By Hiruni Herath
Ambience and Service
The Nordic Bakery and Coffee House located at Crescat Boulevard is the perfect spot to stop for a break during your busy day. Even if you’re shopping at Crescat or just passing by, Kaffi Colombo is a good place to step away from the bustle of city life. You can sit inside the small space and relax or sit outside and enjoy people watching as they go on with their day.
Sitting inside has a bit of a bigger perk because you can see the coffee being made right in front of you or the food being assembled if you sit in just the right spot. The sounds of coffee making and the kitchen are the perfect accompaniment to your studies or work. The staff who are ready to cater to all your needs are also super friendly and add to the welcome atmosphere of the cafe.
The cafe is also a good place to do your work or study for your exams, especially with the recurrent power cuts that are happening at the moment. The cafe has multiple charging points with direct USB ports so you don’t have to worry about preserving your battery. But most importantly, the coffee house has a special range of breads including Focaccia made from pizza doughs and any sort of bagel you can possibly dream of, that can be pre ordered through whatsapp. You can find the preorder option on their linktree on the instagram page linked below and even check out their daily fresh bakes.
Coffee
We opted for one hot coffee and one cold coffee without going for any fancy options. The foam on the cappuccino was pretty and delicious, making every sip joyful. It’s the little things that you need to look out for that show the unique nature of the cafe. Both the coffees were aesthetically pleasing and hit the right spot in our caffeine addiction.
The iced mocha was not as instantly good as the cappuccino but it only needed a good stir for the amazing flavors of coffee and sweetness to shine through. It just tasted better and better the more I drank it too. The Sri Lankan grown coffee beans truly came through, more than even in the cappuccino.
Cappuccino – LKR 500
Iced Mocha – LKR 700
Food
The mixed seed bagel with chicken ham and cream cheese was one of the harder options, literally. The toasted bagel didn’t fall apart when we bit into it unlike the panini. But it was still delicious and packed a punch in terms of flavor. The mixed seeds were fun to pick off and it was great to try out bagels since bagel toppings are not exactly a highlight of the menu in other coffee houses. You can even build your own bagel sandwich, including a choice of meat and the option to add cream cheese.
The panini was the best part of the whole experience hands down. The coffee was good but the melt in your mouth panini took the crown. The thinly sliced beef was accompanied by mozzarella and smoked cheese. Who can resist double cheese, especially when it comes in a heart shaped panini?
Mixed seed bagel (chicken) – LKR 760
Panini (beef) – LKR 860
Sweets
I was very tempted by the Mocha cheesecake and the Carrot cake but we went with the Caramel cake with cream cheese frosting that was freshly baked. I can handle spice but when things are too sweet I quickly lose interest but the cream cheese was the thing that kept me going back for another bite of the super sweet caramel cake. It was the perfect amount of sweet for the ones who crave sweetness in their lives.
The vegan, gluten free almond cookie was coated in chocolate on one side and my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The cookie was also a bit on the too sweet side but delicious nonetheless. The chocolate chip and the hazelnut caramel cookie would have also been a pretty good if not better contender. I saw lemon squares also that I will definitely be trying out the next time I visit the quaint and cozy spot.
Caramel cake – LKR 550
Almond cookie – LKR 370
I just have one question at the end of this, why is everything so aesthetically pleasing at Kaffi? The heart shaped panini and the foamy cappuccino were pretty and delicious. It’s definitely a good spot to take a break but not the best option if you want to have a meal that will fill you up. And it proves just how much a tiny space has to deliver. No matter what, the perfect mix of sweet and savory, simple and balanced will definitely take me back to Kaffi Colombo.
*The prices included in the article are as of July 2022.
Opening hours – 8.00 AM to 6.00 PM
Location – Crescat Boulevard
You can call them for any inquiries on – 0117 743 062 You can also visit their instagram page @kaffi.colombo and their facebook page @KAFFI to check out their perfect coffee and delicious treats.
