Colombo Fort Cafe – Reviewed

A sense of colonialism in the capital

Colombo Fort Café, a venture by Harpo’s began 5+ years ago. Two things about the place stood out for us, the food and the influx of customers. They’ve got customers of various ethnicities walking in and out every minute, and we must say, everybody we saw seemed very pleased with the dining experience they’ve had.

Here’s what we thought of the place…

Food and Drinks

Disclaimer: They’ve got a pretty extensive menu.

Drinks: Strawberry Margarita – Rs. 825, Passion Mojito – Rs. 750, Tamarind Chili Martini – Rs. 750, Bull Frog – Rs. 925, “Harpo” ade – Rs. 875 and Arrack cocktail – Rs. 425

Let’s begin with the Strawberry Margarita. Will I recommend this for a girl’s night out? Damn right I will. Not just because it’s pink, but also because it tasted so great. The alcohol to everything else ratio worked out pretty well too.

The Passion Mojito was actually a great drink. It’s a good option to start the night with, because it wasn’t too alcohol-y.

Their Tamarind Chili martini is an exclusive. If you’re a Sri Lankan obsessed with our classic cuisine, you might enjoy this drink. Why I wouldn’t, is because it was too “curry like” for me. From the thuna paha infused salt lining to the sugar syrup mix in the tamarind, I wasn’t a big fan. Buuuuuut you’ve got to give it to them; it was a very innovative take.

Their Bullfrog was a great take on a classic!

The Harpo Ade is their signature cocktail and is a mix of orange and citrus vodka mixed to a very own recipe. We’d definitely recommend this!

The arrack cocktail was pretty good too. The only downfall was the chunky passion fruit remains in it.

Appetizers: Batter Fried Calamari – Rs. 725 and Chicken Chorizo and Kochchi bites – Rs. 800

Never have I ever been this surprised with fried calamari before. The calamari rings were massive, I kid you not. They were super fresh too! Kinda obsessed with the sweet chili sauce that accompanied the dish too.

The Kochchi bites were insanely creamy. One bite into it, and you immediately know that it’s not store bought Kochchi bites. The minced chorizo inside was covered in creamy cheese and was lightly fried to perfection. The bites were accompanied with a homemade “secret” sauce. It was spicy, but I swear to you, you’d want to lick the bowl empty.

Mains: Chef’s Grilled Seafood Fest – Rs. 2975, Moussaka – Rs. 1300 and “Really” simple prawn curry – Rs. 1950

Let me begin by telling you that for Rs. 3k, this dish is worth every penny. It’s a cup of butter rice surrounded by sautéed cuttlefish, a grilled corn cob, an insanely soft lobster tail, and a buttered jumbo prawn accompanied with a bunch of baby prawns, two mussels, and a big chunk of sear fish. The seafood was absolutely exemplary. It was sautéed to perfection and the meat was tender and soft. It was literally is worth. Every. Penny.

The Moussaka is a cross between a pie and a lasagna. The Moussaka square had a base and top made of a layer of boiled slices of potato and was sprinkled with a layer of mozzarella. It was so much better than a lasagna because the minced meat in the center was not obstructed by layers of anything else. (Aka. Pasta sheets/carbohydrates)

Their Really Simple Prawn Curry was not so simple after all. I should tell you, this plate looks like it came out of a Michelin Star restaurant. Two toasted baguettes lay on the sides of the plate. And in the middle lay a bowl of pol sambol, a sunny side up and a pool of prawn curry topped with a massive prawn head. This was our favorite! We basked in the glory of an amazing prawn curry. This was your average prawn curry, pol sambol and roast paan but with an upgraded facelift.

Dessert: Blueberry cheesecake – Rs. 375, Passion fruit cheesecake- Rs. 475 and Rich chocolate cake – Rs. 425

The blueberry cheesecake looked like it came right out of heaven. Accompanied by two strawberries on the side and heavily drizzled with a blueberry jam on top, this piece of cake was what dreams are made of (at least it’s what my dreams are made of).

The strawberry on the side is probably a signature add-on when all their cheesecakes are plated. I liked the blueberry cheesecake better, but the circle of passion fruit cheesecake was mouthwatering too. Again, heavily drizzled with passion fruit plump, the Passion Fruit Cheesecake is a dessert we’d definitely recommend.

This chocolate cake looked so en pointe, it felt like a crime to devour it! The slice was topped with a chocolate petal and was drizzled to perfection with chocolate sauce. The cake was super soft, intensely chocolate-y and tasted incredible.

Service & Ambience

A show stopper about this place is its subtle architecture. The Dutch hospital square in itself is a beautiful colonial establishment and Colombo Fort Café has incorporated a touch of heritage into the restaurant’s setting and interior. You can opt for outdoor or indoor seating. Indoor, if you’re feeling fancy or if you’re on a date. Outdoor, if you want to chill with your friends or have a family dinner whilst basking under the stars.

In terms of their service, the waiters were super nice to us. They came to check up on our meals from time to time too! 🙂

Loved the vibe. They’ve got an overhead speaker playing iTunes top 100!

Have you tried Colombo Fort Cafe yet? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below! Is there anything we’ve missed?

Tip: Their mains are pretty massive in size.