The term a “whale of a time” is most often used in Ireland or Irish culture to explain that one has had an absolutely incredible night out in town. Colombo’s latest watering hole, dedicated to the happy-go-lucky Irish way of life therefore wants every patron to have a good time in every possible way and keep coming back for more.
The Irish Bar & Grill opened on Park Street in an old converted house and is run by a family who knows their way around restaurant and bar management, With ample parking and a convenient location in the heart of corporate city, The Irish is not just open for drinks and grub after work but also has a great lunch menu packed with some great comfort food.
We paid them a visit during lunch and were surprised to find a few tables with ladies enjoying a tête-à-tête over drinks and food. Predominantly featuring wood in the interiors, the ambiance is somewhat dark to keep the pub atmosphere going. Some of the tables are actually converted beer barrels which adds a certain fun touch to the bar. Otherwise there’s bar stools or regular tables indoors and some great cane furniture outside if you choose to brave the Colombo sun.
One would also not find a bare space on the wall which has some great images of famous Irishmen (and women). In the centre is a bottle cabinet which complements the well-stocked bar at one end of the room. We also have to mention how cute the washrooms are with the washbasins set on top of more beer barrels.
One of the greatest things about our experience at The Irish was the impeccable service. No request goes unnoticed or unattended and our menus, drinks and food was brought out in record time. We also had a visit from the chef who wanted to make sure everything was ok with the food.
Since it was the middle of the afternoon we stuck to mocktails and had a Strawberry Hill and Shirley Temple. Both “pink” drinks were superb thirst quenchers but we preferred the Shirley Temple for its presentation and taste. Served in rather a tall glass, the concoction of Grenadine, Sprite and Lime had the right balance and was great for sipping on during our meal.
From an extensive food menu we ordered a very traditional Irish Stew, an Italian inspired Chicken Parmigiana, Grilled Calamari from the starters menu and a portion of Potato Wedges. Let’s start with the wedges which are a hefty portion served with Kochchi Sambal. Yes, you read right. The thick wedges, dipped in the spicy sambal had a unique flavour and we kept asking more and more of the sambal to go with it. The Grilled Calamari was also again two large skewers packed with well-seasoned calamari. Grilled to perfection it was easy to chew on and quite a treat.
Out of the mains the Irish Stew was just like mama makes it at home with huge chunks of beef swimming in a thick, super flavoured gravy, and potatoes and carrots to go with it. Served with Steamed Rice or Dinner Rolls we recommend you go with the bread as the rice was the only let down in the dish. The Chicken Parmigiana was another wonderful dish with a huge chicken fillet coated in bread crumbs and fried to perfection. It’s then topped with Tomato Sauce, Chicken Ham and tons of Mozzarella and Parmesan. Anything with so much cheese we absolutely love!
One more thing you must-try at The Irish is their fat fries. Make sure to ask for the Nai Miris (Snake Chilli) sambal and have your fries with this instead of dipping it in ketchup all the time. Not for the faint-hearted but totally worth it!
After so much food we actually didn’t have time for dessert but have heard lots of good things about their version of the New York Cheesecake. We’re definitely going back to try more of their food menu and of course their desserts!
So till then here’s our rating…
Location ***** (Conveniently located on Park Road with ample parking!)
Ambiance **** (Great atmosphere and we love the beer barrels!)
Service **** (Superb service!)
Food **** (Great pub grub and super portion sizes!)
Overall **** ¼
Price Range – 2,000 – 2,500 per person
Opening Times – 11:00am – 12:00 midnight
Address: No. 63 Park Street, Colombo 2.
Telephone: 0112 576027
Reviewed by #FoodiesSLPhotographs by Sanura Gunawardana