Sri Lankan Soho restaurant to launch new late-night concept Paradise: After Dark

Since its arrival on the streets of Soho back at the start of 2020, Paradise has been celebrating Sri Lanka’s rich and varied cuisine with fiery dishes that draw on owner Dom Fernando’s internationally inspired family recipes. Influenced by Portuguese, Malay, South Indian and Dutch food culture, the restaurant’s ingredient-focused menu is not afraid to bring the heat, and challenges traditional expectations of Sri Lankan cuisine through a modern expression of its cultural diversity. Now Fernando has even bigger plans for the award-winning Brutalist space, which will come alive after hours with his new late-night concept, Paradise: After Dark.

From Thursday to Saturday starting from 30^th March, as evening dinner service winds down, the Bib Gourmand restaurant will morph into an intimate bar with speakeasy vibes. Guests can expect a drinks list that resists the usual mass labels: the team are working with the renowned Sri-Lankan distillery Rockland to ship across some limited edition spirits, including their aged halmilla and spiced coconut arracks as well as a number of Sinhalese craft rums. Head bartender Erin Mulkerrin-English will be serving up innovative Sri-Lankan inspired classic cocktails, and has been working with the chefs to create a selection of zero-waste concoctions such as a pol-roti old fashioned and a smokey clarified bloody Mary made using leftover ingredients from the kitchen.

For those with a late-night craving for snacks, there will also be a curated short-eats menu featuring the likes of Mangalitza pickled pigs-head patties, truffle and green chilli kimbula banis and Ceylonese spiced prawns with mango and seaweed butter. Guests can pull up a stool on the long bar or book a secluded banquette table, crank up the cocktails and eat and drink to the beat.

The Food Desk

Paradise: After Dark launches on 30^th March 2023, with opening hours from Thursday to Saturday from 10pm-1am. Walk-ins are welcome, or to book a table visit their website here.