The ‘heart of England’ now in the heart of Colombo
Nestled between Chatham Street and the Dutch Hospital Shopping Precinct, is a gastronomic passport to Britain.
Located inside the boutique business hotel, The Steuart by Citrus, the initial idea for & Co Pub and Kitchen was a simple one – to open a British pub with a Scottish theme.
Distinctive interior: & Co Pub’s cosy setting. Pix by Indika Handuwala
The themes interlaced within the hotel and the pub are a nod to the building’s historical namesake and his legacy.
Once the headquarters of George Steuart & Co., the oldest corporate house in the country established in 1835, the building which houses the hotel is fermented in history.
Here’s a fun fact for foodies who enjoy a portion of history with their fare – the hotel’s boardroom contains a chair, sent by Queen Victoria to George Steuart and on which the country’s first Prime Minister D.S. Senanayake purportedly sat to sign the country’s independence papers.
Both the boutique hotel and its pub and kitchen proudly draw upon this 180-year-old historical legacy to recreate a sliver of Britain in central Colombo.
The interiors of & Co Pub and Kitchen are predominantly wood and brick set against deep tones of British Racing Green and gold. The brick wall is a part of the original George Steuart building with bricks brought from Manchester in the 1800s.
The simple chandeliers are reminiscent of what you might find in a Scottish castle, and we’re told a penny farthing will be added to the interior in the coming weeks.
All you can eat: A loaded seafood platter
A part of the pub is lined with coats of arms insignia featuring families and clans in Scotland.
The menus feature the tartan theme, which underpins the leitmotif of the entire hotel, lending the final Scottish touches to the Pub and Kitchen.
“It’s exactly like the way you would have it in England. It had to feel like you were in a different country when you’re eating here,” says Sasha Dayal, General Manager of The Steuart.
The name of the pub, Dayal grins, was meant to be a deliberate ambiguity and a gentle play on George Steuart & Co.
Situated amidst a hub of restaurants and cafes, what sets & Co Pub and Kitchen apart from the smorgasbord of dining options in the neighbourhood? The portions and pricing, replies Dayal emphatically.
Dayal, who has experience in hospitality around the world, recollects that when he used to visit Colombo as a tourist, he realized that a lot of restaurants were segregated, often catering to only one particular type of clientele.
Sasha Dayal: General Manager of The Steuart
With a view that food is for sharing, Dayal explains that the pricing at & Co Pub and Kitchen has been resolutely made affordable in order to counter this divide in clientele and to enable anyone to saunter in and enjoy a good, hearty meal, without a wary eye on their purse.
The spirit of camaraderie and egalitarian sharing of food harks back to the very anchor of the famed British pub culture,to which & Co Pub and Kitchen is moored.
The pub – a shortening of the words “Public House” – often referred to when someone had opened out their house to the public and were ideal for a quick bite and a chat over a pint.
Since the brewing process made it safer to drink than the drinking water of the Middle Ages, ale and beer became a British staple and pubs were (and still are) social epicentres in a community.
Member of Parliament and Britain’s most celebrated diarist, Samuel Pepys famously referred to the pub as “the heart of England”.
The food at & Co Pub and Kitchen features the quintessential pub grub with some local and global additions to the menu.
You can expect fare such as bangers and mash with onion gravy, chicken and leek pie, steak pie (minus the kidney), along with additions such as lamprais, rice and curry, linguine bolognaise, crab thermidor to bites such as sandwiches, cutlets and the ‘machang nachos’.
Stepping into a place with history: The Steuart legacy displayed at the entrance
The prices start from Rs. 200 and go up to nearly Rs. 6,000 offering food for varying budgets.
It’s also not one of those places where you eat dainty, decorative portions with the uncomfortable knowledge that you’ll be ravenous by the time you head back home – the food at & Co and Pub is sturdy, no frills fare.
We are informed that crowd favourites include the loaded burger and the barbeque ribs.
The fish and chips (Rs. 795) were on point –a lightly salted, battered white fish served with a small bucketful of fresh fries and a homemade tartar sauce.
The seafood platter was a large, imposing looking affair with mussels, lobster, shrimp, calamari, fish, salad and chips,while the hot batter calamari proved to be an instant favourite (a little blander than the Colombo favourite that is hot butter cuttlefish but equally addictive).
The East End proper shepherd’s pie featured a generous portion of mince, cooked in gravy and topped with potato mash and was served with a side of vegetables (Rs. 1200).
If you like your pie a little more flavourful – perhaps ask for a little more spice in the mince. Meanwhile, & Co’s playful blend of mango, passion fruit and lemonade with hints of mint, are an excellent anodyne for Colombo’s humidity.
Dayal, who used to manage the Hard Rock Café chain in locations such as Orlando, London, Madrid and Barcelona, has considerable international experience and is brimming with innovations and ideas to add to & Co and the hotel.
Dayal explains that he drew upon these varied experiences to put together the drinks menu, occasionally relating an anecdote or story which have inspired the more eclectic of the beverage blends.
The drinks menu features an array of spirits, uniquely blended cocktails and mocktails and reflects a palette of global influences, from Middle Eastern, Spanish to Italian.
If you’re in a rush and in need of a quick bite, there’s also a small shop located at the front of the hotel. Named ‘& Co on the go’, the shop is a tribute to the humble street side kadé and offers flavourful and fast short eats, rice and curry, sandwiches and desserts at very affordable prices. & Co Pub and Kitchen also offers a Sunday Roast, live entertainment and Happy Hour deals on drinks on selected days of the week and is poised to make new additions to the menu.
A worthy dining addition to the heart of Colombo, & Co Pub and Kitchen offers hearty, filling, pub grub and a creative range of drinks with a small serving of history on the side. Bring your appetite.