The Berlin Sky Lounge – Reviewed

A taste of Germany in the midst of the Colombo Cityscape

Journeying to the Berlin Sky Lounge is a bit of a trek. After taking the lift to the 5th floor, you’ll have to climb up two flights of stairs to get to the new attachment to the infamous Italian Fine Dining restaurant Il Cielo. But don’t worry, situated behind the gorgeous Gangaramya temple, its central location makes the climb worth it. The views are absolutely gorgeous. Overlooking nearly every major landscape in Colombo with overhead views of the Beirei Lake and an outstanding view of the Lotus Tower, it is a great spot to watch the sunset.

Ambience

The setting of the restaurant is surreal. With the beautiful White Bar being the first thing you see as you enter the restaurant and the sliding glass doors leading to the balcony where you’ll find several tables for the pleasure of your dining experience. The color scheme is one thing I noticed highly, one which was very mellow and relaxed, it really added to the ambiance with its focus on black and white (from the logo) as well as a very mellow bluish-grey color for the chairs and tables.

If you’re willing to journey up one more flight of stairs they have a sort of cocktail loft, where you can enjoy the view from an even greater height. On this floor, they also have a long table, which can be rented out for large parties and such what. A great space for an evening of cocktails.
One last note on the ambience and settings, one which made me truly love the vibe, was the music. A classic shuffled playlist of an array of music including several acoustic covers by artists such as Boyce Avenue or Sam Tsui, as well as some great covers by Post Modern Jukebox. It truly adds to the ambience and gives it that perfect little touch to host a fantastic night filled with cocktails and chatter.

Food and Drinks

Drinks: Kamikaze, Daiquiri, Tequila Sunrise, Sex on the Beach and Pina Colada  

We were quite intrigued by the cocktail list, it was the first place we saw in Colombo that had “beer cocktails”.

The Apple and the Pineapple beer cocktails, in my opinion both were overly sweet, the latter more than the former, and really lacked the taste of beer. I didn’t think it lived up to the name “beer cocktail” because it really didn’t taste like beer at all, making it simply taste like a fizzy, sugary juice. What I did like about it were the small pieces of fruit inside, which added some authenticity to the taste which seemed primarily artificial. (The Apple one tasted a lot like Apple Sunquick with some sprite put in it).

What I truly enjoyed was the Strawberry Delight and the Caipi. Though I couldn’t exactly figure out how to pronounce it, the Caipi was fantastic in my opinion, but that may just be because I really enjoy sour things. It was very citrusy and included a minty taste too, which really mellowed out the classic beer taste, even though it was still evident (unlike the first two). It was truly a cocktail, where it was the perfect balance of all the ingredients within it.

But it couldn’t quite match my absolute favorite of the night, which was the Strawberry Delight. An absolute joyful culmination of flavors, with the definitively perfect ratio of liquids. The beer taste was strong and evident, yet went perfectly with the sweet yet sour taste of the lime and the strawberry concoction. I could only drink two of these though, because the portion was quite large in a wide average height glass filled to the brim.

Next we tried their Kamikaze, Daiquiri, Tequila Sunrise, Sex on the Beach and Pina Colada.

The Kamikaze was a little too strong for a cocktail to start your night off with. The alcohol taste I felt, overpowered the drink. But this is good for your second or third round of drinks and a definite party starter.

Ah, the Daiquiri was everything. A beautiful blend of citrus juice and rum. The two were equally balanced and sweetened.

Our next option, the Tequila Sunrise, as a front runner in the cocktail industry, was up to expectation. For those that prefer fruity cocktails, this is your true calling. It isn’t too strong for your first few sips, but as you sip more, you realize that is starts to hit you….. slowly.

A favorite, Sex on the beach was the perfect mix of vodka and cranberry, and orange juice. This is the kind of cocktail that if it were a Sri Lankan curry, your grandma would say “gaanata thiyanawa”.

The Pina Colada was really our favorite. We thought it was a bit too sweet and felt like the flavor of rum was lost in the sweetness. But it should be noted that Pina Colada is actually a tropical cocktail that is meant to be sweet, so in that sense, it did justice to how it’s supposed to be made.

Sausages and Specialties: Bratwurst Auf Bayrisch Kraut and Mix Teller

The Bratwurst auf Bayrisch Kraut at Rs.850 was a stellar dish. You can literally taste Germany in the dish and with the first bite we took, we knew we were in for a ride. The Sausage was cooked to perfection. The cabbage was a sour kraut. The potatoes that accompanied the dish were crispy and not too salty or soggy. You can taste the freshness of the Bavarian style made produced and it accompanied the meat well.

