• Serves warmth, beauty, and indulgence with panoramic views
• Intertwines authenticity with creativity to deliver divine dishes

If you’re dining at Charcoal, aim for golden hour. That’s when the setting sun ignites the space, washing every corner in warm, burnished light, even as the tandoor comes alive. But don’t worry if you miss it – the space retains its luminous hues into the night.

Elevating dining in Colombo to all new heights in more ways than one, Charcoal Tandoor Fire Grill is located on the 50th floor of Capitol TwinPeaks on Staple Street, 600 feet above the city, making it one of Colombo’s highest dining destinations.

And with its menu – inspired by the historic Spice Route and featuring North Indian tandoor cooking and Mughlai cuisine, alongside live fire techniques, slow cooking, and layered spice profiles – on par with its stunning setting, Charcoal is set to make a name for itself as one of Colombo’s finest dining destinations too.

We visited last week and came away very happy indeed, not just with the excellent food but also the lovely welcome by Restaurant Manager Ahanya Logan, who deftly guided us with menu recommendations, and the wonderful service by the attentive yet non-intrusive staff.

Small plates

Samosa Cigars (V) – spiced potato, filo pastry: an interesting take on samosas, but essentially samosas in a different shape. A generous portion and a tasty, crispy, and slightly spicy dish that does not disappoint, served with a variety of dips.

Malai Broccoli (V) – grilled broccoli florets, cream cheese, cardamom: while this dish doesn’t sound or look terribly interesting, let me assure you that it is an absolute delight. Grilled to perfection and melting in the mouth, no broccoli dish has ever come close to how this one made me feel.

Charcoal Lamb Chops – tender lamb chops with red chilli, broiled cumin, garlic dip: the picture will tell you more than words ever could. Melt in the mouth, sinfully soft, and delicious.

Classics

Nihari – slow cooked lamb, marrow-infused red chilli gravy, house spice blend: I preferred the taste of the lamb chops over this although my dining companion relished it, but the gravy… the silken, tantalising, gravy, was just lovely and just right. Thinking about it now, I wish I had soaked it all up with the naan!

Shahi Jhinga Curry – ocean-fresh prawns, coconut cream, curry leaves, rampe: the undisputed star of the night. Juicy, chunky, spicy, rich, this dish is all this and more, and is perfect for the Sri Lankan palate.

Dudhiya Warqi Naan – soft flat bread topped with fennel and carom seeds: I’ve never had this before and loved how it came apart in my hands and enjoyed eating it dipped in the exquisite curries.

Garlic Naan – tandoor-baked, garlic-crusted flatbread: ever so soft and smoky, I would go back just for this. Five gold stars to my dining companion who had the sense to order it.

Besides these, there are nine more varieties of naan and paratha on the menu.

Biryani and rice: we passed on all of them, dear reader. There’s only so much two people can eat! But let me list the varieties here to pique your interest: Gosht Dum Biryani (mutton), Jhinga Dum Biryani (prawn), Murgh Yakhni Biryani (spring chicken), Subz Biryani (V), Saffron Rice (V), and Khushka Rice (V).

Desserts

There are six on the menu and we tried only two, simply because we were already quite stuffed.

Rasmalai Milk Cake – soft cheese milk dumpling saffron cake, cardamom, rose, rabdi: just read that description again and you will be able to imagine this dish. It was soft, light, and refreshing, and even after I set my spoon aside, I found myself reaching out for just one more bite. The portion size is such that with this one, there’s plenty of bites to be had!

Journey to New Delhi – gulab jamun, salted caramel ice cream, almond panjiri crumble: I don’t think I’ve ever turned down a gulab jamun, always keen to see if it will satisfy me, despite being disappointed more often than not. I was not disappointed at Charcoal, which has taken a long time to perfect its gulab jamun. Paired with the exquisite ice cream, this dish hits all the right notes.

How Charcoal came to Colombo

An acclaimed dining concept by Soho Hospitality, Charcoal Tandoor Fire Grill first opened its doors to much acclaim in Bangkok in 2014 and came to Colombo last month.

For Soho Hospitality CEO and Founder Rohit Sachdev, Colombo offered an opportunity to showcase Charcoal’s standard of craft and consistency in a setting that is entirely unique. Locally the restaurant is being operated in partnership with Bathiya Jayakody, Santhush Weeraman, and Mevan Gunatilleke. 

Charcoal Tandoor Fire Grill is open for dinner service from 6 to 11 p.m. Reservations are available via the website.