I stayed at the Northgate Hotel for two nights and was pleased with the overall experience. The hotel is decent and well-maintained, and the staff were excellent—friendly, helpful, and attentive throughout my stay.
Upon check-in, the hotel staff recommended the restaurant located on the first floor. I tried the seafood kothu roti on May 19 and was genuinely impressed. Though the dish was dark in colour, it was packed with flavour and had a great mix of seafood—I could taste shrimp, cuttlefish, and fish. It was very well prepared. The dish was reasonably priced at 1700. I also ordered a local arrack cocktail (arrack, passionfruit cordial, lime, etc.), which was refreshing and balanced. Priced at 770, it offered good value for both taste and presentation.
Later that evening, I visited Machnag Bar, which is attached to the hotel. I had a 500ml Lion Beer (cost 635) and found the space comfortable and welcoming. The bar also serves food, though I had already eaten at the hotel restaurant.
Breakfast was included with the room, and the buffet exceeded expectations. It featured a wide selection of traditional items such as puttu, string hoppers, fish kulambu, sambar, dhal, and various sambols. Fresh milk appam (hoppers) were available on order, and they were just as I remembered from childhood—fresh, soft, and full of flavour.
Overall, I highly recommend the Northgate Hotel, its first-floor restaurant, and the Machnag Bar. The combination of good food, fair prices, and warm servi
