Tasty’s Roundup of Italian Restaurants in Colombo

Ideal for takeaways or home delivery, Michaelangelo’s does a healthy, traditional-styled pizza along with a creamy pesto and homemade gnocchi. Serving large quantities and delicious combinations, they fill the void for budget-friendly, mid-range Italian which is not too fancy or just an excuse of an Italian restaurant.

Il Ponte is an old favourite in this part of town, and it is unlikely that they will disappoint. With its air-conditioned indoors giving you access to a fancy wine and dine dinner, the poolside outdoors is reserved for cooler evening meals served with a spectacular view. They serve up a pretty good range of pizzas, pastas and a special selection of seafood, but their pizzas remain the regular favourite!

Think Santoré Bistro; think pizzeria, open skies, a café and an Italian owner at the forefront. Nestled beside the lawns of SLTA, their dishes offer only the best quality ingredients, with exceptional attention to detail. Thin crust pizzas made using a clay oven, delicious desserts and the occasional happy hours and outdoor movie screenings guarantees a worthwhile visit to this Bistro.

A simple pizza and pasta joint, Pasta Hut works well for take-away or deliveries. They serve all the basic pizza and pasta varieties from Margherita and Pollo Al Funghi to Carbonara. For Italian on a budget, this would be your go-to place – but they don’t compromise on quality, ensuring that all pizzas are made by wood-fired ovens and delivered fresh within 45 minutes (within Colombo). Do try their lasagna, the most popular item on the menu.

A recent addition to Colombo’s restaurants, Oro has successfully set themselves apart with their ambience and authenticity. Up-cycled interiors, using scrap wood and aluminium tins, give the place a cosy yet classy feel while their mix of local and imported ingredients stacked by the entrance also adds to the décor. Made in a wood fired oven, the pizzas follow traditional recipes handed down by the owner’s ancestors themselves! Slightly pricey and with a variety so limited that they haven’t included pastas to it – everything you do choose is bound to be a hit.

Whitewashed walls, cement seats and a garden at its centre welcome you at La Trattoria, and let’s not forget the Il Gelato cart! Serving up traditional Italian dishes directly from their wood-oven, combined with ingredients like parma ham and an entire cheese platter, this atmospheric restaurant tucked away in Bataramulla is definitely a treat! But a pricey one at that- so be prepared for an authentic experience and a hefty bill.

Well established at Cinammon Gardens, Echo caters to all your Italian cravings. They serve pastas, risottos and pizzas, heavily infused with herbs and spices, an array of desserts, along with Italian coffee or a wine to wash down your dinner. The quantity served is extremely satisfying and the flavor seems to sit well with the Sri Lankan palette.

Bayleaf is a pure culinary delight and more importantly, consistent with it. They have everything you need to enjoy a good meal so you don’t need to be fussy about what you choose, although we’d steer you towards the Tagliolini con Gamberetti e Funghi al Vino Bianco. A breezy outdoor porch and lawn for good weather and airy colonial interiors for the warmer days, together with seasoned staff, makes it a comfortable choice.

At Rocco’s Pizza, they know what they’re good at and they stick to it. With a menu that covers the staples but also experiments with satay chicken and Thai red curry pizzas, they deliver where most fail - not overdoing it by serving a pizza soggy with sauce or under-serving it leaving you wondering where your dinner disappeared. Popular as an indoors, rainy day pizza, make sure to order well in advance as the delivery seems to take some time.

Possibly the newest one to the list, Domenico’s focuses mainly on deliveries as their pizzeria on Thimbirigasaya Road can fit in just about 15 people. They have a great selection with wholesome toppings and their pizzas go up to 13” in size. For a large family gathering or a big movie night, this might be the yummier and possibly more feasible option too. Overall, it just doesn’t get more convenient and tastier simultaneously, than at Domenico’s.