The Dutch Hospital is well known at this point as a shopping and dining district. Among a list of places to hang out and enjoy your time there, you have The Dutch Pub – right next to the Fairway Hotel.
Food
Back then, they shared the same menu as Colombo Bistro, but now it's an all-new menu to fit the whole happening vibe. Featuring finger foods, bites and a few mains along with burgers and pizza, it's quite simple, yet impressive.
We decided to get the Devilled Pork (Rs. 950), Classic London Fish & Chips (Rs.1100), Garlic Bread – Roast Pan (Rs. 500) with a couple of beers to smooth things out.
We started off with the Garlic Bread. Even though it says 4 pieces on the menu, we got 6 pieces of bread. The crusty parts were sort of hard which would make you chew a little more than usual, but boy if it wasn't delicious! The crisp was on point and gave off a nice garlicky flavour. It was French bread, and not roast paan as promised, but still, we are not complaining. It had a pleasant sweetness that went well with garlic infusion and the inside layers were soft and enjoyable.
The Classic London Fish & Chips came with three sizable fillets of fish, French fries and tartar sauce.
The fish here looked more like fried chicken, mainly because of the thick batter coating. It crumbled off easily and gave us kokis vibes. The fish tasted good too. Cooked well, the flesh flaked apart nicely and had a delicate fishy flavour for you to enjoy with adequate seasoning.
The fries were good with a sprinkle of chilli powder slipped in and dipping them in the sauce helped give them an extra zing.
The Devilled Pork (Rs. 950) comes under their Devilled – Yaksha section explained as “Sri Lankan spicy devilled dishes”, and it was devilliously flavourful. Marinated with spices to boot, and cooked to perfection, every piece of pork here was succulent and leaves you wanting more.
Some fatty and some meaty pieces, packed with deliciously tangy notes alongside hints of pepper and it carried a good amount of heat while being enjoyable.
Ambience & Service
Anyone who’s been to Dutch Hospital knows how festive and lively it gets at dusk. But during the time we went, there wasn’t much in the way of foot traffic and there was nothing to complain about the ambience.
It's basically an outdoor pub. Hospital Street runs in front of it, so you are susceptible to sudden surprises. Such as a crow that swoops in and steals one of your precious bread when you're busy taking pictures. We doubt that it will be a serious issue since the place is very clean.
Speaking of serious issues.
Please note that due to prevailing circumstances and security measures, taking photographs is prohibited unless you have permission from the nearest police station. We found that out the hard way.
For our own security, these measures are understandable. We wholeheartedly support these and expect our readers to act accordingly and peacefully as we did.
Conclusion
Dutch Pub is a reliable place to enjoy a drink with a friend if you are in the area. We didn't feel like we got robbed of our wallets. Everything that was listed in the menu was inclusive of all the taxes. Thus, you'll feel comfortable in choosing what you want, because, what you see is what you pay.
