The Ocean By O!.

If your idea of the perfect Friday (or any day) tipple involves good food, fine booze, magnificent views of the Colombo shoreline, and a breath of sea breeze, The Ocean By O! is a solid spot. Beautifully tucked away on the rooftop of The Ocean Hotel building, this place is one of the latest additions to the Marine Drive strip. 

Food

From finger food, and starters to mains and snacks, The Ocean By O!'s menu has a lot to offer. We started off with a plate of Hot Butter Cuttlefish (Rs. 950).

A Lankan bar experience is incomplete without a plate of Hot Butter Cuttlefish, and The Ocean By O!'s take on this delicacy was wonderful. Perfectly crispy and light, these golden-fried cuttlefish rings were well-seasoned, while the sprinkle of chilli flakes scattered about lent a spicy kick.

Plus, it was freshly made and had teamed up with crunchy pieces of bell pepper, onions and spring onions. Our flavour palettes are made for spices, so we don't mind if they can add a bit more heat to this. 

Served with the sides of deliciously creamy mashed potato and steamed veggies, the Grilled Pork Chops (Rs. 1100) were quite good too. Drenched in some kind of tangy sauce, the pork chops were juicy, succulent and grilled to perfection. There were three sizeable chops here, and the sauce didn't interrupt the fleshy meaty flavours of them – which we enjoyed. 

My partner absolutely loved the sauce, but as for me, I would've preferred a teensy bit of a pepper hit in this. Nonetheless, it was a well-executed dish. 

Drinks

As for drinks, we ordered a couple of cocktails – Ocean Special Sour (Rs. 550) and Blue Lagoon (Rs. 800).

Let me start with the classic – the Blue Lagoon. Presenting that delightful lagoon blue colour, this beauty truly has the essence of the Caribbean. A concoction of Vodka, Blue Curacao, Lime Juice and Sprite, we loved it. 

The sweetness of the Sprite demands your attention initially, followed by its fizziness, and then leaves your palate with strong boozy hints. One sip from this can soothe yourself during this searing heat. 

If done right, Mango Arrack Sour is one of the best things about our coconut spirit. And this Ocean Special Sour is a close second. With well-balanced sweet, sour and alcohol flavours, it's made with Arrack, Passion and Lime Juice. Quite refreshing, quite good. 

Ambience & Service

They've got both indoor and outdoor seating spaces. From inside, it looks like this. Incredibly comfy seats, and wooden tables neatly aligned on the blue tiled floor – it has this slight diner-like setup which weirdly works out quite well. Plus, the ocean side is covered with massive glass windows, so you won't miss out the incredible view that this place is well-known for. 

This is the outdoor section. If dining under the clouds and stars is what you have in mind, this is just the right place for you. 

The staff was quite friendly and efficient – we received our food and drinks within around 15 minutes. 

Conclusion

The Ocean By O! is a place that you can blow off some blues after a long day/week and lighten up. Superb cocktails, delicious food, radiant views of the city and boisterous vibes – they've got them all. 

*Photographs courtesy of: @raveen.re
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