Chayhane Turkish Cafe & Bistro — Restaurant in Colombo

Instagram - beautiful

The ambience - lovely - they sure spent a lot on those lanterns hanging

The confusion - plenty. From both sides.

The food - it was the last thing we had moments before we left which was a long way off from when we first arrived.

Entertainment - a vocal complaint from another table

The outdoors - surprisingly elegantly homely but home had fewer mosquitoes.

We walked in very eager to try out the food. Friends wanted to go. I didn’t know much. We were greeted by no one. Had to find our way into the heart of the restaurant to find someone to seat us. They are new. They seemed confused as to where a group of three people could be seated. Fortunately, we were able to assist them.

Menus looked good. One would think a simple menu like that would help them focus on flavor and presentation (and the prices hoping to match - either in portion size or take us to the heart of the Ottoman Empire). Well, we only got our three plates of food 1 hour and 20 minutes later.

Yes. No typo there. We patiently waited for 1 hour and 20 minutes since setting foot inside the restaurant to receive our food.

And the food? The lanterns were nice and very ornate and the mirror and tile wall was nicely done and the brick partition was looking good along wit the expensive table and chairs.

Oh the food. The waiters seems in a constant hurry and the social media person was at work capturing the place. Days gone where one would ask for our consent before posting as a few moments later, I was on an Instagram reel - fortunately, I wasn’t hiding from the boss. Hi boss.

Ah. The food. Sorry. I keep forgetting to talk about the food. I’m not an expert on Turkish cuisine. So I can’t say anything about authenticity. But I have been in the Middle East for 28 years and I wasn’t traveling down any memory lane. There were no spices in the meat. The minced beef in the pita bread could easily have topped some spaghetti and you’ll have a good spaghetti Bolognese and I think my rice was a keeri samba. It was actually a good alternative to cous cous. The thought was from a good sense of imagination or delusion from hunger from waiting for so long (Chefs should really look into this)

I had to educate the waiters to come and talk to us if the food will be delayed and not hide and keep us in the fog for 1 hour after ordering. I can’t blame them. They didn’t want to be blamed for something that is not their fault.

Maybe change their concept from “Turkish” to “Turk-ish”. They would like to be but are they there? Food and Beverage operations is another lesson they need to learn.

Will I be going back? Only if I need a 1 hour and 20 minute meditation leading to a okay meal that helps...

Updated Review 12-June-2025: loved the food on our first visit so came back to try new items. It was simply put, awful. I suspect it's because the owner/ chef wasnt there when we went the 2nd time round. Disappointed at the lack of consistency.

Review 22-May-2025 Rating 4/5 Food- tad bit on the pricier side but tasted good. Tried the Tantuni Beef (akin to a beef shawarma wrap) which was really nice but cost 2850 + 10% service charge so 3135/= total. It was served with a small side of salad & fries.

Also tried their chicken pasta (2970 nett) which was okay. It was plain pasta topped with labneh and some sort of minced chicken situation. Not enough chicken for my liking.

The turkish coffee (1430 nett) was interesting. It was about the size of a double espresso & had a very bold spice profile to it but I would probably try it again. The turkish delight they served it with complimented the coffee very well.

There were 4 front of house team members all huddled together in the coffee machine area chatting and using their phones which threw off the vibe a bit but the guy who served us was polite and was trained on explaining the menu which had many turkish words like Pogača and Borek which were unfamiliar to me.

Ambience - outer area is quite nice but no AC, if you want AC there is an inside area that has the vibe of an old sri lankan home with red floors and little to no natural light.

Overall one of the better spots in colombo and I would...

Cute place with fair ambiance. Staff were great, very friendly and obliging. As the place seems new they are trying their best to get things into motion. There wasn't anything wrong with the food per se, however it isn't the cuisine as advertised. Other than the names on the menu there wasn't anything Turkish at all about the food. Their arayes was more of a mince curry bun; the falafel probably closer to a "masala wadé". Likewise with the kebabs. Somewhat disappointing when you expect Turkish / Mediterranean cuisine but get South Asian instead. Perhaps their focus is on appeasing the local palette rather than authentic Turkish cuisine, in which case their advertising as "Taste of Turkey" and "authentic Turkish cuisine" can be misleading. I would suggest a relabel as "Turkish fusion" to be more apt. Venue was clean and hygienic. Good quiet accessible location. Nice for a cozy...