Our next pick from their ‘Sausages and Specialties’ selection was their Mix Teller at Rs. 1100. The dish described as, ‘A perfect mix to sample a bit of everything: Sausage slices, liver pate & meat balls, served with potato salad, German mustard and a bread basket of home baked fresh bread & butter’, was a show stopper. The potatoes cold was a great accompaniment along with the minced pork and beef balls and beef sausages. The meat star the dish and literally the only thing missing with this dish is a glass of beer. The view, the music, the ambience check out the rest of the boxes. The bread and butter, as side, both made in house was insanely fresh, you can literally taste its freshness with every bite you took!

Schnitzel & Grills: Grilled Beef Entrecôte with a Pepper Gravy Sauce and the Berlin Sky Schnitzel.

After reading this review, I know for a fact that most of you would possibly be in rush to try out the Berlin Sky Lounge, and you must. You absolutely must order food from this category in their menu. These dishes are so authentic it almost feels as if you were in the country itself.

The first grilled main we tried, their Grilled Beef Entrecôte with a Pepper Gravy Sauce at Rs.1280 was everything you’d want your steak to be. The meat was juicy and crispy on the outside. They would ask you how cooked you would like your meat to be, and we were so happy with our request for a well-done steak. Succulently juicy on the inside and the side we chose, their Crispy Potato Cake was a great accompaniment to the dish.

Our next pick, their Berlin Sky Schnitzel at Rs.1490 was also not let down. As you can see, we were on a Bavarian roller coaster that only seemed to be going up, and we were very happy about that.  This main, that starred a pork tenderloin was very juicy, succulent and had the perfect embodiment of German spices. The meat was fried with breadcrumbs and topped with a creamy and cheesy mushroom sauce. The dish was accompanied by cooked potatoes, which pretty much acted as the icing on top.

Hamburgers: Berlin Sky Burger

Their Berlin Sky Burger is a restaurant specialty, and they really seem to take their food seriously.  At Rs.750, you have the option of choosing your meat the extra additions for your burger. So it’s pretty much like a make your own burger sort of deal.  The patty, which is 100% homemade and grilled, was a little too roasted on the edges for our liking. Not overcooked, but a bit too roasted on the outside. The pickles in the burger, and the potato chips along with a heavenly melt of cheese make this option so much more worth it.

Latest Addition: Pork Knuckles

This is the latest addition to their already fancy Bavarian menu. The Pork Knuckles are soft on the inside but hard and crispy on the outside. The well-made broccoli and potato mash are great sides to an almost heavenly pork dish.

Desserts: Crème Brûlée, Panna Cotta Ai Frutti Di Bosco, Lava Cake and Tiramisù

Here we tried out some desserts from their Italian menu from Il Cielo downstairs like the Tiramisù. On that note, if you want to order dishes from their Italian restaurant downstairs while at the Berlin Sky Lounge, you could do that.  

The Crème Brûlée at Rs.450 was the best we’ve had in Colombo. One problem I usually come across in crème brûlée’s in city is that the top is usually torched out of proportion, and the burnt taste ruins the whole dessert. Their crème brûlée for one, was not the typical. The caramel was crystallized beautifully and as you take a spoon and dig into it, the satisfaction you get from tasting that perfectly set but still soft custard base.

The Panna Cotta Ai Frutti Di Bosco at Rs.450 was also beautiful, quite literally. Every bite starts with a sour punch and takes you through a ride of sweetness. The sweetened cream was thick enough and wobbly enough to be just the right texture.

The Lava Cake wasn’t necessarily out of the world, I’m not saying it was any bad either. It was your typical lava cake with a lovely crust on top and chocolate oozing on the inside. They served the lava cake with Homemade Gelato Ice cream. This is something you should definitely try out at the Berlin Sky Lounge. Their ice cream is homemade, and for me, nothing can beat the creamy, fluffy taste it has.

The Tiramisù at Rs.490, which we thought was a pick from their Italian place downstairs was truly and in every sense authentic. It was so soft and light, there was the perfect balance of coffee flavor and the dish was plated beautifully.

We loved our trip to the Berlin Sky Lounge and hope that you do too! Let us know your experience in the comments section below! Is there anything we missed?