Dining outside with the sun shining or a breeze blowing on your face is sometimes preferable to dining in an air-conditioned café or restaurant. The cafes and restaurants listed below have just the right ambience for you to enjoy solitary bliss or good company. It allows you to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, even if only for a short time.
Barefoot Garden Cafe
Found in Colombo 3, right off Galle Road, The Barefoot Café receives nothing but praises from everyone who has visited. A mini oasis in Colombo providing good vibes and good food. It is also a major tourist hot spot and I have to agree, I cannot see a reason why no one would want to visit.
Barefoot Garden Cafe – 0112 589 305
704, Galle Road, Colombo 3.
Forty Seven Spice
This is a cute, quaint restaurant located on Jawatte road, offering both indoor and outdoor seating options. The outdoor seating is surrounded by lush greenery and provides the perfect backdrop to fulfil all your Instagram feed desires. It also has an ideal setting for small private gatherings.
Forty Seven Spice – 0117 235 232
47/1, Jawatta Road, Colombo 5
The Avenue
The Avenue is gorgeous with an indoor bar and the majority of its seating lies outside, creating a refreshing change. All lit up in the night with its twinkly lights, it sets the perfect set-up for a romantic dinner or a fun family night. Either way, the good food, and good company can both be enjoyed here.
The Avenue – 0112 555 066
24, Alfred House Avenue, Colombo 3
Seed Café
A Pinterest fiend’s real life dream. Everything about this café is aesthetic – from its interior to its food presentation. The outdoor seating is pretty simple and cute! Added bonus: they are vegan friendly.
Seed café – 0117 773 470
60, Horton Place, Colombo 7
The Breeze Bar
The Breeze Bar is Cinnamon Grand’s poolside bar. It is also surrounded by greenery to provide a great contrast. The atmosphere is very chill and laid back, perfect to unwind after a stressful day. They even have live music on selected days.
Breeze Bar – 0112 497 370
77, Galle Road, Colombo 3
Café Kumbuk
A colonial style house with rustic furnishing and ivies creeping on the outside, it looks like a scene straight out of a book. The interior of the café flows seamlessly into the outdoor seating area. The minimal aesthetic is captivating.
Café Kumbuk – 0112 685 310
3/1, Thambiah Avenue, Independence Avenue, Colombo 7
Kimbula Café
Eating a reinvented childhood classic under shady trees? You can definitely count me in. Kimbula café allows you to do this in its cosy café. It’s modest and perfect for dates or catching up with friends in small groups.
Kimbula Café – 076 030 4797
35, D.S. Fonseka Road, Colombo 5
Sugar Beach Colombo
COZY.BEACH SIDE.CAFE – Along the Mount Lavinia beach coast, Sugar Beach is an extremely cute café where you can loosen up, enjoy the good food and company while listening to the waves crash in the background. The vibes here are immaculate.
Sugar Beach Colombo – 0117 035 135
43/11A, Beach Hotel Road, Mount Lavinia
Bowl’d
You can swing away into blissful nirvana here at Bowl’d. The outdoor seating has been set up with these gorgeous swings that you can swing on (not too hard of course!) while you eat. It also has green foliage adorned above.
Bowl’d – 0114 382 838
No 30, Sea View Avenue, Colombo 3
Giovanni’s
How does escaping to a little alley in Italy to eat some good pizza and dine under the night sky sound? Giovanni’s experience is pretty darn close to it. The ambience is perfect for a lively night out!
Giovanni’s – 077 033 5366
145, Thimbirigasyaya Road, Colombo 5
The Garden Fusion Café
Even though we have not personally been able to review the café, it looks very promising. They started off a branch in Thalawathugoda and recently opened their second branch in Nawala. A quick scroll through their Instagram feed will give you a glimpse into their aesthetic.
The Garden Fusion Café – 0112 774 949
668, Pannipitiya Road, Thalwathugoda, Battaramulla
226, Nawala Road, Nawala
