Saturday, 28 June 2014 00:00
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I am a self-proclaimed coffee addict and not ashamed to say that I prefer coffee to tea despite living in a tea-growing country.
My love affair with coffee began with me stealing sips of coffee off my grandma’s morning cuppa. She would have one cup of coffee every morning and it would be made in the percolator, served with a dash of milk and a teaspoon of brown sugar.
In my college days this love for coffee was further strengthened by my living in India, which has a variety of coffees and a plethora of coffee shops.
Moving back home after university was almost nightmarish for me as at the time Colombo had just a handful of coffee shops apart from the five star hotels.
This has however changed over the past five to six years as the city has quite a few coffee shops and we are now spoiled for choice. So much so that when it comes to meeting up with family or friends for coffee we find it difficult to choose a place due to the options and personal preferences.
I have put together a list of my top five places in the city for coffee. The selection criteria is purely based on the quality of the coffee as that is what I look for when going out for a cup of coffee.
Coco Veranda
Located at No. 32 Ward Place, Colombo 7 and in operation since March 2010 Coco Veranda continues to serve high quality coffee. They use Filicori beans which are shipped all the way from Bologna, Italy. A single shot of Espresso costs Rs. 360 while a Cappuccino is Rs. 450 and flavoured Lattes and Frappes are Rs. 540. They do have the option of either full cream or low-fat which is great.
The ambiance at Ward Place is great especially if you want to enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning and catch up on your emails or the morning papers. They have free Wi-Fi and their service is great. The staff are very friendly and they always have a smile on their faces.
Coco Veranda also has another outlet located at the ground floor of the Crescat Boulevard Shopping Complex which is similar to that of cafes you would get in Australia and Europe in the summer time as it is styled for the outdoors and if you want to take in some fresh air this is the place to go to as they have nice outdoor furniture, free Wi-Fi and large pedestal fans to keep you cool. I personally prefer the Ward Place outlet as it is more comfortable and I prefer air conditioning to the balmy outdoors.
Coco Veranda’s Barista Coco Isuru just won the Sri Lankan Barista Championships so if you do visit them you might have a chance to experience the islands best Barista at work! He also does some very funky coffee art. They are open from 7 a.m. to 12 midnight every day.
Cup Café
This cafe is a hidden little gem opposite Odel at No. 6 Alexander Place aka C.W.W. Kannangara Mawatha and serves up some delicious coffee. I did not know about the place until I saw some pictures on Instagram about six months ago and decided to check it out.
The décor is very basic but the chairs are comfortable and they offer free Wi-Fi. It is a nice place to relax and do some writing or catch up for coffee with a friend after a hard day’s work. The café is rather homely and reminds me of the coffee shops in Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. They also have a collection newspaper articles about the café hung on a notice board, which gives it a nice feel.
A shot of Espresso is Rs. 230, while a Cappuccino is Rs. 300 and a Café Latte is Rs. 300.If you want a flavour added to your coffee it will cost you an extra Rs. 100. They have the option of low fat milk and offer free Wi-Fi to all their customers. They also serve a very delectable Key Lime Pie, which we are told is supplied to the café daily by a home baker.
The coffee is rich and flavourful and they use Hansa coffee which is locally grown. The baristas are well-trained and very obliging; if you want to change your coffee around to suit your tastes. The service here is very good and the staff are extremely attentive. You will never have to prompt them about an order or worry about them getting your order wrong. They are open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Hansa Café
Located at No. 24 Fife Road, Colombo 5 inside a cosy old house/building, Hansa Café is the perfect spot to enjoy a Cappuccino and catch up with an old friend or read a book on a rainy day. They have been open for a little over two years now.
The furniture is comfortable and makes you want to take a little nap. The only downside to this café is that it is extremely small compared to the others I have listed on this article. You might want to go grab a cuppa just by yourself or a maximum of two other people as it tends to get quite crowded.
The coffee is quite strong and total value for money. A shot of Espresso is Rs. 140, a Cappuccino is Rs. 260 and a Latte is Rs. 245 while their Iced Coffee is Rs. 250. They don’t have Wi-Fi but the place is air conditioned and the staff are friendly. They also have Hansa Coffee for sale at the cafe but you can always buy their coffee at any of the local supermarkets. They are opened from about 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday.
Gloria Jean’s
This coffee shop is another addition to the Colombo coffee shops and an international chain hailing from Australia. I have visited a couple of times and I must say that the service has improved since the first time I visited in early March.
The coffee is strong and has a rich aroma and they are served in large mugs. A single shot of Espresso will cost you Rs. 350 while a Cappuccino ranges from Rs. 410 for a small and Rs. 470 for a large. Their flavoured lattes both hot and cold range from Rs. 450 to Rs. 580.They have free Wi-Fi and it seems like a popular spot for a lot of people wanting to catch up on their writing and reading as I’ve seen a lot of customers on their laptops here. If you are someone who loves to read and write at coffee shops this might be the place for you.
They don’t have all the items listed on their menu yet as they are still in start-up phase. The staff are friendly and they have improved by leaps and bound since opening. They are open from Monday to Thursday from 7 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 7 a.m. to 12 midnight.
Whight and Co
Located at the corner of Aloe Avenue and Marine Drive (No. 24 Aloe Avenue, Colombo 3) this is a welcome addition to Colombo’s coffee shops. The location is great and the coffee is excellent. Their pricing is quite reasonable from Rs. 280 for a shot of Espresso to Rs. 350 for a flavoured Latte and Rs. 480 for a Café Mocha. They also have the option of enjoying your coffee with full cream, low fat or soy milk, which is great as most places do not cater to varying dietary requirements.
I have been there several times and keep going back for the coffee and the ambiance. They also have free Wi-Fi so if you wish to sit and catch up on some reading or writing with the Indian Ocean as a backdrop this would be an ideal spot for you. They have been open for a little over three months now so they still have a bit of teething issues but they made it onto this list because their coffee really is that good. It is strong and has a rich flavour and aroma – they use a local coffee called Ruby Harvest which is grown in the central province of the country.
They are the only café I know in the city that uses the same sized mugs for both the cappuccino and the latte. That being said, there is a distinct difference between the two beverages and you will not be disappointed. They are open Monday to Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
(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.)
