 "The art of elegance."
English High Tea on a broad verandah with the sparkling Indian Ocean before you. This is the essence of the majestic Regency Wing of Galle Face Hotel, where English elegance and exotic setting unite. The Galle Face Hotel is one of the grandest examples of the colonial era’s great establishments. Built in 1864 it embodies all the grace, style and romance of that time.
With the opening of The Regency Wing, this grand dame elevates a Sri Lankan experience to new levels of luxury. There are 82 rooms and suites in the newly renovated Regency Wing, each with its own individual style and offering from one to eight-bedroom suites. The option of a personal butler service is there for guests seeking superlative attention.
After a morning of exploring historic Colombo or following cocktails at sunset, choose from one of the hotel’s five restaurants. The hotel’s signature restaurant The 1864 offers a fusion of modern and Asian influences and the casual choices range from English pub to oceanfront dining. The hotel’s day spa features a couple’s retreat with herbal bath and private garden for ultimate romance. There is a museum, art gallery, designer shopping arcade and the elegance of the wood-panelled Wine Lounge. Three ballrooms and three conference rooms cater to meetings and events.
"An experience to be cherished."
The Regency at the Galle Face Hotel features a wide variety of cuisines and settings – three restaurants serving Western, Sri Lankan and Asian cuisines, extensive wine lists, outdoor areas, and several other dining options.
Start with The 1864, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant that specialises in modern East meets West ‘fusion’ cuisine. Open for lunch and dinner, The 1864 blends modern design with traditional decorative motifs – paying tribute to the hotel’s grand history.
Adjoining the restaurant is the atmospheric Wine Lounge, a bar with spectacular water views and Sri Lankan music. From here, guests can descend a staircase to the elegant Wine Cellar, containing an enviable collection of wines from around the world and available for private wine and cheese tastings.
Seafood and barbecues are the specialties of the more casual Sea Spray Restaurant, open daily from 7am–11pm, while the all-day Veranda offers a superb buffet breakfast, Asian-style lunches, a la carte dinners and an open-air terrace.
Other dining and drinking options are sunset cocktails on the patio overlooking the ocean; traditional high tea, featuring waffles, scones, pastries and the finest Ceylon tea; and a variety of outlets, including an English-style pub, in the forthcoming Piazza Shopping Arcade.
Pure and simple
Executive Chef Haleesha believes in highlighting the essence of a dish without complicating it with too many flavours. Vegetables are purely an accompaniment to a main course's central feature – thus keeping the overall taste experience as pure and simple as possible. The philosophy is quality, freshness and highly palatable ingredients – beef and barramundi from Australia, lamb from New Zealand, kumera from Thailand and Sri Lanka’s finest local produce.
When in a good mood Chef loves to experiment, using the members of the local Chaine de Rotisserie as taste testers! Constant innovation in Haleesha's drive to create cuisine with pure and simple flavours is the hallmark of The 1864. There is also a simplicity of menu: from over 19 years of cooking Chef has chosen recipes that are proven favourites – but always with a twist. He strives for constantly creating new dining experiences. For example, salmon is accompanied by gazpacho relish and reduced balsamic with honey and red-wine, instead of the usual horseradish. A signature dish is lamb shanks cooked in a red wine and pure vegetable stock, a novel twist on the traditional heavy gravy.
Though the taste, texture and simple and pure flavours of the Restaurant’s dishes are all important, the presentation is also seen as a critical element for its fine dining. Dishes at The 1864 Restaurant are magnificently presented, for as Chef states “presentation is the first impression – it must stimulate the palette, setting the stage for a great gourmand experience.” Similarly the Restaurant’s décor sets a mood of expectation and refinement. The entrance is through the elegant yet relaxed Lounge Bar, and the 1864 Restaurant features timber floors, historic teak carvings and murals and soft and romantic lighting.
From the Lounge Bar is a winding staircase leading down to the original 1864 Cellar - where guests delight in selecting their preferred vintage. The wine list is impressive, with a carefully selected range of labels from around the globe – from the old world France, Spain and Italy to New World Australia, New Zealand, California and Chile.
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(5 stars)