sausage cooked in wine flavored stock, topped with bell pepper, green peas and fresh lemon (for two) 1750

Tapas (4 pcs. each)
Roast beef fillet – with garlic mash, sautéed spinach and tomato with Chardonnay cream sauce 550
Liver wrapped in bacon – with pineapple and pickled beetroot 500
Shrimp and avocado bruchetta – sliced French bread, frilled and topped with guacamole, fresh basil, and olive oil with pan seared shrimp topped with Parmesan cheese 500
Stuffed crab claws – with guacamole and sour cream 650
Spicy sausage and mash with spinach – with buttered spinach, black olives drizzled with chopped fresh cilantro and mozzarella 525
Crepes stuffed with crab meat with mozzarella and kalamata olives 500
Tomato, eggplant, mozzarella drizzled with basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar 500

Seafood
Salmon fillet – pan fried and served on bed of fettuccine with mustard and lemon butter sauce topped with mango salsa 1850
Grilled modha fillet – coconut crusted on a bed of grilled potato with creamy shrimp and rosemary sauce 850
King prawns – cooked in Moroccan spice BBQ sauce with spring onions and chopped peanuts served with parsley rice 950
Seafood platter – lemon and honey marinated prawns, calamari, fish and baked crab served with garden salad and sweet chili sauce 1500
La Rambla special baked crab (two crabs) – served on bed of Spanish rice with green fruity salad 950
Crab cakes – fresh crab meat lightly crumb fried served on a bed of mash, cucumber and mint salad with yoghurt dip 875

Chicken
Honey glazed grilled chicken – in creamy mushroom sauce with mash, mushrooms and asparagus 700
Rolled stuffed chicken – with bourbon sauce served with pasta 750
Chicken fajita - stir fried strips of chicken wrapped in a giant tortilla with guacamole and sour cream, mixed beans topped with tomato mole and cheese sauce 750
BBQ chicken skewers – honey ginger marinated BBQ chicken skewers served with Spanish rice and mango salad 750
La Rambla grill – ultimate La Rambla feast! Tender char grilled chicken covered in bourbon glaze, a succulent steak, garlic bockwurst and grilled fish, chicken liver flavored with our steak seasoning served with roast potato, cabbage and apple salad topped with back bacon and peppery red wine sauce 1500

Beef
Steak – prime char grilled Australian sirloin steak lightly dusted with our steak seasoning and grilled to your taste, served with a sprinkle of frizzled red onions, cheesy mash and buttered vegetables 1450
Roast beef – on a bed or garlic mash with beet and cranberry sauce 750
Minced beef (spicy) – with red beans and mozzarella cheese with sour cream and Mexican salsa served in stuffed tortilla 750

Lamb
Diced grilled lamb – with rustic sherry and mint gravy served with spinach stuffed crepes 900
Roast lamb – with orange and mint sauce served with vegetable couscous 900

Pork
Grilled pork chop – rustic sherry and pineapple sauce served with pasta and vegetable parcels 800
Moroccan spiced BBQ pork fillet – served with pickled red radish, olives, and cherry tomato on a bed of grilled potato 800

Vegetarian
Vegetable stuffed crepes – gratin with mozzarella served with tomato, red beans and green peas tossed in balsamic dressing 600
Cauliflower, broccoli, pumpkin and eggplant - tossed in spicy lemongrass flavored coconut sauce, sprinkled with steam rice served in a taco shell 600
Leek and potato soufflé – with basil and parmesan 600
Pasta – prepared to your choice of combination 600
Ravioli - with spinach and ricotta cheese in tomato and oregano sauce 700

Pasta
Pasta da Vinci - sautéed chicken, mushroom, onions and garlic on a delicious Madeira wine sauce tossed with penne pasta and parmesan 700
Thai chicken pasta – sautéed chicken, julienne carrots, green onions, roasted peanuts and a spicy hot peanut sauce 700
Penne pasta with creamy cheese sauce – topped with chicken and Parmesan 700
Chicken tortellini – with champagne cream sauce 700
Ravioli with spinach and ricotta cheese – with tomato and oregano sauce 700
Spaghetti carbonara 600
Spaghetti bolognaise 750
Pasta neopolitan 500

