Il Cielo (Old Menu)

*Update: This review is of the old menu at Il Cielo.

Check out our review on the new menu below!

Il Cielo

Slow jazz and city lights

Overlooking the majestic Beira lake and the Colombo skyline, Il Cielo and the Berlin Sky Lounge are open for business. Set in quite a peculiar location, down the ‘wewa para’ just as you turn into the road leading up to the Gangaramaya Temple, Il Cielo has a mysterious but welcoming vibe associated to it. As the name suggests the Italian Restaurant, Il Cielo takes the fourth and fifth floors of the skyscraper, complete with architecture to represent Europe at its best. Its sister restaurant, the Berlin Sky Lounge, one with a German take, is situated right above it.

Ambience

Il Cielo is a definite ‘wow’ factor restaurant, to be honest, one of the very first of its kind in Colombo. The beautiful European architecture restaurant with wooden floor panels and glass walls, accompany the perfect view of the beautiful city, giving you the ultimate fine dining experience. Walking in to Il Cielo makes you feel instantly at home; the slow Jazz and the cheerful waiters transform you to a typical restaurant down the beautiful streets in Italy. The dim lighting perfectly suits the mood of the restaurant.

The gleaming smiles on the faces of the waiters and the waiting lounge they have just as you enter so you can chill while they direct you to a table are definite plus points.What really makes Il Cielo stand out from the rest is the atmosphere the restaurant has. Amongst the hustle and bustle in the city, Il Cielo is the perfect romantic getaway, beautifully secluded from the rush of time centering our everyday lives. A candle lit dinner under the stars? Il Cielo and the Berlin Sky Lounge most definitely has that box ticked.

Food and Drinks

Since it was the first day they were open for business, they brought to our table an authentic Set Menu, comprising of Bruschetta, Minestrone soup, Spaghetti Promodoro, Tiramisu and Canella Cinnamon Gelato. How more Italian can this place possibly get? Well you’re in for a surprise. It’s not just the flour for the bread, pizzas, and the other yummy and authentically Italian ingredients they ship from Italy, their Executive Chef is a 100% Italian too!

The Tomato Bruschetta was a mouth-watering Italian delicacy. For just Rs.480, it’s an absolute show stopper. It was both buttery and moist, topped with a handful of finely diced tomatoes. If you aren’t a fan of tomatoes, then this isn’t your best option.

The next dish on the menu, the Minestrone Soup, was a healthy infusion of vegetables and taste. I wouldn’t say it was the best, but if you are one with the acquired Italian taste buds, then you’d probably give the dish a 10/10. For a Rs. 390, the soup was definitely worth it.

The Main Course was an absolute favorite. The Spaghetti Pomodoro lived right up to its expectations. Topped with fresh herbs and Calamari, the pasta tasted absolutely amazing and the ability to taste it at a candle lit under the stars made it all the more special. Again for a Rs. 790, the dish did justice to the price. Our dessert was Tiramisu at Rs.490, followed by a Canella Cinnamon Gelato at Rs.300. The Tiramisu had a  rich and elegant taste acquired to it and so did the Gelato.

Even though Il Cielo and the Berlin Sky Lounge are fine dining restaurants, its prices speak quite the opposite. The dishes are well made, beautifully prepared and do justice to the prices they charge for it. The downfall however, was the time they took to bring our main course to the table. After we were done with our soup, we had to wait quite a while for the waiters to bring the main course to our tables, of course, this could be excused as it was their first day open for business.

Il Cielo also has an amazing and affordable beverages menu that you got to try out. Take our advice and try it out, it won’t let you down. I think it’s safe to say that Colombo’s finally gotten the authentic European restaurant it’s been longing to have!