The words ‘traditional’ and ‘simple’ usually go hand in hand when referring to Italian cuisine as most traditional Italian dishes comprise of a few simple ingredients which are carefully selected and served at their prime. 3Brothers Italian Bistro places great emphasis on serving traditional and simple Italian dishes with the aim of giving guests an authentic experience. From cured meats to cheeses to wines, 3Brothers pride themselves on importing high quality ingredients, and wherever possible, buying the highest quality local produce to create their mouth-watering dishes. In fact, they make it available to anyone interested in shopping for Italian imported products. They’ve stocked shelves full of imported goods, including a counter where cured meats and cheeses can be purchased.

While Italian cuisine lovers are more than welcome to patronize 3Brothers right away, the official launch dates are yet to be announced. The restaurant is currently open only for dinner and plan on opening for lunch as well in the near future. The menu will also expand to include traditional Italian cocktails and more of a food selection. The restaurant is spacious and includes a bar, a wood fire clay oven on display, and shelves and a counter from which guests can purchase some of the imported products used to make their dishes. It’s a kid-friendly restaurant so families are more than welcome.

Going to the menu, it reflects that of a typical Italian meal starting out with a selection of antipasti- the first course. However, the menu doesn’t limit you if you aren’t in the mood for cured meats, dried olives and cheeses but also includes a selection of Bruschetta, soups and salads.

From the antipasti we tried the Platter for Two (Rs. 1900) which was a selection of European cold cuts, cheeses, marinated vegetables and dips. We highly recommend giving this a go.

From the selection of Bruschetta, we chose the Sautéed Mushroom, Sage a Truffle Oil Bruschetta (Rs. 770) and man, oh man was that delicious. The garlicky, buttery coated mushrooms were delish.

We gave the Chicken Parm (chicken, parmesan, pecorino, tomato and grana Padano cheese) a go. Take it from someone who wouldn’t usually go for the soup option off the menu if they could help it, this is one soup you’ve got to try (Rs. 550).

The mains are split between pastas and pizzas. From the pasta selection we tried the Carbonara, a favored dish among most Italian food lovers. Fun fact alert: traditional carbonara doesn’t contain cream whereas the American carbonara (the one we are used to) does. The one served at 3Brothers is the traditional dish, not something the Sri Lankan palate is used to. This dish was a bit dry and became slightly monotonous to eat as a result. (Rs. 1450).

From the pizza selection we went with the half-n- half option and tried the Spicy Italian Chorizo and Mozzarella (1890) as one half, and the other Charred Leeks, Potato, Herbs, Cheddar and White Sauce (Rs. 1510). The pizza was made in a woodfire clay oven in the Napoli style where the crust is puffy around the edges and gets thinner towards the middle, and slightly blackened by the fire which all adds to the taste. The Spicy Italian Chorizo was super. As promised, it had a spicy and slightly salty kick to it. The Charred leeks and potato pizza was the most interesting and exciting to try. One critique though was that the herbs used were overpowering the taste of the other elements of the pizza and it should have been used more sparingly. 

For our after-dinner indulgence we tried the Traditional Tiramisu  with mascarpone, rum and coffee (Rs. 660) and it was fabulous. It hit a balance of rich and textural, bold and satisfying without being unpleasantly heavy.

From the drinks we tried the Cookies and Cream Milkshake (Rs. 550) which was very good and the Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Rs. 500) which I’ve been craving ever since. Made according to the traditional recipe, the Vietnamese Ice Coffee was slightly bitter (as coffee should be) but sweetened by the dollop of condensed milk resting at the bottom of the glass. It was slightly heavy but heavenly all the same.

The wait staff were very friendly and obliging although it was a little difficult to catch their attention, despite it being a slightly slower day than usual.

If we are to nitpick on one other thing, we do feel more attention should be paid to the presentation and cleanliness of the bathroom.

Overall, we were impressed and would definitely come again.

Pics by Kushan Pathiraja