Deserts
Blueberry cheesecake 400
Tiramisu 400
Chocolate and rum Pavlova 400
Fruit platter 300
Ice cream with chocolate sauce and nuts 250
Chocolate fudge brownie with vanilla ice cream 325
Hot bread pudding with vanilla rum custard 300

Tao

77 Galle Road
Colombo 3.
Tel: 2497369, 2437437, 2320001

Mediocre food and a waste of a beautiful outdoor ambiance. One expects more from Tao, given its location at the Five Star Cinnamon Grand Hotel and situated next door to the top notch seafood restaurant, The Lagoon. But this fusion restaurant is a huge disappointment. The fusion in the cooking does nothing to bring out the subtleties of the ethnic flavors in dishes. The prices on the menu are reasonable for a high-end hotel restaurant, but unfortunately what arrives on your plate will not give you nearly enough satisfaction even for such prices. If you find yourself at the Cinnamon Grand for a meal, don’t think twice about checking out one of the hotel’s other restaurants.

Bars Cafe

24 Deal Place
Colombo 3.
Tel: 94-11-2575157

It’s an unassuming place during the day, but at night when the trees outside Bars are adorned with Christmas lights, you want to take a second look. And it’s worth taking more than just a second look.

This relaxed café overlooking Duplication road offers great food for very reasonable prices. One wonders how it even survives. With the exception of a few tables inside the air-conditioned section, most seating is outdoors. When the traffic is busy on Duplication road, therefore, quiet conversation can be difficult.

The menu choice is expansive and includes curries, stews, pizzas, and wraps. Alcohol is not served, but the fresh fruit juices offered are probably a better choice for a typical humid evening in Colombo. The food is well presented, but service is slow.

This is a place where you find excellent value for money, and you won’t be going home with a dent in your wallet.

Bay Leaf

79 Gregory’s Road
Colombo 7
Tel: 94-11-5359653
Hours: 11am-11pm daily

An Italian restaurant in a not-so-Italian setting. Bay Leaf is set in a converted colonial house with tables laid out in the spacious front garden, in the veranda and balcony, as well as indoors. The atmosphere is relaxed, and the clientele consists mostly of Colombo’s expatriate community.

Enjoy a drink at the bar before your meal, while you watch Lionel Richie’s music videos playing on the big screen. The music is not overbearingly loud even on weekend nights, so this bar makes for an ideal venue for pre-dinner catch-up.

The food does not quite come up to par with Hilton’s Il Ponte, but is a step above Cinnamon Grand’s Ecko. The pasta selection is large and it will take you a bit of time to peruse through. The dishes vary in price from moderate to expensive.

Tintagel

65 Rosmead Place
Colombo 7.
Tel: 94-11-4602060
Fax: 94-11-4602168
E-mail: info@tintagelcolombo.com
Website: http://www.tintagelcolombo.com

Vision. Detail. Excellence. These three words exemplify restaurateur, hotelier, and store owner Shanth Fernando’s latest creation on Rosmead Place. This 1929 colonial residence, named ‘Tintagel’, once housed one of Sri Lanka’s famous political families through most of its history, until it was converted into its new personage of a unique private hotel in 2007.

The restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor dining spaces, each embodying a different character. The small indoor area, with its ebony colored walls and tables, white table runners, and silver chandeliers, has a chique, yet more serious undertone in comparison to the hotel’s outdoor, more casual seating area, where you can relax into a cane chair at one the of the canopy-covered tables, perhaps even unbutton your collar, and enjoy the hanging-vines on the walls.

