For every 5 new restaurants, there's one healthy spot opening up in Colombo. Cafe Bagatalle's got a range of intercontinental cuisine with a Sri Lankan twist. The food was absolutely delicious and vegetarian-friendly.
The Food
Their menu is pretty extensive and they've mentioned all the nutrients below each dish which is cool if you're counting calories.
We got a Brochette of Mozzarella (Rs. 490) which had 395 calories. It was accompanied by a saffron risotto and grilled vegetables. The risotto was delicious and cheesy which blended very well with the vegetables. The veggies were fresh and seasoned properly. The portion was really filling, but I don't think you can call anything healthy after putting that much cheese in it. However, texture and flavour wise it was top notch.
We also tried the Penne with Roasted Prawns (Rs. 725) which was 120 calories. It was absolute heaven. The pasta was cooked well and the pesto and chilli oil were a great combo which gave the pasta the spice we Sri Lankans can't live without. There were about 6 or 7 big prawns which are a lot more than you would normally get in a pasta dish at that price. The portion was enough for one and wasn't as filling as the risotto.
(ED Note: We're not sure how they got these values because there's no way a main course dish of penne with prawns amounts to 120 calories. Just a simple serving of 100 grams of penne without sauce and prawns comes to around 350 calories.)
For dessert, we got the Hot Brownie and Vanilla Ice Cream with Crunchy Nuts (Rs. 300). It was worth every penny. What's more, it was made with gluten free kurakkan. Of course, it didn't taste like your normal chocolate brownies, but that doesn't mean it was bad. It was gooey and a lot less sweet which was great because the sweetness of the ice cream balanced out the flavours.
The Drinks
For our drinks, we got a Cafe Latte (Rs. 400) and a Signature Coffee (Rs. 450). The Latte was served warm and the espresso used definitely came across as a bit bitter. The signature coffee was sadly just an iced coffee, although the waiter did tell us that before we ordered. It was your normal iced coffee, sweet and tasty, so why they would charge Rs. 450 for it is beyond me.
Service & Ambience
The staff was friendly and accommodating. There was no problem with our orders and the place wasn't that crowded when we went so the food arrived fairly quickly.
The interior of the cafe is small and cosy with wooden tables and chairs and a lot of natural light. The cafe is surrounded by a lot of greenery and they also have a great fitness theme going on where you can sit on stability balls or spinners while you enjoy your meal, which is kinda cool.
Overall
It might not be as healthy as Calorie Counter, but it's got good food, relatively mid-range prices, and a super central location on Duplication Road! They also deliver now, so call them to find out more.
