The most popular export in Sri Lanka is without a doubt Tea. This is perhaps not so surprising from the country that brings you “Ceylon Tea”. Unfortunately coffee is not one of its great exports. This doesn’t mean you can not find good coffee in and around Colombo, although not authentic Espresso in Italy is worth giving a look at. In Sri Lanka coffee shops use locally grounded coffee however there are some places that may serve you high-end foreign beans.

 

 

Coco Veranda

 

Coco Veranda is a particularly famous place with the local crowd in Colombo. It is regarded that the coffee, dessert, drinks, and sandwiches they provide are of the utmost quality. This place has an abundance of choices from Americano to a Macchiato, Cappuccino and white chocolate mocha latte, and even Italian hot chocolates and many more.

A cup of coffee would normally cost around an LKR1000 and a meal can be around LKR3000.

 

Photo Credit: Lakdeepanie Peiris

Location: 32 Ward Pl, Colombo 00700, Sri Lanka

Hours: Monday to Sunday – 7 am to 1 am

Kopi Kade

This was founded by Australian-Sri Lankan Nimeshan Namasivayam who has worked in the coffee industry for about 15 years and has ample knowledge in the field hence this is a place where coffee is taken very seriously. He even conducts coffee brewing classes on Mondays and Tuesdays. 

 

The coffee here consists mainly of self-roasted ones other than the high-quality imports from countries like the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand.

 

They also have a wide variety of selection including macchiato, cappuccino, mocha, affogato, latte and espresso, and hot chocolate.

 

They have a collection of short-eats to go with your beverage with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian selections.

 

Location: 15/3 Stratford Ave, Colombo 00006, Sri Lanka

Hours: Wednesday to Sunday – 12 pm to 9 pm

 

Butter Boutique

This is a place of star patisserie and coffee in Colombo. Most of the beans used here are imported from countries like Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Timor, and Guatemala and are medium to dark roasted and wash processed.

 

Another reason why this place should be considered is the high-end coffee machine – La Marzocco which gives their coffee a distinct taste. 

 

They do have a wide variety of coffee selection including iced mocha, latte, and inhouse special called “Magic” but they also have a big delicious collection of confectionaries including Nutella Scrolls, Apple Cinnamon Scrolls, Lemon Blueberry Cake and so on.

 

A cup of coffee would cost around LKR500 and a slice of cake would cost around LKR600.

 

Location: 70 Rosmead Pl, Colombo 00700, Sri Lanka

Hours: Monday to Thursday, Sunday – 8 am to 8 pm Friday and Saturday – 8 am to 11 pm

 

Kiku Colombo

This Japanese inspired cafe opened as a sister brand for the much loved Shirohana Flowers boutique. The interior, the food, and the service will provide you with authentic Japanese experience.

According to the Managing Director of the establishment, Kiku did not start as a cafe but rather a creative studio that would host artistic and educational events however with time it evolved into a concept cafe for those who enjoy their surroundings.

The coffee served here is mainly worked with Temple Grounds Coffee and state-of-art coffee machine La Marzocco.

Kiku tries to make their coffee minimalistic and simple as possible by keeping the flavors subtle and less overpowering. Any of the classic coffee can be acquired alongside Kiku specials. The tea is usually imported from Kyoto and the coffee from South America and is roasted here in Colombo, by Temple Grounds.

Location: 32, A1 Dickmans Rd, Colombo 00500, Sri Lanka

Hours: Tuesday to Sunday – 9 am to 10 pm

 

Whight and Co 

 

Whight and Co pride themselves in providing coffee with the end-to-end process in making it happen in Sri Lanka. The coffee beans are grown in Sri Lanka and roasted and grounded in the premises of the cafe, and it too uses La Marzocco as its coffee machine.

According to the company’s story, the coffee shrubs they cultivate are direct descendants of the coffee that was grown in Ceylon during the peak of coffee production in the 1840s. The man behind Whight and Co, James Whight, moved to Sri Lanka from Melbourne and has been living on the island for the past 20 years. 

Location: Aloe Ave, 24 Marine Drive, Colombo 00300, Sri Lanka

Hours: Monday to Sunday – 7.30 am to 11 pm