Given its BYOB and reservation-only policy, you may find that you are one of a few diners. Despite an army of waiters the service is not uncomfortably attentive, which allows for an enjoyable meal – although the lapse in service arises when it’s time to top up your water glass.

Among the starters is the delicious Chilled Cucumber and Avocado soup with Prawn Salsa - a refreshingly smooth gazpacho-like soup (without the tomato), with a kick of crunchy salsa that adds an exciting, contrasting consistency. The Lobster and Prawn Laksa, a Chinese-Malay noodle soup with a coconut milk base, bean sprouts, tofu, and a picked quail egg, on the other hand, is rather bland, lacking sufficient flavor and spice. The Potato Gnocchi with Blue Cheese Sauce appetizer is a rather doughy in texture, but the Walnut and Fetta stuffed Mushrooms wrapped in Bacon contains a pleasant and balanced mix of both flavors and textures. For the mains, both the Braised Lamb Shanks with Oyster Sauce and Dates in Chinese Wine, and the Ossu Bucco with Semolina Gnocchi, are highly recommended: the meats are cooked to perfection, and their accompaniments add positively to the overall pleasure of the course. On par with the excellence at its sibling restaurant, Paradise Road Gallery Café, Tintagel’s desserts are a must-try. Try the signature dessert – the rich Paradise Road Chocolate cake with Vanilla Ice Cream - or the light Carrot Cake with Lime Icing. But, avoid the Chocolate Mousse Tart with Orange Jelly and Caramelized Orange: the hard consistency of the jelly is a detraction from the rich, soft chocolate mousse.

Despite a few shortcomings on the menu, an evening at Tintagel is a unique experience for those searching for high quality in food and a one-of-a-kind ambiance in Colombo.

Entrance facade





Living area of hotel





Indoor dining area





Outdoor dining area





Stairway to bedroom suites





Swimming pool





Virgin Pina colada





Chilled cucumber and avocado soup with prawn salsa





Lobster and prawn laksa





Potato gnocchi with blue cheese sauce





Walnut and feta stuffed mushrooms wrapped in bacon





Osso bucco with semonlia gnocchi





Braised lamb shanks in oyster sauce and dates in Chinese wine





Carrot cake with lime icing





Chocolate mousse tart with orange jelly and caramelized orange


TINTAGEL MENU

Soups
Lobster and prawn laksa 695
Chilled cucumber and avocado with prawn salsa 475
Roasted tomato soup with basil emulsion 385
Vegetable consommé with parsley ravioli 365

Entrées
Smoked salmon with vodka crème and caviar 965
Yellow Fin Tuna wrapped in white radish with picked ginger
and wasabi 535
Walnut and feta stuffed mushrooms wrapped in bacon 735
Olive frittata with cream cheese 525
Potato gnocchi with blue cheese sauce 535

Mains
Braised lamb shanks with oyster sauce and dates in Chinese wine 2250
Osso bucco with semolina gnocchi 1235
Seared tuna steak with miso mustard sabayon and a white radish
and ginger coulis 785
Grilled lobster with garlic butter and saffron rice 3260
Braised pork belly on grilled shiitake mushrooms with a poached
egg and picked ginger mayonnaise 1250
Open lasagna on beans with rocket and feta tortellini 595
Mushroom risotto with thyme 725
Squid ink risotto 767
Beef tenderloin with onion jus on mashed potatoes and green beans 2865
Pan-roasted salmon with balsamic vinegar and cauliflower purée 1235

Dessert
Paradise Road chocolate cake with homemade vanilla ice cream 365
Marbled cream and chocolate mousse cake 395
Orange cake with homemade marmalade 325
Chocolate mousse tart with orange jelly and caramelized orange 425
Carrot cake with lime icing 325
Boca negra with shipped cream 435
Dark chocolate mousse with tiramisu crème and almond
coffee-chocolate purée 395
Fresh strawberries and cream 525
Vanilla panna cotta with strawberry compote 465
Caramel pot of cream 365
Homemade ice creams (vanilla bean, chocolate, passion fruit,
cinnamon-jaggery) 375
Fresh fruit platter 450
Curd and palm sugar treacle 325

