A restaurant, showroom, and design store in the center of Colombo. The Gallery Café, opened in 1998 in the former offices of Sri Lanka's world-famous architect, the late Geoffrey Bawa. The artist personally approved the acquisition of his beloved property and its conversion into an art gallery and restaurant by designer Shanth Fernando, responsible for the renowned Paradise Road brand.
Geoffrey Bawa was born in Colombo in 1919 when the island was under British colonial influence. After studying at Cambridge and living in different countries, he returned to Sri Lanka in 1948. For the architect, Ceylon was a place of beauty, sensuality, and escape. The motivation for much of his work was the desire to create private paradises through organic architecture, seamlessly integrated into the natural or urban environment.
All of this is apparent at The Gallery Café, which is now an international landmark and has become a must-visit if you're visiting the bustling city of Colombo. The restaurant's menu offers a range of dishes that combine local and international cuisine, and one of the star recipes is the so-called Black Pork Curry.
The name "black pork" comes from the color of the final product, which is achieved thanks to the dark roasted curry used to prepare this dish and mixed with tamarind paste and black pepper. The dessert menu includes more than 30 irresistible options, among which chocolate is one of the main ingredients.
If you are not a cocoa lover, we recommend the passion fruit cake or lemon meringue pie. All the fruits used to make the cakes and desserts are locally sourced.
Before entering the restaurant, a charming courtyard with a central pond filled with carp welcomes you. To the left, you can visit the exclusive store where you will find a combination of contemporary homewares, local handicrafts, antiques, clothing, gift items, and tableware from the Paradise Road brand, which has become a benchmark for local design in Sri Lanka.
Paradise Road's head designer, Shanth Fernando, is also known for his support of established and emerging local contemporary artists through traveling exhibitions displayed in this unique space that was once the Geoffrey Bawa office.
