Lunch in the city, especially on a weekday, is rarely savoured. The pressures of daily life, of meetings or school runs, or simply the heat, often make lunch just one more item on a to-do list that needs checking off.
Courtyard by Marriott Colombo, however, offers something of a solution with the daily lunch buffet at the hotel’s restaurant Beira Kitchen. The Sunday Morning Brunch recently stopped by for lunch and was impressed with the spread on offer as well as the general atmosphere of the restaurant.
The buffet is designed to be versatile for guests, whether they’re stopping in for a quick meal with variety, looking to hold court at an intimate power lunch, or simply spending a leisurely afternoon with friends.
Lunch runs from 12.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m. It is followed immediately by the hotel’s daily high tea buffet, which begins at 3.30 p.m. and which does leave room to make a day of it if you’re with a group of friends.
The lunch buffet is priced at Rs. 4,200 on weekdays and Rs. 4,800 on weekends.
Action stations that make lunch special
Beira Kitchen’s lunch buffet is set up as a series of counters.
Unique to the lunch experience is a pho station, a nod to the hotel’s in-house Vietnamese chef.
Pho – a Vietnamese soup dish consisting of broth, rice noodles, herbs, and meat – is known for being hearty and comforting, and the Beira Kitchen version is decidedly so. The pho station features a simmering pot of broth, and guests can add in other ingredients like noodles, mushrooms, other vegetables, and condiments as they prefer.
Also unique to the lunch buffet experience is a tempura station where you can select different types of vegetables and specify how crispy you like your tempura.
The buffet also features a pasta-focused action station with a small range of pasta, sauces, and other add-ons like broccoli, sausage, and corn for pasta lovers to go to town.
An eclectic mix of cuisines
Beira Kitchen’s buffet, while not the largest Colombo buffet on offer, does feature variety. The salad counter offers a strong mix of cold salads and meats, as well as a make-your-own salad section.
Other counters feature a mix of Asian and Sri Lankan flavours, as well as a counter for Western cuisine that features crowd favourites like shepherd’s pie.
We particularly liked the selection of Indian food, and the menu is well curated in that any carb can be paired with different types of food, be it East Asian, Indian, or Sri Lankan.
The buffet’s carvery counter also features a small selection of roast meats for the more carnivorous diner.
Those with a sweet tooth may not be left entirely satisfied with the dessert counter, but while the Beira Kitchen’s range of desserts may be on the small side, it does still offer a good amount of variety in terms of cuisine.
A respite from the city bustle
Beira Kitchen is located off Courtyard by Marriott’s lobby, which is in turn located a few floors above the mall at Colombo City Centre.
The restaurant provides lovely views of the Beira Lake and Colombo’s business district. It is also a cool place to spend an afternoon, given the brutal heat. The tall ceilings, view of the city, and variety of the spread make it a relaxed option for lunch, be it a quick lunch or a leisurely one.