Spices - Hilton Hotel

2 Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha
Colombo 2.
Tel: 94-11-249249
Fax: 94-11-2544657
Website: http://www1.hilton.com/en_US/hi/hotel/COLHITW-Hilton-Colombo-hotel/
dining.do;jsessionid=2230879C1E2EC68500431BB7AF0077EC.etc56#4

On a lazy weekend afternoon, when you desire a change from the rushed and boring lunches that you usually eat during the week, step into the cool and relaxed atmosphere of Spices Restaurant at the Hilton hotel and unwind over a long buffet brunch. While overlooking the large pond of fish and swans, leisurely enjoy a vast array of foods that taste even better than they look.

One note of forewarning to those who are looking for a classic Continental breakfast of bacon and eggs: the “br” of the “brunch” is limited (consisting mainly of fruit, muesli, and pancakes), although the “unch” will make up for it.

On offer are choices of fresh fruit juice, delicate appetizers, salads and cheeses, soups, sushi and sashmini, fresh seafood platters, curries, roasts, stir-fries, and desserts. The bite-sized starters, served in Asian soup spoons, offer well-marinated and garnished choices of beef, chicken, tuna, and tofu with accompaniments such as goat cheese and grapes. The smoked salmon, salamis, and cheeses are of excellent quality, as are the assortment of sushi and sashimi, raw oysters, and steamed crab. The roasts are tender (usually imported from New Zealand or Australia), and the curries are authentic and delicious. The dessert table offers about a dozen choices of delectable sweets, but don’t be too tempted by the gelatinous looking options: unfortunately, even the Hilton hotel, while it holds an excellent and well-deserved reputation for its food, still enjoys using too much gelatin in several deserts, which creates an end-product that underwhelms the tongue as much as it had overwhelmed the eyes.

The waiters are not discerning when it comes to filling water glasses and offering guests coffee and tea, but nevertheless pleasant and courteous.

The Spices weekend brunch attracts a faithful clientele, which attests to its consistency in quality. Its menu changes regularly, so call in to find out what will be served when you decide to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon at the Hilton.

Bread and soup station

Seafood

Selection of appetizers






Desert table






Assortment of picks from buffet

Green Cabin

453 Galle Road
Colombo 3
Tel: 2588811; 2591841

Although it has had gone through some rough patches over the past few decades, Green Cabin has now sprung back into popularity and gained the reputation it used to attract in the 40s and 50s, this time with the addition of a new restaurant to its long established bakery.

This restaurant, which serves a diverse selection of traditional Sri Lankan food, seats about 30 people in the veranda of the old building that houses the bakery, with a lackluster ambiance of dim fluorescent lighting and a lack of music. The food, however, is simply fantastic, served by old-school Sri Lankan waiters in sarongs.

This is an ideal place to dine out family-style with friends or family. Start off your meal with a glass of the popular sweet and milky Sri Lankan iced coffee. Get a portion of plain hoppers and egg hoppers (a crisp, concave pancake made of rice flour, with a choice of an egg in the center). These light “appam” (the local word for “hopper”) are best eaten with a few curries and a sambol (a spicy condiment eaten as a side dish). Try the godhamba rotti – a soft, chewy pancake – also eaten with curries, since it does not have much taste on its own. Order the mouth-watering cadju curry - a mustard colored cashew nut curry – and the tomato curry. As for meat choices, choose the chicken curry or the fish ambulthiyal (a sour, dry fish curry). And to accompany your meal, try the sweet and spicy seeni sambol (made of onions). The portions of the curries are small: about 3 or 4 curries and a couple of sambols will be sufficient for two people, and will provide a gamut of delicious Sri Lankan flavors.

If the bakery is open, step next door to end your meal with a chocolate éclair. They taste just as good as they did back in the day (apparently).