Angel Walk is a relatively new watering hole in Kottawa that gives a good competition to the legendary Panorama which used to run a monopoly in Kottawa dodgy bar scene for years.
Serving up some mediocre bites and booze, it's a cheap alternative to your weekend drinking spots.
Ambience
This is a typical suburban bar with a lot of tables, which are occupied by large groups of men, while a TV playing random channels. They also have an actual bar counter here, which is not a common sight in this caliber. But I didn’t see anyone sitting at the counter throughout the time we were there.
There is also an air-conditioned area, but it looked a bit claustrophobic – so we decided to sit in the non-A/C area.
Food and Drinks
They don’t do cocktails here, but the local spirits are sold at a very cheap price point (almost retail price). We ordered a Rockland VAT9 (Rs. 2660), and soda, tonic, Coke and Sprite to go with it (yes I know, so many personal preferences for four people).
Going by Buddhika’s recent review on Panorama’s excellent mixed grill, we decided to try the same dish here as well, but our waiter didn't give a positive impression on it. So, as per the recommendation of him, we went with a portion of Devilled Pork (580) and Angel Walk Special Fried Rice (Rs. 850).
The Devilled Pork was well seasoned and the meat was fried to the point where it was nicely crispy with no fatty layer. There was a lot of sauce in it – just the way most Sri Lankans prefer it, and fortunately, it didn’t overpower the meaty flavors of the pork. The portion size was easily shareable by two people.
With plenty of meat and sausage pieces to go around, our Fried Rice was pretty good, but for a Lankan fried rice, it wasn’t seasoned enough and tasted quite bland. It was served with a chili paste, which was really oily and didn’t taste very fresh. Taste-wise, it's not worth the hefty price tag of Rs. 850, but the small portion we ordered was enough for three sober people to finish off five drunks.
The Chicken Omelet (Rs. 440) was alright, but there's nothing to write home about. You also get a portion of french fries along with it, and ours was nicely crispy and well salted.
We also tried their Hot Butter Cuttlefish (Rs. 620), which was adequately seasoned with slightly crispy batter on top of deliciously cooked cuttlefish rings. However, it lacked that saucy saute that one would expect from this local favorite.
Service
Our waiter was friendly and honest enough to deter us from ordering the mixed grill because he thought it’s not worth the price.
Singing inside this bar is strictly prohibited, therefore, nothing is going to disturb your boozy sentiment, or take you back to your nostalgic memories with drunken covers of Amaradeva and Kapuge (if you are a fan of it). Aside from the occasional loudmouths that might come from a nearby table and the giant TV in the middle, the atmosphere here is pretty good. Even the washroom was well maintained – not stinky and relatively clean.
Conclusion
Cheap booze, friendly service, and mediocre food. What else do you expect from a suburban dodgy bar?