5 ‘happiest hours’ in Colombo

Saturday, 30 August 2014 04:38 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Terooka de Zylva Everybody loves to indulge in a good happy hour, whether it is to avoid rush hour traffic after work, to catch up with friends or co-workers or just simply enjoy cocktails at reduced rates; any excuse will suffice really. Weekdays can get monotonous, why not break the everyday routine with a couple of drinks at a happy hour? I myself am an enthusiast of happy hours. After all, how can one not love the concept of discounted drinks? One thing I’ve learnt is to never underestimate the potential of a happy hour to turn your night around! In this post I’ve narrowed it down, to what in my opinion is the five best happy hours in Colombo. Colombo Courtyard Undoubtedly, this is one of my personal favourites! This boutique hotel situated on Duplication Road, offers a happy hour at both of its bars, The Loft and Cloud Café respectively. While they essentially offer almost the same thing, 50%

discount on cocktails, mocktails and all alcoholic beverages, they are unique in terms of setting. The Loft is situated indoors and encompasses an industrial style design theme which is evident in the recycled furnishing and décor- the bar stools made out of tractor parts, corrugated sheet ceilings and the cushions sewn from sacks. The dim lights, soft music and fibre optic lights on the floor enhance the mellow atmosphere, and really sets the mood for a quiet evening. If it is the outdoors that you want, then head up to the two-level rooftop, Cloud Café. While there isn’t much of a view, it is an ideal spot for a ‘rooftop chill’. On a Friday night you can enjoy live jazz music featuring Ray Gomes and his crew (7 p.m. onwards), heightening the mood of a relaxed evening while enjoying your drink. The official launch of shisha at Cloud Café is a brilliant add on. The happy hour is from 5.30-7.30pm throughout the week, including the weekends! Cocktails range from Rs. 700 to Rs. 1,000, while beer is priced at Rs. 300 and up, and with a 50% discount, I assure you the bill will make you happy too! A great selection of drinks at even better prices. Echelon Pub Echelon pub at Hilton offers not one, but two happy hours daily. The first is from 12-1:30 p.m. and the other is from 6:30-8 p.m. with 50% off on all beverages, including pitchers and towers for beer. The atmosphere here is not that of a typically busy pub, but it does host a Quiz night on Mondays and a Bingo night on Wednesdays from 8-10 p.m. which heightens the mood. If you plan on going for the happy hour here, go on a game night and you will not be disappointed! Enjoying chilled beer while engaging in a challenging game of chance adds a certain element of excitement to the entire evening. Better yet, you stand a chance to win a free pitcher of beer or a dinner for two at Hilton’s fine dining restaurant, Spoons! I myself have been lucky enough to experience the thrill of our table winning a pitcher of beer having been daring enough to take part in a game of Bingo, and it turned out to be quite an enjoyable evening.

The pub comes to life on Friday evenings with the sounds of a live band, C&C, 8pm onwards. In… On The Green Facing the Galle Road, this pub is well known for its British pub-like ambience with the wooden interior and the use of barrels as tables. Wednesday night is Quiz night (at 8 p.m.), bringing in a larger crowd and thus can get very busy. If you plan on heading over on a Wednesday to experience the hustle and bustle of a lively pub atmosphere make sure you make it there early! The happy hour is from 5.30-7.30pm daily, with a 50% discount on all local beverages, including pitchers and towers for beer and cocktails are priced at Rs. 700 upward. Breeze Bar This is one of Colombo’s quieter bars, located at the poolside at the far corner of the Cinnamon Grand hotel. The open space really does add to the name, upholding a sense of serenity and making it the perfect spot for a relaxed evening while you sip on a drink by the poolside. It is however, one of the more expensive drinking establishments. They have a daily happy hour from 5:30-7:30 p.m. but unlike the usual half price bargain it offers a limited 30% on local beverages and cocktails (which are priced at Rs. 800 and up). Also, the happy hour on Friday is from 7-10 p.m., which seems a more appropriate drinking time for a Friday night out. ON14 Rooftop Bar & Lounge Appropriately named, ON14 is located on the 14th floor at the poolside of the new and upcoming hotel on Marine drive, OZO. If you are looking for a place to sip on a cocktail with an unhindered view of the sunset over the Indian Ocean, this by far is as good as it gets! The view from here is phenomenal, leaving you with a certain touch of tranquillity. The happy hour here is from 5-7 p.m. daily and differs from the other happy hours in the sense that it is held on a buy one get one free basis instead of a fixed discount. However, they only have a selection of a limited variety of drinks that could be bought on the happy hour basis, which include certain cocktails, wines and other local beverages. The cocktails here have a certain local touch and are therefore slightly different in nature and name to the ordinary signature cocktails found at most bars. The ‘Marine Drive’ for instance, is a Cosmopolitan based cocktail with a twist. ‘The

Pearl of Sri Lanka’, ‘Tuk-Tuk’ and ‘Arackku Arackku’ are some of the other cocktails on the menu and are priced between the range Rs. 800 and Rs. 1,200. On a further note, they serve popcorn as a complimentary side snack instead of the typical nuts and mixture snack they serve at the common bars, which is a different add on to the usual bar snacks. A plus point for the girls is the introduction of a Ladies’ Night every Tuesday, offering the similar happy hour deal from 8-11 p.m. featuring music by DJ Missy Flames. (Trekurious together with DailyFT explores Sri Lanka for the curious traveller. Trekurious works with talented individuals and great brands to create amazing experiential tours, activities, and events in Sri Lanka. You can find out more at www.Trekurious.com.)