Not too long ago Zephyr was a household name, leading the Mirissa’s beach front restaurant scene. It was once a thriving business, a hub for foreigners and locals alike to kick back and relax in a spacious locale situated right on the beach, but unfortunately Zephyr was forced to face some major setbacks. One of the many beachfront properties to be affected by the Mirissa demolition carried out by the government earlier this year, Zephyr has had no choice but to regroup. They’ve rebuilt since then and reopened on September 8 , just in time for the season to get going, and it appears to be full steam ahead for the group. Ambience Zephyr is incredibly blessed due to their beach front location, facing the southern waves softly rolling in, the property is a vision come night time. It’s lit up gorgeously with soft lighting, mostly coming from the individual lamps situated on each table, thrumming with not-too-loud music emanating from a set of speakers set atop of a coconut tree. Having had to rebuild in time for the season, they’ve set up right on the space next to their old property which was once their pool, now filled in and is currently functioning as the restaurant’s main and only dining space. The seating area is spacious and comfortable, the subtle sea breeze wafting through the air; one visibly relaxes when they step into the outdoor dining space which also has a charmingly lit bar off to the side.   What we tried Drinks They’ve a pretty extensive drinks menu; Cocktails, fresh juices, and a dedicated section for tea. If you’re picky about what you drink, then fear not, they’ll most definitely have something for you. Since there was an overwhelming number of choices, we asked for a recommendation and went with a couple of refreshing cocktails. Gin Cooler (Rs. 800) With a very to-the-point name, complete with some fantastic colour to the drink made of Gin, cucumber and mint, it took a bit of time to make an impact. It was a bit too leafy on the get-go but as you sipped, the gin and the cucumber kicks in and then it’s quite nice. It was certainly a very well balanced cocktail, fantastic gin to everything-else ratio. Passion Mojito (Rs. 800) This one was absolutely lovely from the first sip, it was tangy and sweet, but not too much and it looked gorgeous, makes one want to use metaphors; it was like a very cool breeze on a warm sunny day, albeit it’s always sunny in Sri Lanka but that’s just our lot and we embrace it. Mojitos are famously simple but notoriously difficult to get just right; it’s always watered down or it knocks you out, but this was perfectly composed and tasted as it should.   [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="9475,9476,9477,9478,9479,9480,9481,9482"] Appetizers For appetizers we went with two dishes listed under “Bar snacks”. Salt and pepper squid with tartar sauce (Rs. 800) The dish looked a bit pale and our first impression was that this squid is going to be heavy on the batter, but we were very pleasantly surprised. The squid was cooked all the way through, and despite a slight doughy taste from the batter it was soft but crunchy and went great with a smooth tartar sauce which complemented it well. Batter fried prawns with wasabi mayo (Rs. 900) Usually the star in many restaurant options, it was no different over at Zephyr as the prawns were cooked just right and the batter was actually really crunchy and not caked in batter. It was crispy and golden and tasted fantastic.   Mains Grilled Chicken with creamy mushroom sauce and mash (Rs. 1000) Out of the two mains we had, this was the best one. The creamy mushroom was smooth and tasty, packed with flavour that creeps up on your taste buds and it evenly soaked the grilled chicken which was expertly grilled, leaving just a slightly charred taste blending well with the delicate mushroom sauce. Chili jaggery beef tenderloin with coconut gravy and mash (Rs. 1200) Despite one of the owners themselves mentioning to us that the beef is typical Sri Lankan beef, and not a favourite of their foreign clientele as it tends to be a bit chewy, we were adamant in trying it out. We should’ve listened to him; the beef was cooked as well as it could’ve been but it was chewy and the dish felt overly sweet, which was to be expected because of the jaggery but the sweetness was not all that well balanced particularly with the dressing on the accompanying coleslaw being very sweet too. Both our mains came with a side of mash, which had a great consistency but it tasted so strongly of potato without any seasoning. Desserts Brownie with ice-cream (Rs. 550) This brownie was magical! It was gooey and chocolaty, had a perfectly crumbly top leading to dark soft middle that melted in your mouth. The brownie was also huge, it felt more like a serving for two. It could safely be said that not a lot of bakeries in Colombo could match this brownie in consistency or taste. Passion fruit Cheesecake This was an option they did not have in the menu, but the staff mentions it along with the other desserts. Despite it coming with a glowing recommendation, the cheesecake failed to impress, it looked beautiful, but it was frozen, almost like eating ice-cream straight from a deepfreezer and the base was a bit too salty, too much to pleasantly complement the already tangy dressing on the cheesecake. The low-down Fantastic service The staff was wonderful, extremely attentive and superbly hospitable. They were well versed in the menu, and was unafraid to chat with the guests giving them travel tips when asked while also being extremely efficient, never leaving anyone waiting for very long to be attended to. Would we go again? Definitely! If anyone is to find themselves in Mirissa South, Zephyr is a definite must. Zephyr now Despite having to rebuild, Zephyr’s ownership; Mahen Wijesekara, Lahiru Perera, Tharuka Chellaram and Rajiv Rajapakshe, all appear to have risen to the challenge of reclaiming their restaurant's former glory, speaking about the future of the restaurant Mr. Wijesekara said, “We’re all about moving forward”, stating that everyone coming down to Mirissa are very well informed via social media and they know what happened here, but since the reopening, they’ve had guests coming in and so they are positive that business will be as usual when December comes around. Overall Rating: 4/5 Vegetarian: Options available Toilets: Available/Clean Parking: Limited Price range: Rs. 500 – 1500 Contact – 0777502222, 0777536653 Facebook – Zephyr Restaurant & Bar   By Dimithri Wijesinghe Photos Krishan Kariyawasam