"Colombo trendsetter Shanth Fernando brings the same masculine yet playful aesthetic that defines his nearby Paradise Road lifestyle emporium to this renovated 1930 mansion, filling it with Flemish chandeliers, a French château mirror in the Red Bar, black-lacquer tables from Vietnam, and six life-size statues that overlook the long, narrow swimming pool. The ten high-ceilinged suites are similarly furnished with souvenirs from Fernando’s wanderlust. The exquisite trompe l’oeil ceiling in the Dining Room attracts nearly as much attention as the menu, which runs as diverse as oxtail ravioli in tomato and marrow to Sri Lankan black pork curry with dhal. The Court Yard restaurant has a lovely garden where guests can take breakfast, and its spacious balcony is a choice spot for a romantic dinner. The warm staff are also Sri Lanka’s most stylishly dressed, in charcoal linen."
