Kolamba in City of London, Westminster

Note; this review is for the new location in East London. We visited as a group of 6 on a Wednesday evening. Although located within a deserted street with nothing else around it, I was pleasantly surprised upon arrival as the decor has been very nicely done, and the whole place feels distinctly more upmarket and trendy versus their original location in Soho. It was also surprisingly busy for a weekday. While there was a £55 set menu on offer for our group, we opted to go a la carte. We tried the papadums, soft shell crab, lamb chops, jaggery beef, tamarind chicken curry, sea bream curry, pineapple curry as well as a round of egg hoppers, a few pol rotis and some rice. The portions are relatively small and we did double up on most items under the guidance of our waiter. The food was very good and just like the Soho original they did not hold back on the chillies! The 4 of us in the group who originate from this part of the world very much enjoyed the spices, but it was a struggle for the other 2! Note that the menu did not indicate which items were spicier. Favourite items on the night were the soft shell crab and the jaggery beef. We did try the CPB (choc biscuit pudding) for dessert and was quite disappointed in their deconstructed take on it, especially having tried the normal version which is far superior in my view. Service was friendly but very slow. In fairness they did have a gas supply cut at one point which halted their kitchen activities for 15 min or so, but even after allowing for this I think the pacing was too slow. Funnily enough I had the exact same experience in Soho, and in both cases the meals extended beyond 3 hours. The bill for the 6 of us came to a £522, of which £180 was spent on drinks. This felt quite reasonable. In conclusion, this place offers some authentic and untamed Sri Lankan cuisine, and the food itself is probably near the top of the pack within the small but growing selection of Sri Lankan restaurants in central London. They do need to sharpen up their service however. Compared against the aforementioned group this was easily the slowest of the lot, even if discounting for the gas interruption. Hopefully just teething issues in this recently opened venue, albeit I am a bit wary after my similar experience in their other location. That said, I would give them another chance as the food was pretty good.

Four of us went for an early evening meal on a wet Saturday and were so pleased to get a table. We shared a number of fab dishes including the very tasty but spicy dhal and the cashew fry. The staff were very helpful as we didn’t know what all the dishes were.

£16 for a cocktail??? Plus service charge and tip that’s £20 a drink. £45 for the cheapest wine plus service that’s £55. £45 for a vegetarian biriyani

Booked for brunch as thought it would make a nice change from the usual eggs and avocado. We sat downstairs as it had ac, and I didn't really want yo sit out on the street. Sadly the music was too low to create any sort of atmosphere. Thankfully the food was good. Ordered the cuttlefish, very tasty. mango and papaya salad, very fresh snd juicy. Jaggery beef , my favourite. Rich in flavour with a kick after a mouthful. Ceylon chicken curry, was good. Kiribath which i enjoyed and roti. Not my favourite, thought it was heavy and thick compared to others I've had. Drinks weren't great. Aperol tasted strange, returned and the second wasn't much better. My wine was flat and was sadly the last glass of that brand. Just as well the food was great and there are plenty of other places about to head for further drinks. All staff were lovely but our server was great. She was so smiley, warm and friendly.

Really Bad old lady unfortunately i did not get her name ,host how will try hard to make you unwelcome as foreigner The food was fine, it fancy well designed food , but the experience

A really great meal. Thoroughly tasty and just as we remembered the food from our last Sri Lankan holiday. Plentiful portions and everything really spot on

The food is authentic. Was in Sri Lanka recently .. it’s as good. Well done you guys. Anyone in an around Bond Street/ Soho .. it’s a must try.

De ontvangst was uitermate vriendelijk. Het voorstel om eigenlijk alle voor en hoofdgerechten met 5 personen te delen werd goed uitgevoerd in 3 ronden. Het eten was heerlijk en de sfeer erg goed. We hebben gegeten op het terras, maar binnen was het ook sfeervol. Zelfs in de kelder werd er gegeten. Het Sri Lankaanse eten is heerlijk en spicy maar niet te.

I found this little Sri Lankan restaurant online, it had great reviews so booked prior to going to see Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club. We had a very interesting tasty meal with a very friendly waitress and chefs who could be seen preparing the food. They were happy to tell me how the food was made. My husband was given a free lime and coconut sorbet with a candle for his birthday - so nice Would recommend

One of the highlights of that glorious food terrace that is the West End’s Kingly Street. Next to a branch of the too ubiquitous Dishoom and deserving at least as much attention Kilomba is a unique restaurant showcasing Sri Lankan cuisine and featuring way beyond hoppers and karis. Think mutton rolls, kingfish curry, the full gamut of idlis and sambols,toasted pumpkin and beetroot. There’s even lunch and brunch menus from the latter of which I greatly enjoyed hot butter cuttlefish either chillis followed by a chicken on the bone curry. Beautiful floral decorations abound. Even two large impressive abstract artworks in pastel hues.

