Kolamba

Simona M

Kolamba - A Great First Experience!

We had a warm welcome at Kolamba, and the atmosphere was relaxed and inviting. The menu had a small selection, but every dish was unique and packed with amazing flavours. It was our first time trying Sri Lankan food, and the experience was very positive—definitely one to recommend!

Giuseppe C

Emily Q

We enjoyed a lovely set lunch at Kolamba which left our tastebuds and bellies fully satieted.  The banana blossom pastries were tasty but they needed the accompanying sriracha sauce to left the rather mild but cardamom-heavy banana blossom filling.  My jaggery beef main course was very moreish and it was well balanced with the various chutneys and sambars which provide contrasting taste and textures.  There was a lot of rice and we did wish there was a little more dhal or sambols to eat with the rice at the bottom of the bowl.

Valerie M

The dishes we chose were all very tasty and well prepared, and the service was great.  We will return.

Laura G

Amazing food and the staff were great 

Michael T

We had a fantastic lunch at Kolamba. Every dish was delicious and fresh tasting. Service was very good, with food served at a good pace (not all at once as can so often happen). Nice relaxed ambience. Would recommend very highly. 

Arul J

The food here was excellent. It came quickly and was full of exquisite flavour. The only downside was that we were rushed from our seats at the end. We were not told that the seats were needed later and this spoiled an otherwise excellent experience

Anon

Seven months ago, before lockdown, I reviewed a disappointing meal at Kolamba. This was obviously a one off as I have been twice since lockdown and had excellent meals both times. Todays lunch was lovely and I am so glad you found a way to survive the last difficult six months. I shall be back soon!
Hannah

Alex G

The joy of new discovery – or serendipity – is one of life’s pleasures. So it was with Kolamba, a newish restaurant serving Sri Lankan food on the edge of Soho. Maybe no coincidence, but Sri Lanka was, of course, once known as Serendip. Most diners are familiar with Indian food, but do not go to Kolamba (the local name for the island’s capital, Colombo) expecting anything close to a tikka masala or vindaloo. The premise behind Sri Lankan cuisine is a harmonious merger of sweet, savoury and sour flavours. It’s mostly executed very well here. The venue has the Instagram community in mind with its muted décor, distressed walls and plant-based decorations, but the food is mainly what does the talking.

At first sight, the menu may appear somewhat bewildering, divided into sections spanning bites, sambols (salads), large dishes and condiments, but it is a darned sight less complicated than that on offer at Hoppers, the venue which first popularised Sri Lankan food in London. Conveniently, there is an informative box at the menu’s top, advocating 1-2 bites, 2 meat dishes and 2-3 veg options (with the possibility of a smabol too) for a group of two to share. This was broadly the formula we stuck to, even if the dishes arrived in a somewhat random order with one severely delayed (generously) or perhaps erroneously forgotten about. Despite both my dining comrade and I being avowed omnivores, we both agreed that Kolamba excelled most strongly with its vegetarian dishes. Other reviewers have justifiably raved about the venue’s dhal, which did just what a good dhal should do – be rich, deeply comforting and flavoursome. Nonetheless, the pineapple and aubergine dish – our other vegetable option – was amazing. This surprising combination did actually work and was executed with panache. Slow-cooking seems to be the order of the day here, with the aubergine reduced to an intensely tender state (Sri Lanka’s pineapples are apparently the world’s sweetest, the menu helpfully notes). The black pepper prawn stir fry was a real zinger of a dish too, with the prawns among the largest and juiciest seen at any venue recently, lockdown notwithstanding. The Jaggery beef – another clearly slow cooked dish – was, however, something of a disappointment. The meat did indeed fall delightfully off the bone, but the sauce lacked verve in our view.

For ~£30/head, this is certainly money well spent. One caveat though: owing to the recent late August Bank Holiday, Kolamba had none of the beer we wanted to accompany our meal. Not a problem, since we were allowed to bring pints over from the neighbouring pub. It speaks to a good attitude on the part Kolamba (and indeed the pub), but does mean that diners should normally expect to stump up a bit more if they do want drinks.

Anon

Been to Kolamba twice in the last 10 days.  Had such delicious meals both times.  Specially enjoyed the hoppers and monk fish curry, but the cutlets top it all!  Will definitely be visiting often....