Full Colombo Social menu and prices (AUD, 2026) -- every category, every item, with prices from the official Plate It Forward menu page. Sambols from AUD $4, sides from AUD $5, curries AUD $18 -- $34, and set menus at AUD $65 or AUD $85 per person. Scroll down for the complete priced menu, the Plate It Forward story, vegetarian and vegan guide, and FAQs.
Signature items
The four things people most commonly want to know about Colombo Social's menu, answered quickly.
Pol Sambol, Date & Lime Pickle, Seeni Sambol or Extra Hot Sambol -- all AUD $4 each.
Dark roasted curry powder and fenugreek -- one of Head Chef Chamara Pathiranage's core dishes.
Eight courses including vegan, vegetarian, GF and DF options. Plate It Forward meal donation included.
Papaya salsa and chilli mayo in a roti shell -- the most-discussed item on the short eats menu.
Six dishes that best represent what Head Chef Chamara Pathiranage is doing at 159 Enmore Rd -- from street-food snacks to slow-cooked curries.
Soft roti folded around crispy softshell crab with papaya salsa and chilli mayo -- Sri Lankan street food meets Sydney share plate.
Mum's recipe slow-cooked dhal. Vegan and gluten-free. One of the most consistently praised dishes by reviewers -- simple, deeply flavoured and under $20.
Chicken braised in a dark-roasted curry powder base with fenugreek. Dairy-free. Designed around the slow, aromatic style of Sri Lankan home cooking.
Godamba roti strips stir-fried on a griddle with Shark Bay crab, lemongrass and tomato. Kottu is the signature street food of Colombo -- this is Colombo Social's premium take on it.
Crispy beetroot fritters served with date and lime pickle and coconut raita. Vegan and gluten-free -- a recurring favourite on reviewer lists.
Ceylon Arrack, Brookie's Macadamia Gin, lemon, ginger and cardamom syrup. The flagship cocktail anchoring a South Asian-inspired drinks menu built around the coconut-sap spirit of Sri Lanka.
Ranked by price. All sambols are AUD $4 and can accompany any main or sharing plate at minimal cost.
Based on reviewer mentions across Tripadvisor, Broadsheet, Concrete Playground and AGFG.
Colombo Social has strong coverage for plant-based diners. Vegan (VE) and vegetarian (V) items are clearly labelled on the menu, and many dishes are also gluten-free (GF) and dairy-free (DF). Sri Lankan cuisine is traditionally very friendly to plant-based eating -- dhal, sambols, hoppers and mallung are all naturally vegan.
Cross-contact is possible in a shared kitchen. Advise the team of severe allergies when booking.
Quick-scan table of every priced item, sorted by menu section. Useful for planning a group order or comparing categories.
| Dish | Category | Price (AUD) |
|---|---|---|
| Pappadums | Short Eats | $6 |
| Hopper (plain) | Sides | $5 |
| Beetroot Bhaji | Entrees | $18 |
| Mushroom San Choy Bao | Entrees | $20 |
| Cured Pink Snapper | Entrees | $26 |
| Hot Butter Octopus | Entrees | $32 |
| Amma's Dhal | Mains | $18 |
| Roasted Vegetable Kiri Hodi | Mains | $22 |
| Veggie Kottu | Mains | $22 |
| Shark Bay Crab Kottu | Mains | $30 |
| Village Style Chicken Curry | Mains | $32 |
| Fish Curry (Spanish mackerel) | Mains | $34 |
| Meredith Dairy Goat Curry | Mains | $34 |
| Dark Chocolate Biscuit Pudding | Desserts | $18 |
| Curry Leaf Pavlova | Desserts | $18 |
| Coconut Custard | Desserts | $16 |
Prices in AUD. Sambols all AUD $4 each. Cocktails approx. AUD $18. Set menus AUD $65 (8 courses) or AUD $85 (10 courses). Source: plateitforward.org.au/colombo-social-menu/
Colombo Social was founded by Shaun Christie-David -- born in Australia to Sri Lankan parents who migrated 35 years ago -- and his childhood friend Peter Jones-Best. The restaurant sits inside the Plate It Forward social enterprise, which provides meaningful employment and skills training for asylum seekers and refugees through partnerships with Settlement Services International, the Asylum Seeker Centre in Newtown and the SkillMe program.
Head chef Chamara Pathiranage leads a kitchen that blends "Amma's" (mum's) home-style Sri Lankan recipes with modern Australian-Sri Lankan fusion technique. Monthly Mum Cha lunches (last Saturday of each month) see visiting chefs cook eight-course lunches alongside their mothers and Shaun's mum.
The dining room reflects Sri Lankan landscapes through teal banquette seating, woven light fittings, lush greenery and stacked terracotta pots.
The set menu is 20% off every Tuesday -- AUD $52 (8 courses) instead of AUD $65. Book ahead as the restaurant fills early in the week.
Sri Lankan dining is a sharing tradition. Order 2-3 mains, 2-3 sides, sambols and a short eat each to replicate the full-table experience at a lower cost than the set menu.
At AUD $4 each, sambols are the highest-value additions to any curry or kottu order. The Pol Sambol (fresh coconut) and Date and Lime Pickle are particularly recommended.