Dipped in for food before the Theatre and it was beautiful, service was quick and the taste was fantastic. Lovely experience.

Delicious, authentic food! Highly recommend you check this place out. The menu is for everyone whether you like meat or not, lots of spice or not. Slightly on the pricier side but a treat nonetheless!

Fantastic food, friendly staff and great service as we were on a limited time frame. Food is spicy but not over-heated, and the atmosphere was great- absolutely recommended!

This restaurant warmed my heart. The food was authentically Sri Lankan and really delicious. Special mention to the pea and cashew curry, dal, jackfruit curry and pol roti - haven't had rotis that good since Weligama.

Couldn’t agree more with their tagline: an explosion of flavours, spices and colours. This is exactly what you will experience in this tiny restaurant in the heat of Carnalby Street area. The food concept is sharing, so suggest you take 3-4 dishes to share: watch out with the spicy levels as they can easily go through the roof. 🌶️ We ordered all available meat dishes and it’s hard to tell my favourite: mutton, chicken , lamb. All accompanied by the tender-crispy hoppers. Absolute must-try if you like spicy explosive food! 🌶️ 💣

I ordered the kingfish and the roasted beef feast via the home delivery as a gift to my sister to celebrate a special occasion. The website was straightforward regarding delivery instructions. It was delivered on time as promised. It was kept as a surprise to my sister. She was so thrilled to receive the delivery. The family enjoyed a fabulous dinner with plenty to eat. My 15 year old niece proudly told me she prepared the rice. This was her first experience with Sri Lankan cousin and certainly a great one. Now I can't wait to try it myself and look forward to stop by next time we visit London.

Couldn’t get into Dishoom and I’m so glad because of their bad/rude service but Kolomba was heaven delicious Sri Lankan food highly recommended

I celebrated a milestone birthday with a party of 20 people for lunch. The food was amazing and the mutton poriyal, black pepper prawn fry and Aunty Mo's chatty roast are must tries! The service from Emilis and his team was fabulous, and hats off to the interior decor in the basement! A definite revisit is on the cards! Well done Kolomba.

The chicken curry, mutton and pol sambal were amazing. I didn't know which wine to choose and the man at the bar was great. He let me sample three wines to make sure I got the one I liked. Service great too. Prices are quite high but the food is incredible.

We needed somewhere to eat during a family meet up in London. They, like me are foodies however I’m the one with the gluten issue so I ran ahead to check out the menu so I don’t “say let go here” and then find out I can’t eat. Staff are friendly and welcoming; the manager explained I could have everything (bar 3 items) and this was so refreshing to hear. Nice work Lights went down, candles lit our mood was set I ordered the Ceylon Chicken curry and it was perfectly marinated, cooked well and with lots of sauce. For compliments I ordered rice and popadoms with mango chutney - they should sell the chutney in jars at the restaurant it’s lush. Others ordered Vaire’s Jaggery Beef, Cashew & Pea and Red King Fish Curry. Which scored high. Over all a every enjoyable meal at a quaint little restaurant. It’s 10/10 from me.

Lovely,food,and,excellent,service,in,an.atmospheric,restaurant,very,good,choices,for,veggies,&,vegans

Really great find whilst walking through Carnaby Street and that area. Thought we'd go next door to an Indian chain restaurant, but Kolamba looked so inviting that we quickly grabbed a seat. Fabulous food, warm and spicy, packed with flavour. Highly recommend the Vaira's beef, Jaffna mutton and Pol Sambol.

A really interesting menu. The food was lovely. Would definitely go back. Service was excellent. And they have outside seating when it’s warm enough. The whole package!

My first experience of Sri Lankan food and it was a treat. There are similarities with Indian of course, but also differences that made it unique. Amongst the large number of dishes we tried particular standouts were a spiced mutton croquette, spicy aubergine and slow cooked beef curry, the latter full of earthy spices and sugary sweetness. Lovely sambols, coconut or tomato, accompany the larger dishes. Bottles of cold Lion lager kept the spice heat in check. The interior is simple, with A/C, a blessing on a very hot night. Service was friendly and kept the food coming at a sensible pace. Considering the dead central London location, it’s also good value.