Paradise Road The Gallery Cafe

Paradise Road The Gallery Cafe

Someone from this business manages this listing.
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+94 11 2 582162+ Add website
Hours
Sun
10:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Mon
10:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tue
10:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wed
10:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thu
10:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Fri
10:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sat
10:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles

RATINGS
Food
4.3 of 5 bubbles
Service
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Value
3.7 of 5 bubbles
Atmosphere
4.6 of 5 bubbles
Details
Someone from this business manages this listing.
Learn More
PRICE RANGE
$12.00 – $52.00
CUISINES
International, European, British, Sri Lankan
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
meals, features
Can a gluten free person get a good meal at this restaurant?
About
Paradise Road Galleries -the Gallery Cafe Opened In 1998 In A Structure Which Was The Former Offices Of World Renowned Sri Lankan Architect, The Late Geoffrey Bawa. Bawa Personally Approved Fernando Taking Over His Beloved Property And Converting It Into A Restaurant And Art Gallery And Respected Shanth's Design Sense In The Conversion And Renovation Of The Building To Complement His Own. Bawa's Only Input Was The Location Of The Main Pavilion Where Most Diners Are Seated. The Art Gallery Features Regularly Changing Exhibitions By Established And Emerging Local Artists, For Sale. As The Cafe Is Open From 10AM Through To Midnight Daily, Visitors Frequent The Property For Meals, Site Seeing, Coffee, Cake, Shopping And The Complimentary Wi-fi Available For Use Of Patrons. The Gallery Cafe's Menu Has Not Changed In Years As Regulars Have Their Favourites And Fernando Prides Himself On The Fact That They May Always Return For That Option. It Is Particularly Known For Its Cocktails And Desserts As Well As It's Consistently 'good Food.'
PRICE RANGE
$12.00 – $52.00
CUISINES
International, European, British, Sri Lankan
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night
FEATURES
Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Validated Parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles2,456 reviews
Excellent
1,341
Very good
750
Average
207
Poor
85
Terrible
73

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Robintenby
21 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • couples
After a week of Asian fusion food, it was a welcome change to find something more European based. Two beautiful staters, spiced cauliflower with a light and sublime cheese sauce and a super smooth chicken liver pate, were followed by a tuna stack and good old fashioned well seasoned sirloin, both great, well presented and very much enjoyed. As a final treat a shared Jaggery (palm sugar based) crème brûlée…….wonderful, like the evening.
Written November 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

