Colombo Courtyard’s ‘Amber Poolside’ is a great place for a chilled out lunch. Operating from 10am to 5pm - it’s a place where you can walk in anytime for a day out with friends or family.
The chef, Nalia Queja, has over 12 years of experience in Italy and is friendly and attentive to whatever you need.
Atmosphere
The Amber Poolside is just that - it's lunch beside the pool. It’s a lovely open area with good shade and breeze. The whole place had a sort of green vibe to it that gives off a very calm and natural ambience which is just what you need when you want to wind down for lunch.
The Drinks
Aside from your average fizzy drinks, the cocktails come with great recommendation. Some of the signature cocktails have the most hilarious names - ‘Bite Me’ and ‘Love You Long Time’ (which I was told was a ladies' favourite - not because of the name - but rather because of the flavours).
I had a ‘Dark and Stormy’ which was a concoction of dark rum, fresh lime, fresh ginger and ginger beer. The drink had a strong ginger flavour to it but not so bad enough to overwhelm you. The random pieces of fresh ginger in the drink was a bit inconvenient and not pleasant to swallow but the drink as a whole was tangy and could well last you throughout the meal.
The Food
As a starter, I had a ‘insalata cesare con il pollo e pancetta’ (fancy word for Caesar Salad). It was an amalgamation of bacon, salad leaves, chicken, boiled eggs, croutons and parmesan cheese with dressing. The bacon and the chicken were lovely - the chicken soft and the bacon crispy - but what really stood out was the portion of my starter. It eventually served 3 people and still had leftovers!
For the main I ordered their Salmone Tresco Alla Griglia which is grilled Tasmanian salmon served with buttered vegetables, rosemary mash and creamy mushroom sauce. The vegetables were slightly cold and the mash a tad bit grainy (if one was being really picky) but all those minor flaws were completely faded off by the grilled salmon in mushroom sauce. The combination of the two was absolutely divine - the salmon was crispy on the outside and falling apart on the inside and the mushroom sauce was creamy with small pieces of mushroom to cut in with the salmon.
Tip - if there’s nothing on the menu that tickles your fancy – feel free to ask the chef if he can make something off menu for you. If he has the ingredients – he will definitely be ready to make it for you.
Dessert was a variety of stuff. I had homemade ice cream of different flavours - peanut butter ice cream was an absolute treat. The warm brownie with ice cream was a classic and well executed. The coldness of the ice cream cut well into the gooey brownie and was definitely a worthy combo. A personal favourite of mine was the panna cotta which was a massive dessert. I could only manage a few spoonfuls myself.
The panna cotta is layered with strawberry compote which, as you dig in, merges with the panna cotta jelly which means that after a few bites you wouldn’t be just left to eat tasteless jelly.
Overall - 3.5/5
It had a great ambience for lunch and the service was fantastic - they are super attentive and always willing to talk you through the menu to help you decide what you want. The food for the most part was great and with such large portions consistent throughout the starters, mains and desserts - I would say that Amber Poolside is value for money and has the ambience for a lunch out with friends.
Reviewed by Panchali Illankoon
Photographs by Waruna Wanniarachchi
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