Five storeys up, the dining room of the Flag & Whistle offers a fine view of the Colombo harbour. We’re there for lunch, just in time to see the noon sun turn the sea silver. The restaurant has been built to mimic the curving lines of a ship, and that impression is enhanced by the wood panelled floors, and nautical antiques. In one corner is a display of sailor’s knots with names like lerchenkopf and koffey- nagel. The menu itself doesn’t follow such a distinct theme (though the seafood extravaganza that is the Fisherman’s Platter is delicious) and instead covers the spectrum from continental to Asian.
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The restaurant has just launched a new menu with relatively affordable prices. The Mexican chicken quesadillas (Rs.300) and the spicy crab cutlets (Rs.225) are the latest additions to the appetizer menu. For their main courses, the restaurant boasts a few hearty platters, notably the Fisherman’s Platter (Rs.950) and The Rancher’s Special (Rs.850). Pastas, sandwiches and a variety of grills are complemented by a nice dessert menu. Presiding over all this is a well stocked bar. But it is perhaps the beer garden in the balcony that draws more than its fair share of fans. With a selection of bites and an unobstructed view of the harbour, the balcony’s big attraction according to manager, Sanath Marasinghe, is that it provides a spectacular view of the sunset.
With its generous floor space, the restaurant is often leased out for private and corporate functions. A traditional ship’s lift - that I immediately want to ride in – takes guests from the main floor to a lounge. Today it is serving as a conference room for a corporate event. The main floor of the restaurant offers a range of seating, from formal dining to low sofas and bar stools grouped attractively around barrel shaped tables. The more picky among us will be gratified to discover that the restaurant won an award for Best Restaurant from the Colombo Municipal Council in recognition of its kitchen hygiene and safety standards and was given a grade A.
The verdict? The fact is that The Flag & Whistle doesn’t offer you anything you can’t get somewhere else (except perhaps for the lift), but it does offer hearty, tasty fare and a view to linger over while you dig in. Call 2485500/1 for directions to the Flag & Whistle. |
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