George A
Phoenix309 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • friends
This is a very nice restaurant in the enclosed, tranquil courtyard. It was a lovely area, and the food was a mix of local and international cuisines. I had the mustard fish curry and really enjoyed the (to me) uniqueness of the mustard with the fish. A great pairing I had not tried before. It was served very creamy lentils and a not-too-spicy sambal. Both good as well, although I prefer a bit more pice. My 'frozen' gin and tonic I would not call frozen, but it was refreshing and good. The service was ok, but not overly prompt. A nice place for an evening out, and I am very glad I came here. The prices were a bit high compared to similar places in Colombo.
Written December 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Swissgirl
Switzerland31 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • couples
We have been here in 2019 already and thought we come back for another great experience as last time we had a great time and superb food. Unfortunately the food didn't live up to it's expectations anymore which was a bit disappointing. The food was good but not as outstanding as we had it the first time we visited the place. The butter chicken didn't taste very much like a butter chicken at all and the seafood risotto did had a bit of a too tangy taste so the whole portion would be too much. Although the location is great and the staff attentive and helpful, unfortunately we were personally a bit disappointment.
Written May 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PA to Directors
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback with us. We truly appreciate hearing about your experience, both the positives and areas where we can improve. We're delighted to hear that you found our location appealing and that our staff provided attentive and helpful service. However, we're sorry to learn that your recent dining experience didn't meet the high expectations set during your previous visit in 2019. We take great pride in our culinary offerings, and it's disheartening to hear that the food fell short of your expectations this time around. Rest assured, your comments regarding the butter chicken and seafood risotto have been noted, and we'll be reviewing these dishes with our culinary team to ensure they're up to the standards our guests deserve. Your feedback is invaluable to us as it helps us identify areas where we can enhance our offerings and service. We hope you'll consider giving us another occasion in the future to provide you with the exceptional dining experience you've come to expect from us. Thank you once again for sharing your thoughts, and we look forward to the opportunity to welcome you back and regain your trust. Warm regards, Yohan Athureliya Restaurant Manager – Paradise Road Gallery Café
Written May 3, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ranidu
San Carlos1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • family
This was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had with my family. From the moment we arrived, it was a disaster. We were seated at a corner table because all the other tables were supposedly reserved, but the restaurant was unbearably hot. Despite repeatedly asking for a fan, the staff blatantly ignored us until we were about to leave, and the fan they finally brought was utterly useless. The service was appalling. Getting any attention from the staff felt impossible, and I had to keep waving and even standing up just to get basic requests addressed. To make matters worse, the staff seemed to prioritize non-local diners, serving them promptly while barely acknowledging us. It was insulting and infuriating. At one point, I moved my chair to try and get some air, and my 7-year-old daughter became so uncomfortable that she started crying and begged to leave. This was far from the "family dinner" experience we had hoped for. As for the food—it was a complete letdown. It took forever to arrive, and when it finally did, it was overpriced, poorly cooked, and not worth the wait. My chicken was burnt, and the flavors were mediocre at best. I strongly urge anyone, especially families with kids, to avoid this place. The combination of terrible service, an uncomfortable environment, and subpar, overpriced food made this an absolutely miserable experience. Save your money and go elsewhere.
Written December 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Emma B
Portsmouth145 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • business
I spent around $350 on dinner for four people, and unfortunately, it was a very disappointing experience. The service and food were far below standard. We made a reservation for a business dinner, but upon arrival, we were told there was no record of it. This forced us to wait, which felt very unprofessional and embarrassing in front of our guest. Once seated, it took an extremely long time to be served. The food arrived at different times, so by the time everything was on the table, some dishes were cold. This happened for both the starters and the main courses. Our guest ordered a medium-rare steak, but it came out overcooked, rock-hard, and excessively salty. While they prepared a replacement, the second steak, though slightly better cooked, was of poor quality—chewy, overly salty, and still unsatisfactory. They did remove the steak from the bill, but it wasn’t about the money—the damage had already been done. Our guest left hungry and unimpressed, and we were left embarrassed as hosts. I used to visit this place often, but it seems the quality of service and food has significantly declined. I strongly advise against dining here, as you’ll likely be disappointed. We certainly won’t be returning.
Written January 26, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sabrina Q
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • friends
There are very serious service and food issues. First, I was told that I could not sit at the indoor table, and told that it was reserved. After I asked, I was allowed to sit down again. Secondly, the coffee quality is very low even in Sri Lanka. The chicken salad served smelled like a refrigerator. The supervisor was called to argue with us. Most importantly, from the waiter to the supervisor, the attitude was very arrogant and indifferent. I don't know if they owed a huge debt to Bawa and need to work here for a lifetime to pay it back? Or are they racially discriminatory? We were always very polite but the waiters (especially the supervisor) kept making sarcastic remarks to us.
Google
Written January 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Maleeka Y
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • couples
I went on December 24th to celebrate an anniversary. We made a reservation for 7:15 pm and were told we would have to clear out by 8:45 pm. We got there promptly at 7:13 pm and were seated in a quiet corner at the back, where we could celebrate an intimate dinner. It was a busy night - christmas eve - so we were uncomplaining when no one had come to take our order at 7:45 pm (30 mins after being seated) so we asked 2 different people at different times to take our order. At 8:20 pm, after over an hour of sitting and asking people to take our order, I was tired of the treatment and walked to the front desk and asked a man to take our order since we had been waiting for an hour. When I got back to my seat, my boyfriend told me not to look back and that there was a rat. I was shocked, and when I looked through the mirror next to me, I could see it maybe 2 feet away from me. I am afraid of rats and sprung up and got to my boyfriend on the other side. Then the waiter (who we later found to be the manager) came to take our order. We told him about the rat and he said, "I mean what to do - it's a garden". I was so flabbergasted by the response that I didnt know what to say. While it is a garden, it is also a restaurant (And an expensive one at that). He suggested I switch seats with my boyfriend. After taking our order, we waited hungrily for 30 mins more. When nothing was happening, we asked a waiter who told us it would be out in 5 mins. The lime and soda also hadn't come out by then. We kept asking people, and then one waiter asked us who had taken the order because it had only been punched in at 8:45 pm despite having been taken down about 25 mins prior. We were really fed up with the service, especially because tables all around us filled with foreign customers were being served much faster. We finally got our food at 9:15 pm and gobbled it down. We paid the bill and complained to the manager, who barely offered any response and seemed quite dismissive. Would not recommend, especially if you're a local.
Written January 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JohnNeil67
Cairo2 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • couples
I've been a regular customer at Gallery for more than 12 years. I went for dinner with my partner on Christmas Eve and the service and food were truly awful. We ordered a bottle of Champagne and asked that it was put in an ice bucket to chill. We waited more than an hour for our starters. Most other diners were visibly frustrated with the wait! The Champagne arrived after our starters and was warm despite our request an hour before for it to be put on ice. The food when it reached our table was cold and unappetising. We left after our main were served having spend nearly two and a half hours in the restaurant. We watch customers being shown to tables that had not been cleaned and had not been set before they were seated. The staff seem unbothered with the total chaos in the restaurant. We left a comment about our visit in the guestbook. The other reviews in the book confirmed that we were not the only guests who were badly let down by this overrated and sad excuse for fine dining in Colombo.
Written December 28, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