A 10% surcharge applies on Sundays, adding AUD $6 to a AUD $65 set menu. Public holidays carry a 15% surcharge.
The dhal at AUD $18 is the most versatile vegan main -- pair it with Pol Roti (AUD $10), a Hopper (AUD $5) and two sambols (AUD $8) for a filling plant-based meal at AUD $41.
Colombo Social's cocktail list is built around Ceylon Arrack, a coconut-sap spirit unique to Sri Lanka. The Lankan Love Affair cocktail (AUD $18) is the entry point and the bar team's most-ordered drink.
Colombo Social is located at 159 Enmore Rd, Enmore, NSW 2042, in Sydney's inner west, close to the Newtown and Marrickville neighbourhoods. Enmore Rd is a walkable strip of cafes, bars and restaurants running between King St (Newtown) and Marrickville Rd.
Phone: +61 2 9020 6366 (or (02) 5604 4516).
Email: colombosocial@plateitforward.org.au
Reservations recommended, especially for Friday and Saturday evenings and weekend lunches. Book via SevenRooms or OpenTable. Walk-ins accepted subject to availability.
Other restaurant menus on Menupedia -- from global chains to specialty cuisines.
Quick answers to common questions about Colombo Social's menu, prices, location, hours and social enterprise mission.
Colombo Social serves Sri Lankan cuisine with a modern Australian-Sri Lankan fusion angle. The menu blends authentic home-style dishes (labelled 'Amma's' recipes, meaning mum's cooking) with contemporary share plates. Core Sri Lankan staples -- hoppers, pol roti, kottu, sambols, dhal and curries -- sit alongside modern entrees like cured pink snapper with pandan oil, hot butter octopus and softshell crab roti tacos. South Asian-inspired cocktails using Ceylon Arrack round out the experience.
Colombo Social is at 159 Enmore Rd, Enmore, NSW 2042, in Sydney's inner-west. It is about a 10-minute walk from Newtown station and a short ride from Marrickville. Phone: +61 2 9020 6366. The restaurant accepts reservations via SevenRooms and OpenTable.
Hours as of mid-2026 (confirm with the restaurant before visiting):
Lunch: Saturday and Sunday, 12 pm -- 3 pm.
Dinner: Tuesday -- Friday 5 pm -- 10 pm; Saturday and Sunday 5:30 pm -- 10:30 pm.
Closed Mondays. A 10%% surcharge applies on Sundays and a 15%% surcharge on public holidays.
Colombo Social is a mid-range restaurant. A la carte, expect to spend around AUD $40 -- $60 per person with cocktails. Individual dishes range from AUD $4 (sambols) to AUD $34 (fish curry or goat curry). Set menus are AUD $65 per person (8 courses) or AUD $85 per person (10 courses with curry choice). Note: prices are in Australian dollars and a 10%% Sunday surcharge applies.
Yes -- Colombo Social has generous vegetarian and vegan coverage across all menu sections. Vegan dishes include Amma's Dhal, Roasted Vegetable Kiri Hodi, Mushroom San Choy Bao, all five sambols (except the Cucumber Raita), Pol Roti, Saffron Rice, Hopper, Gotukola Salad, Eggplant Mallung and Coconut Custard. Vegetarian options include Veggie Kottu, Curry Leaf Pavlova and Dark Chocolate Biscuit Pudding. Vegan and gluten-free items are clearly labelled on the menu.
Kottu (also kothu roti) is a Sri Lankan street food made by stir-frying strips of godamba roti on a hot iron plate with vegetables, egg, and a choice of protein. The rhythmic clatter of the metal scrapers used to chop and toss the roti is one of the signature sounds of Sri Lankan street food culture. Colombo Social offers Veggie Kottu (AUD $22) with hispi cabbage and cavolo nero, and Shark Bay Crab Kottu (AUD $30) with lemongrass and tomato.
A hopper is a bowl-shaped rice flour and coconut milk crepe cooked in a small wok -- a staple across Sri Lanka and South India. At Colombo Social, hoppers are available as a side for AUD $5, with an egg added for an extra AUD $2. They are served alongside sambols and curries for scooping.
Plate It Forward is the social enterprise behind Colombo Social. With every set menu ordered, the program donates a meal to someone in need -- one in Sydney and one in Sri Lanka. Colombo Social also provides employment, practical training and skills development for asylum seekers and refugees in partnership with Settlement Services International, the Asylum Seeker Centre (Newtown) and the SkillMe program. It was founded by Shaun Christie-David and Peter Jones-Best.
Colombo Social's bar programme is anchored by Ceylon Arrack -- a fermented coconut sap spirit from Sri Lanka -- and spices common in South Asian cooking. Signature cocktails include the Lankan Love Affair (Ceylon Arrack, Macadamia Gin, ginger and cardamom, AUD $18), the Tiki Toddy Tapper (Arrack, peach, pineapple, coconut cream, palm sugar), the Invisible Mango Lassi (milk punch with Arrack, Sri Lankan tea and mango) and the Smokey Cinnamon Arrack Old Fashioned. All cocktails are priced around AUD $18.
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