Worcester Park & Putney

Sri Lankan cooking rooted in heritage, family, and craft, led by chef and restaurateur Sylvia Perera

Sri Lankan-born chef, restaurateur, and Executive Chef Sylvia Perera leads Colombo Kitchen, a pair of neighbourhood restaurants in Worcester Park and Putney celebrated for their elevated authentic Sri Lankan cooking and warm, generous hospitality. Raised in Negombo, Sylvia grew up immersed in the flavours and rhythms of Sri Lankan home kitchens, later refining her skills through professional training and years of cooking for her family.

Sylvia began her culinary career with a catering business and the much-loved Kotthu Kart street-food stall in Piccadilly – which had the longest lines in the market. In 2019 she opened Colombo Kitchen Worcester Park, introducing her style of coastal-influenced Sri Lankan cooking to South West London. She opened the Putney branch in 2024 and continues to cook daily at both restaurants, overseeing every menu as Executive Chef and ensuring each dish reflects her traditional methods and instinctive understanding of Sri Lankan spice.

“Sri Lankan cooking has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up watching my Aunty Nanda prepare the dishes that defined our home, from fresh coconut ground on the stone to spices roasted each afternoon. When I opened my first restaurant, it felt like a way to honour the flavours I was raised with. To now cook these dishes for guests in London, from hoppers and kottu roti to our coastal curries, is something I feel incredibly proud of.”

— Sylvia Perera, Executive Chef and Founder

Family-led Sri Lankan hospitality

Colombo Kitchen remains a true family enterprise. Sylvia leads the culinary direction, while her husband sources fresh seafood from Billingsgate Market each morning, drawing on the family’s roots in Negombo, Sri Lanka’s seafood capital. Their children support the running of both restaurants. Staff are welcomed as family, preserving the homely atmosphere and enabling them to deliver service that truly embodies the essence of Sri Lankan hospitality.

Traditional methods sit at the heart of the kitchens. Many sambals and spice pastes are prepared using a stone grinder, producing depth and texture that machinery cannot replicate. Dishes such as the fish curry and ambul thiyal are cooked in traditional claypots to preserve their authentic flavours.

Cancer and Resilience

In 2024, while preparing to open Colombo Kitchen Putney, Sylvia began experiencing unexplained symptoms that were repeatedly dismissed until she pushed for further investigation and was eventually diagnosed with breast cancer the same week, she was due to finalise the restaurant paperwork. With the support of her family, she chose to continue with the opening, fast-tracking the renovation, whilst recovering from surgery, so she could be hands-on for the initial opening period before beginning chemotherapy. Throughout treatment she stayed closely involved with her team, drawing strength from the rhythm of kitchen life. Now 67 and in remission, she encourages women to trust their instincts and her journey continues to shape her resilient, determined leadership at Colombo Kitchen.

Colombo Kitchen — Worcester Park

25–27 Central Road, KT4 8EG

The original Colombo Kitchen opened in 2019, offering a full à la carte menu and a five-course tasting menu that highlights the breadth of Sri Lankan cooking. The tasting menu includes seafood influenced by Sylvia’s Negombo upbringing.

Colombo Kitchen — Putney

240 Upper Richmond Road, SW15 6TG

Opened in May 2024, the Putney restaurant builds on the foundations established in Worcester Park. Its open kitchen allows guests to watch hoppers and kottu roti being prepared to order, and a quiet rear terrace offers outdoor seating during warmer months. The kitchen is led day-to-day by recently appointed Head Chef Sachi Lowe, who brings experience from Michelin-starred Galvin La Chapelle and works closely with Chef Sylvia to elevate the presentation of the traditional dishes on the menu. The appointment of Chef Lowes underscores Sylvia’s commitment to elevating Colombo Kitchen to Michelin-star caliber, marking a bold new chapter in the restaurant’s culinary vision and ambition.

Sri Lankan Flavours

Colombo Kitchen’s menus reflect the diversity of Sri Lankan cuisine, balancing spice, acidity, coconut, and slow-cooked depth. Highlights include Jaffna Crab Curry and Negombo Prawn Curry to a wide selection of vegetarian and vegan favourites such as Dhal Parippu, Aubergine Moju and seasonal plant-based curries. A highlight is Chef Sylvia’s Lamprais, a heritage Sri Lankan Dutch Burgher dish of rice and curries wrapped in banana leaf and baked. It is available with mutton, chicken, fish, or vegetarian fillings and was awarded a 2-star Great Taste Award in 2024.

Recognition

Chef Sylvia and Colombo Kitchen have been recognised with awards including National Chef of the Year and Surrey Chef of the Year at the 2024 Asian Restaurant Awards, Sri Lankan Restaurant of the Year at the Prestige Restaurant Awards, Sri Lankan Restaurant of the Year at the 2023 Asian Restaurant Awards and a Blue Ribbon from the Good Food Awards.

Colombo Kitchen remains focused on authenticity, family heritage, and careful craft, supported by a drinks list featuring artisanal arrack-based cocktails and Sri Lanka’s iconic Lion larger. Sylvia’s long-term ambition is to publish a cookbook capturing the recipes, techniques and coastal flavours that shaped her life in Negombo and now define the experience at Colombo Kitchen. The restaurants continue to welcome guests seeking a deeper connection to Sri Lankan cooking, through dishes grounded in tradition and delivered with warmth.