Revisiting the good times at The Kings

By Madushka Balasuriya

Nostalgia, they say, is a funny old thing; despite always on the lookout for it, it comes at you when you least expect it. Like when you stumble across an old photo. Or are caught off guard on a rainy Sunday as that song from your O/Level year starts playing on the radio. Nostalgia when it strikes the right chord though, is a beautiful thing.

The late 90s and early 2000s, in that sense are a great source of nostalgic fodder; it was a great time for music, from hip-hop to R&B to Rock to collaborations incorporating all three, the hooks and beats of yesteryear are still being sampled today. Likewise it was also a great time for live music in Sri Lanka, a time when a night out meant going to an establishment housing your favourite band, and nowhere did this quite as well as Colombo. But, alas, with the entry of the superstar DJ, the need for live music at clubs and bars began to die down. Until now that is.

The Kingsbury is doing what no Sri Lankan establishment has been able to do before - bringing together both modern and past legends of the Colombo music scene and putting them under one roof. Mintaka, Legacy, Misty, Wildfire, Rock This Country, Brexit, and Shyanne and Co., will be performing live Monday through Sunday from 6pm - 11pm at The Kings bar, tugging at your heartstrings and taking you back to your youth.

Daily FT had the pleasure of sitting through a Misty set, and trying out the delicious pub bites on offer.

Pub grub

The menu itself isn’t vast, but The Kingsbury’s Chef Kithsiri runs a tight ship, and it was genuinely some of the best ‘bites’ we’ve had in recent times. We were unable to try all nine items, but as Chef Kithsiri was kind enough to make us a special platter, we were able to try most of them without overindulging.

The Kingsbury is of course best known for its seafood, with The Ocean recently nabbing a regional award for the best seafood in South West Asia. It’s no surprise therefore that The Kings offers some of the best seafood-based bites around.

The Calamari Fritters (Rs. 700) were well made; light and crispy, just as it should be. What completed the dish though was the accompanying Thai sweet chilli sauce, which really hit the spot. The Deep Fried King Prawns (Rs. 950) was more of the same; the size of the prawns in particular were pleasing, while the chilli sauce dip was again supremely well crafted.

The highlight however was the Breaded Mussels and Fish Fingers (Rs. 850). Fish fingers are a staple in most pubs, but The Kings took it a step further; served alongside homemade tartar sauce, the almost melt-in-your-mouth fish was encrusted by a delightful golden crust. That would normally have been enough, therefore the mussels kind of fall into the overkill category – but most definitely the good kind! I can’t think of even one other reputed establishment which offers mussels as a bite – it really ought to be more common place - and by doing so The Kings has an instant favourite on its hands.

No pub experience is complete of course without a barbecue item of some sort, and The Kings had us covered with the BBQ Chicken Wings (Rs. 700). First up the chicken wings, it must be said, were definitely not the dainty offerings given at some other establishments; the sizeable wings were also marinated in a splendid BBQ sauce. Striking that delicate balance between sweet and spicy, you’ll find yourself scraping off every ounce of the plate with the accompanying steak fries.

For the vegetarians out there, there was also the Bruschetta Pomodoro (Rs. 600). The toasted bread with olive oil, sweet tomatoes, onion and basil, tasted like the best margherita pizza you ever had. Highly recommend.

Other items on the menu were the Devilled Fish Roe (Rs. 800), Middle Eastern Mixed Grill (Rs. 1100), Chicken Chilli Fry (Rs. 850) and the Traditional Sri Lankan Bites Platter for two (Rs. 1100). While we were not able to try all of them we did manage to taste the fish cutlets and stuffed capsicum from the Lankan platter - and we’re glad we did. The cutlets were fried to perfection, with a filling that was spicy without ever straying into overwhelming territory. The stuffed capsicum meanwhile was inspired; the vegetarian filling combined with an incredibly flavourful batter in which the capsicum was fried, is an experienced not to be missed.

A bar under the radar

The Kings, which is located on the ground floor of The Kingsbury, has an old school vibe about it; Spacious with ample comfortable seating, and a mellow atmosphere promises a relaxed evening. 

Also on offer is an extensive cocktail menu, with a variety of signature cocktails, as well as wines, though for the time being the bar is promoting its collection of whiskeys, vodkas, gins, rum, and beer. Options are available to buy either by the glass or by the bottle, and it’s clear that The Kings is targeting a particular demographic which will sit down, have a drink and a bite, and listen to some good nostalgia inducing tunes while wiling the night away.

There’s also a killer promotion on offer at the moment if you want to start your evening a bit earlier; for Rs. 2,900 nett the Pub Tea at The Kings promo offers unlimited beer or two glasses of wine, with a pub spread which includes carvery items, cheese varieties, olives, and tapas.

On the whole it’s clear that The Kings has a lot to offer, but while it has been around since inception at The Kingsbury for one reason or another it has failed to take off. In-house guests of course enjoyed the pub grub on offer, while the exquisite long bar stocked an extensive collection of liquor. Yet for those looking for a bar for some drinks and conversation, The Kings was rarely, if ever, on the radar.

That though, I sense, is about to change. As far as great ideas go, bottling and selling nostalgia is right up there, and The Kings is onto a formula which has all the ingredients to be a resounding success. Great food and great music, really, what more could you ask for. 

Pix by Upul Abayasekera