While the Hilton Colombo isn’t the largest Hotel known to the Colombo skyline, it has always undoubtedly carried its own kind of class and sophistication throughout the years. Walking into the famed hotel on what seemed to be a relatively quiet Saturday night, I was excited to try out the L.A.B. lounge and find out what all the hype was about. 

Ambience 
A beautiful setting to just chill in, with very low-key lighting and comfortable seating, the L.A.B. lounge brings comfort into quite a fancy setting (in a good way). The seating is more of a sofa and coffee table type of setting. I found it quite relaxing to have a bite to eat while listening to the live band perform in that kind of setup. 

Food 
I found the menu to be quite intriguing with choices from all around the world with small touches of their own. The drinks menu, on the other hand, was quite extensive and if I attempted to name everything I found on that menu; I’d need a bigger page. 

For drinks, I ordered the Salted Caramel Milkshake, which was self-explanatory in taste. Absolutely decadent and served in a tall glass, I highly recommend this for anyone with a sweet tooth. They also have a cooler Virgin Mojito loaded with mint and lime if you’re looking for something a little fizzier.

Duck Spring rolls
One of the healthier options on the menu, the spring rolls were hot and crispy (so much that I dived in and completely forgot about the dipping sauce until about halfway through) and was packed with cucumber and shredded duck which was well cooked. The dish is perfect for a light appetiser. The plum dipping sauce which accompanied the dish added extra flavour, giving it a sweet and sour twist. 

Parmesan Chicken 
An interesting take on the ol’ Chicken Parm, the dish takes a slight detour with a few additions to the plate. The cheese crusted chicken breast was served on a bed of spätzle, which I tasted for the first time that very night, along with a Basil Butter sauce which was really the proverbial cherry on top for me. The spätzle was an interesting experience. It is a form of pasta originating from Germany, egg-based and far lighter than your average noodle. Not to mention, this pasta is almost button shaped. The butternut pumpkin mixed in with the spätzle was a lovely little footnote to the dish.  

Australian Beef Fillet 
Of course, being the meat lover that I am, I had to try out at least one cut of meat off the grill and I went with the Australian Beef Fillet with a Red Wine Jus and Olive Oil crushed Chat Potato with a side of steamed vegetables. I requested the meat to be cooked medium and they pulled it off perfectly. The char on the outside tasted amazing and the red wine jus nowhere near overwhelmed the meat, adding a strong Smokey flavour with a small kick from the red wine reduction. The chat potato was a little hardy and slightly on the sweeter end of things with hints of rosemary floating around. The biggest plus was that the meat was superbly cooked. It was also quite a sizeable portion for a dish. 

Hazelnut Crème Brûlée
The dish was a lot larger than expected, and a little more brûléed than I expected it to be, but it was pure heaven underneath that crusty top layer. The Hazelnut praline was light and not overly sweet, and the dish is easy enough for two people to share. 

Chocolate Concerto
I was interested to see what it meant by “concerto” and once I set my eyes on the dish my questions were answered. What seemingly looked like a slice of chocolate cake was a combination of an almond sponge, a light biscuit, a layer of crunch along with a chocolate mousse which was more on the bitter side topped off with a raspberry macaroon. Honestly, each bite felt like a symphony orchestra that you would keep going back for more. 

Overall, with the right budget, you could enjoy a very hearty meal while listening to a very talented live band and head home with a smile on your face. The service was wonderful and the staff, incredibly friendly and not to mention quite talented at bartending. Special thanks to Chef Robert Mujägic, Mr Chamila Maliduwa and the staff at Hilton for being incredibly accommodating and letting us try out their incredibly curated menu. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and would most definitely go back for a second round to try out everything else they have to offer. So, go ahead and see for yourself! You’re not going to regret it.

Pic by Nimalsiri Edirisinghe