Hotels near Kolamba

Kolamba is the Sri Lankan restaurant to take somebody to in central London, run by husband-and-wife team Eroshan and Aushi Meewella on Kingly Street behind Carnaby. Everything is built to share in the traditional style. The hot butter fried cuttlefish is the dish to order first, followed by the black pepper king prawn fry, the creamy yellow monkfish curry, and hoppers - bowl-shaped fermented rice pancakes, best taken with the fried egg in the base. A jackfruit curry handles the vegetarians properly rather than as an afterthought, and watalappam, a spiced coconut and jaggery custard, closes the meal. Expect £35 to £45 per head, about €40 to €52, which makes it one of the better-value rooms in the West End.

The Soho site is genuinely small: a short terrace out front, an open kitchen, and a handful of tables under softly lit woven lampshades, with service that lets you sit rather than turning the table. Weekend evenings need about a week's notice; weekday lunch is usually available on the day. If Kingly Street is full, there is a second and larger site, Kolamba East, at 12 Blossom Street in Spitalfields, London E1 6PL, which takes bigger groups more comfortably.

Pro Tip: Order three small plates and one curry between two rather than a curry each. The portions are generous, and weekend brunch is the quietest service if you want the room without the wait.