beijingduck
London905 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • solo
A tasteful and atmospheric café: part of the Paradise Road craft store business. Don’t try turning up in the morning, despite the advertised 10am opening time. The place was still being cleaned when I visited, the waiters largely ignored me, and the food menu was confined to western-style cakes and desserts.
Written January 11, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ritika s
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • couples
We visited there for lunch with an infant, the staff were very rude, they only gave us the corner table with no fans, even when there were many empty tables. Secondly, we asked them for suggestions and someone to take the order, we were just being ignored. Our baby started crying because it was so hot so we shifted to another table but we were rudely asked to leave that table saying they were booked. When we asked you can give them another table, they said the guests have booked this particular table which is nonsense.
Written December 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chatz
Dubai247 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • friends
Staff was very poor. Struggled to get someone to come take the order, then took another 15 mins to 'check with the kitchen' on the availability of a dish - all in all basically spent an hour just waiting for the 2 main courses. It was a weekday evening and the restaurant was not crowded either. Wouldn't be back purely due to service level issues. Pro- cozy ambiance.
Written April 14, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PA to Directors
We're sincerely regretful to hear about your disappointing experience with our service. Your feedback is invaluable to us as we continuously strive to remain consistent with our service standards. We understand the frustration of waiting excessively, especially when the restaurant isn't busy. We'll address this with our team to ensure prompt and efficient service for all our guests. While we're glad you appreciated the cozy ambiance, we regret that it wasn't complemented by equally attentive service. Please know that this isn't reflective of our standards, and we'd love the opportunity to make it up to you. If you decide to give us another chance, we'll do everything in our power to ensure a smoother and more enjoyable dining experience. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, and we hope to welcome you back soon. Yohan Athureliya Restaurant Manager – Paradise Road Gallery Café
Written April 16, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

ContentedTraveller68
Melbourne428 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2024 • couples
Having read all the rave reviews we decided to try the Gallery Cafe, it is also located very close to our hotel and added bonus. The cafe is beautiful with gorgeous urns and pots located around and within the courtyard. There are vines growing up the walls and some beautiful artefacts. In the evening the oil lights and candles are lit adding to the atmosphere. The food was OK, we had the black pepper pork which was salty and rather underwhelming, we’ve had much better elsewhere. Both food and alcohol are well overpriced, the cocktails in particular. Total bill, with the ubiquitous 10% tax and government charges, came to 18,000+ LKR. We won’t be going back and won’t be recommending!
Written August 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

GSSheriff
Auckland12 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • friends
A catchup with friends on my brief stay in SL, The setting Too dark for my liking. It was too hot and sweaty seated outside in the far end corner (we made prior reservations). The food arrived so late that I had to ask the service 'if I would get my dinner today?' (It was just 4 girls). Over rated in terms of price ... less quantity...Spaghetti was not upto what I expected and nor was fish and chips and neither was lime and mint juice. Guess my friends wanted to do a high end dinner lol for the label perhaps??!! Lol
Written May 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PA to Directors
Thank you for sharing your feedback, and we do regret that you have experienced this with us. We are always on the lookout for ways to improve our service to our guests and are very proud of our usual high standard of service and our reputation, which has proven consistency in our quality and standards for close to 25 years as a renowned dining venue in the city. However, unfortunately, this time it seems we have fallen short. In this context, we have taken careful note of your valuable comments, which have been addressed with corrective measures implemented to avoid similar occurrences in the future. It was truly a pleasure hosting you and we look forward to welcoming you back again very soon where another warm The Gallery Café welcome will await. Warm Regards, Sumeda Kumara - Restaurant Manager
Written June 8, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

chaami De Silva
Sri Lanka178 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2024 • couples
We visited Gallery Café for lunch to celebrate my husband’s birthday, and we had an amazing time. The food was excellent with a wide variety to choose from, and the service was fantastic. What I loved the most was the atmosphere – the place has great vibes! If you’re a fan of taking photos, this is a must-visit. The café is beautifully designed and so peaceful, it’s hard to believe you’re still in Colombo. We arrived around 11 a.m. when it wasn’t too crowded, so we had time to take photos, find a nice table, and enjoy our drinks. By 1 p.m., it started to get busier. I noticed many people were there for special occasions, and there were a lot of tourists enjoying the space and sampling Sri Lankan cuisine. Overall, Gallery Café is a must-visit spot in Colombo.
Written January 18, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dileep
Bhopal4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • friends
Paradise Road The Gallery Cafe in Colombo offers a captivating dining experience set within a beautifully restored colonial bungalow. The tasteful decor, with its elegant antiques and art pieces, creates a charming and sophisticated ambiance that enhances the overall dining experience. The culinary highlights of the cafe are undoubtedly the prawn and tuna dishes, both of which are exquisite. The prawns are succulent and bursting with flavor, while the tuna is perfectly cooked and seasoned, making each bite a true delight. In addition to these standout dishes, the cafe also serves a variety of delicious cakes, making it a perfect spot for dessert lovers. In summary, Paradise Road The Gallery Cafe is a must-visit for anyone in Colombo looking for a unique and delightful dining experience. With its delectable food and charming setting, it earns a well-deserved 5 out of 5 stars.
Written November 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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PARADISE ROAD THE GALLERY CAFE, Colombo - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Phone Number - Tripadvisor

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