Located at: 2 Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 02, Sri Lanka

Visited on: 15th August, 2026

Here’s one for kebab buffs. Hilton Colombo’s got ‘The Great Kebab Affair’ going on. It’s not entirely clear what sort of time frame the promo will be on for, but they do dish out a selection of kebabs at Café Kai, L.A.B., and Graze Kitchen. The menu is a bit of a fusion affair with some unique selections:

. Beetroot Peanut Butter Kebab

. CMB Chicken Kebab

. Dakshini Fish Tikka

. Roomali Paneer

. Asparagus and Broccoli Tikki

. Gosht Nanoba Kebab

These come with the option of adding on a cold brew for LKR 1,400.

We tried three types, the first being Roomali Paneer (LKR 2,988). It was something quite different. Not quite melt-in-the-mouth as the description stated, but unique nonetheless. The relish on top, and the sweetness and texture of the chutney within gave the overall flavour an extra bit of dimension. The sauce on the side wasn’t ideal to complement the dish, though. I might have picked a mint chutney, or some sort of creamy number instead.

The second dish we tried was the Dakshini Fish Tikka (LKR 2,988). This was softer than most fish tikkas that we’ve tried locally and away, but did taste good as a fish dish. I have to assume here that the sweet-spicy pineapple chutney mentioned in the menu description – which did not make an appearance – was likely replaced by the mint chutney which was served with our order. Possibly a better match anyway.

Finally, we tried the CMB Chicken Kebab (LKR 2,988) – which was the best of the lot. The coconut milk and raw mango marinade seemed to have done its magic as the meat was very tasty. It was also grilled to perfection. Again, the accompaniments were not buffalo curd and pickled chili, as stated on the menu, but the same less-than-ideal sauce from the first dish mentioned above. Luckily, the chicken didn’t need to rely on any dip or relish to be enjoyed.

It would have been great to have had a small cup of Persian dill rice or saffron rice, or some similar form of carb, to accompany the kebabs, and make them feel more complete as dishes. The service at L.A.B. was spot-on – as always. However, I’d say the kebab experience itself – by Hilton Colombo’s usual standards – was satisfactory. A little more attention to detail would definitely have pushed this rating up a few notches.

Yummy rating: 3.5 / 5.0