Coffee in a waffle cone!
Sounded a bit quirky for us too, but they took the Lankan foodie Instagram feed by storm. Coffee Colombo – a new resto on the strip of Marine Drive is where they come from. It's a part of Hotel Euro Lanka, a well-known budget hotel in Bambalapitiya.
Food
The food menu here is comprised of sandwiches, pizza, and sweet munchies like waffles, pancakes and cookies. They also do breakfast all day.
They had a special 25% off promo going on for their pizzas on the day we visited, so we decided to go with Pizza Con Salame (Rs. 1350). The crust was deliciously touched with charcoal bits, succulent and had a good crunch to bite. Generously slathered with tangy marinara sauce, it was topped off with mozzarella cheese, incredibly thin pieces of salami, and a handful of bell pepper, which added flavour and colour to the whole pie.
This was good, but the salami they had used was not the bright red-coloured ones that we normally come across.
The Chicken French Sandwich (Rs. 700) came with the sides of French Fries and ketchup. Their menu promised French bread, but what we got was normal sandwich bread. Nonetheless, tucked in between these beautifully toasted bread slices, there was a delicious filling made with chicken, white cheddar and cream cheese. We loved it.
Drinks
And now for the main event – the coffee cones. Aside from them, Coffee Colombo also does a range of normal coffee, milkshakes and juices.
We got the Iced Chocolate (Rs. 350) in a cone. Given that they use the same Cargills Magic waffle cone, we thought that iced chocolate is our best pick. And we weren't wrong.
Initially, we were quite curious. Because the first quarter of the waffle is filled with whipped cream, and swirls of chocolate and caramel sauce, but no iced chocolate. But don't let it stop you from indulging in this, because you will not want to miss the rich, ice cold chocolate that follows all that.
It's not a lot though – you'll be able to finish it off after like 5 – 6 petite sips. But, you get to eat the cup that you drank your iced chocolate, how cool is that? Plus, it comes with that pre-muddy bites which pair really well with the iced chocolate. We are sure that it goes nicely with coffee too.
Colombo Coffee uses Lavazza beans in their coffee-based drinks, and the Latte (Rs. 450) we ordered didn't disappoint. Of course, the milk could be velvetier than this, but with a nice layer of froth on top, it carried a potent caffeine punch.
Ambience & Service
The tall piles of kurundu dara miti (cinnamon firewood) are the first thing that you'd notice as you enter the restaurant. Later we realised that they are for the wood-fired pizza oven in the restaurant.
The indoor space of the cafe adjoins the lobby of the hotel, and altogether it's enough to hold around 20 – 30 people at a time. With comfortable chairs lined with wooden tables, it doesn't necessarily boast the typical cafe vibe, but gets the job done.
The staff here is quite inviting and helpful. We got our food and drinks within like 15 minutes and they were eager to hear our feedback on them.
Conclusion
While there is room for improvement, Coffee Colombo fills the void of cafes in the stretch of Marine Drive. If you are interested in grabbing a bite or sipping a cup of coffee while enjoying the beautiful sunsets that Colombo sky has to offer, this is a solid option.
