3A Shrubbery Gardens, Colombo 4
Open Restaurant 8am - 10pm 7 days a week. Bar 11am-2pm and 5pm-10pm daily.
Greenlands is a budget South-Indian joint that wins for nostalgia.
Greenlands is a South Indian vegetarian restaurant that has been around as long as I can remember. I even recall fond tales from my parents who would rendezvous there in their youth. Its strongest point is the nostalgia, to be honest, and anyone who's been there over the years will attest to that. There's way more competition these days, and they don't seem the overly competitive type.
Buddhika decided to try their rice and curry for lunch. I went with the paper dosai, though their onion dosai is also good.
The rice and curry (Rs 200) is quite wholesome, with plenty of dhal, a little bit of mango pickle. The main curry is bittergourd, which added a sharp acidic kick. You don't get your usual spicy flavours of a Sri Lankan rice and curry, so this might not be for everyone. I particularly love the contrast of texture when you mix the papadam with the wet rice and curry.
My paper dosai (Rs 185) wasn't served in any dramatic fashion, just a long roll. It wasn't too oily and just perfectly crisp. I have no complaints, really. It filled me up and the price was reasonable.
I like to have thayir vadai/curd vadai (Rs 90) as a sort of dessert. We quite liked the flavourful curd that it sat in, as we tried to make out what went into it. There's some caramelized onions in there that add some depth to the flavour.
We washed it all down with some buttermilk (Rs 110). It was pretty good. The green chili and onions are what really add to the character of an otherwise plain concoction. It's fairly rich, though it isn't super thick, and I wouldn't be able to finish one by myself.
The staff at Greenlands seem as old as the establishment itself, sporting hair as white as their crisp white dhoti and shirt. When the place is not too busy, they are fairly amicable. Ordering is pretty straightforward. If you don't know what you want, you can ask them, though there's a large board with the whole menu at the entrance for that purpose. Sometimes when the place is busy they can seem a little grouchy (in particular one of the older, short men who always seems to ignore me when I try to speak in Tamil). There's no service charge, so don't forget to tip them!
This is what I love most about Greenlands. Though the interior is painted a muted, almost sickly green, the large paintings on the wall are just fabulous. You're immediately transported to a world of kitsch South Indian imagery, with Krishna on one side, and a court dancer right in front of you. The place is quite clean, though if it were lit brighter it would seem more so.
While there are many other South Indian restaurants serving much better fare, Greenlands still holds a place in people's heart for sheer nostalgia. They do what they do quite well. However, in comparison, it's not really better than places like Shanmugas or Thalis. Prices are reasonable, so two can eat for under Rs 1000 easily. Oh, and they have the rare combo of a liquor bar and a/c hotel rooms also on offer, so that's something!
Greenlands still holds a place in people's heart for sheer nostalgia.
Greenlands is great, and a long-running institution from what I gather. It’s a budget South-Indian joint in a peaceful location, that has oodles of run-down character and is as cheap as anything.
සිංහල ග්රීන්ලන්ඩ් හෝටලය අඩු මිළට දකුණු ඉන්දියන් ආහාර පිරිනමන පැරණි පෙනුම ඇති එහෙත් සාමකාමී වටපිටාවක පිහිටි අවන්හලක්.
Address
3A Shrubbery Gardens, Colombo 4
Directions
When approaching Bambalapitiya junction, look out for a board reading "Chef Warm". Turn left.
Contacts
Report InaccuracyOpen Restaurant 8am - 10pm 7 days a week. Bar 11am-2pm and 5pm-10pm daily.
Cuisine
Price Range
Dish Types
Sweets Rice And Curry Indian Sweets Dosa Roti
Ratings Breakdown
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RUSSELL TENNEKOON
x sirlent view of the place .get the feeling you are already in there! great description
TuTu
one of my fav place. i knew this place from my childhood. still the environment, food and everything is same there. it is purely Indian, vegetarian. prices are also affordable. i love the morning Itly and elakiri. 5 years back time master Amaradeva is a well known regular customer there in every morning.
VJ
The best service you will ever get at a restaurant in Colombo!
keikods
Love the food here… Their masala thosai and their puri is just awesome… especially the potato masala they serve with the puri… OMG!!!!!! Heavenly… I love this place because you really don't need to watch your etiquette and you can stuff your face silly without worrying what others are thinking about you!
They are very clean and never compromise on quality.
Nadz
You have to go here once in your life. Its an institution.
Kandee
If u wanna feel 90's! Just come n have ur breakfast here. And u can feel what ur parents felt in their young age.
Kandee
If u wanna feel 90's! Just come n have ur breakfast here. And u can feel what ur parents felt in their young age.
Kandee
Radiator springs of bamba!!
dfghdfgdf
review poya day buffet at mount lavinia hotel
Pavara
අපරාදෙනේ… ඇයි ඔයා බත් කෑවේ ? වෙන මොනවහරි කන්න තිබුණනේ
Pavara
අපරාදෙනේ… ඇයි ඔයා බත් කෑවේ ? වෙන මොනවහරි කන්න තිබුණනේ