“Life’s short, men. Have to make the best of it, noh?”
At Uncle’s in Colombo, when you order toddy and cheese toast, lessons for life come for free. This diminutive bar with a big personality defied all odds when it launched in December 2021, in a country that was both in the grip of the global pandemic and battling an economic crisis. With a chatty Instagram page that reminded customers there is “No need to be formal and all,” the bar heroed local food, drinks and people. And, against all odds, it thrived.
Founder Gehan Fernando warns me in advance that Friday night is a “crazy Uncle’s scene” when we decide to catch up. I weave through chatty customers, spilling into Park Street Mews, a private road lined with restaurants, and edge into the packed bar. Uncle’s is welcoming, and defiantly unpretentious: A formula that has worked well enough to prompt the recent launch of a second space, ‘Hotel De Uncles’ in Ahangama. Described as a ‘roti shop with a secret,’ this speakeasy-style cafe doubles up as a bar in the scenic town south of Colombo, known for its beaches and surfing.
