A novelty dining experience brought to life in the picturesque suburbs of Parliament Drive, Ethul Kotte – Chapter One is a sure stunner.
Words Nadhwa Mohamed | Photographs Isuru Upeksha
A large green lawn complete with tall palm trees and a paved path greets you and leads the way into a building both spacious and cutting edge. Chapter One boasts a garden for outdoor dining, a fine dining restaurant on two floors and a charming café, Café One. Brand new and yet already buzzing with life, the restaurant and café have made a great first impression on Colombo foodies.
It’s not just food lovers that are impressed – anyone with an eye for modern architecture and interior design will admire Chapter One too. Hardwood floors, plush upholstery and bare brick walls are beautifully set off by the sweeping city and lake views afforded by the building’s massive windows.
Extensive, innovative menus at both the restaurant and café are available for dining in and taking out. Start the day at Café One with a full English breakfast or, for the health conscious, a green and nutritious meal. Chapter One is ideal for business lunches and offers everything from Asian fusion to Italian and Sri Lankan dishes as well as soups, starters, vegetarian meals and desserts. What’s more,tea-infused dishes are served – a first in Sri Lanka.
Diners can also enjoy a selection of beverages, wines and cocktails skilfully prepared a few steps away at the balcony bar. For a complete dinner-and-a-show experience, you can watch your order being made before your very eyes at the show kitchen on the ground floor.
While the restaurant offers a more formal and intimate ambience, Café One is a casual environment. Snacks and drinks are put together at the sandwich bar in the corner, while customers relax and chat. On the menu are sweet and savoury snacks, sandwiches, wraps, salads, juices, smoothies and hot and cold coffee drinks, while a separate tea list offers mocktails, iced and flavoured teas. All of the café’s bread, pastries and cakes are made from scratch each day.
Chapter One is also equipped to host private events, parties and even business meetings. Four separate state-of-the-art speaker systems allow different groups to listen to their own playlists, while a private room, complete with a large flat screen TV ready for presentations, slides or videos, is also available. Chapter One in total can accommodate 225 diners in one sitting. The first floor can sit 80, and stand-up 150 for events such as cocktails. The ground floor can accommodate 60 sitting guests, for private dining 20 guests and the garden can sit up tp 60 guests. Furthermore, Chapter One offers a kids’ party menu with various food deals and packages, all at very reasonable prices.
You can be entertained by live bands every Friday and Saturday night, or indulge in the ‘Power Brunch’ every Sunday, with jazz bands playing in the background.
Presenting a modern restaurant, cosy café, delicious dishes, friendly service and a unique ambience, this is a must visit! Whether you’re on a casual coffee date, a business lunch or an intimate dinner with your loved ones, Chapter One provides the ideal setting.
931C, Parliament Drive
Ethul Kotte
(+94 11) 205 3330
