If you want elegance and a really, really early breakfast (like a 6 AM type of breakfast), The Dining Room at Cinnamon Lakeside is the place for you. Given that it’s breakfast and not many people here go out specifically for the first meal of the day (unless they happen to be staying at the hotel itself), you can have a nice, quiet morning outing.
Food and Service
There’s a good spread on offer, including breads, cereals, waffles, hoppers (both egg and plain), meats, and traditional Lankan breakfast items like kiribath and porridge. For drinks, they have fruit juices, coconut water (thambili), and the regular tea and coffee.
The food is alright — it’s decent but not mind-blowing. We went for several cuts of meat, sausages, waffles and hash browns. The beef cold cuts were average — the beef tasted more like corned beef than the real thing, so it wasn’t THAT great. It was too soft, not the least chewy and tasted like something you’d get in a can that you could buy off a supermarket shelf. However, their smoked seer fish was pretty epic. It was a small but chunky slice, which was well-seasoned and had a very subtle fishy smell. It was delicious enough to make me quite happy — and I’m not even too fond of fish. The sausages were crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside, and we were happy with how they were cooked.
The hash browns were typical hash browns. Crisp and slightly flaky on the outside and soft on the inside, they crumbled as you bit into them. This wasn’t an exceptional dish, but again, it was only a side. The waffles were softer and slightly fluffier than those you get in several coffee-shops around Colombo. More brownie points for the fact that they weren’t rubbery. However, the only toppings provided were maple syrup and chocolate sauce. It would have been nicer if they had a variety of toppings like strawberry or blueberry syrup as well. The freshly baked breads and pastries included tarts, muffins, croissants and baguettes.
We liked that the coffee was served in colourful Dankotuwa mugs. It was brewed pretty well, with a rich and strong aroma. You can’t go back for a refill though – the waiters come around and fill it for you. When I asked for a second cuppa, I got a refill of plain tea instead of coffee. It’s an understandable mistake, given that the flasks they pour coffee and tea from look similar.
In terms of service, the staff are friendly and efficient and clear your plates as soon as you’re done. But on the down side, they don’t replace the cutlery when you go for seconds and there’s no cutlery laid out at the counters either. It’s all arranged on the table, so once it’s gone, it’s gone, bro. (That’s unless you ask them again, which can be inconvenient at times.)
Ambience
The Dining Room is one of Colombo’s high-end restaurants, and has a refined, quiet and elegant ambience. It may not the place to hang out with a bunch of noisy friends, but it is perfect for a quiet meal with your loved ones. It’s also a good spot for if you want to get some work done.
Conclusion
The breakfast option is decent, but not exceptional. There’s absolutely nothing to complain about, but there’s isn’t a lot to get super excited about either. Besides, at Rs. 1,905, this meal is sure to make a dent in your pocket.
