Food
Featuring a collection of appetisers, soups, pasta, burgers, grilled goodies and bites, the food menu at Urban Grill covers all sorts of meats and seafood – lamb, chicken, pork, prawns, seer fish and cuttlefish etc.
The Devilled Prawns (Rs. 1350) we selected from the Bites menu was simply awesome. Chunks of capsicum, onion and green chillies tossed on to the pan with around 15 de-shelled prawns, the whole thing was mildly sweet and carried a potent spicy punch. A quite brilliant option to pair your booze with.
On a good day, this Mixed Grill (Rs. 2150) comes with lamb, chicken, sausages, pork and a fried egg. However, they were out of lamb on the day we visited, so we were given the option of choosing an extra piece of chicken or sausage. We went with the latter.
The meats were nicely grilled, especially the chicken breast. Smoky with a hint of pepper, it was juicy as hell. The pork, however, wasn't easily cut through like the chicken and involved a bit of chewing.
They serve chicken sausages (in this case, we got two) and the fried egg was well executed. Creamy, slightly sweet and mustardy, the sauce improved the flavour of the meats.
Cocktails
From wine and whisky to arrack and beer, Urban Grill has both local and imported booze. They also encourage BYOB for a corkage fee – per bottle basis (Rs. 2500 for foreign hard liquor, Rs. 1500 for local hard liquor, and Rs. 1000 for wine).
We opted for two cocktails – Cosmopolitan (Rs. 850) and Singapore Sling (Rs. 850).
The vodka content of the Cosmopolitan was a bit too much, which we weren't the biggest fans of. It had a refreshing quality to it, but easing up on the booze will certainly create a balanced flavour profile.
Fizzy and refreshing with hints of gin seeping through, the Singapore Sling didn't quite have the fruity note we've been looking for.
Service & Ambience
The wooden work combined with dimmed lights, the ambience at the Urban Grill isn't like any other suburban bar in the area. Neat and cosy, they have done a good job creating an atmosphere that pretty much anyone can walk into – not just people who are looking for a Friday tipple. They also have a rooftop area, if you wish to have a view as you gobble down your meal.
Each table-chair setting is arranged 1m apart, following the COVID-19 hygiene measurements, while the staff is wearing masks at all times. They had around 10 customers at the time, and despite that, they managed to bring out our food within around 15 minutes.
Conclusion
While there's room for improvement (especially in the cocktails department), we're sure that the residents of the Battaramulla area will be happy about the existence of the Urban Grill. That being said, I certainly see myself visiting here again for the Devilled Prawns.
