First Impressions
After our somewhat disappointing experience at Marino Mall last month (which is basically just floors and floors of Damro showrooms), we weren't expecting much – so it was a pleasant surprise for us to see a complex of shops which is not just Abans. Sure we noticed a few Abans and LG outlets on every floor, wedged in between other merchandisers, but it's nice that they haven't prioritized or used this space just to boast of their products.
This building is a 47-storey building, comprising a 5-storey retail space along with 164-room hotel and 192 residential apartments which are still under construction. The retail space is fully operational, incorporating entertainment, shopping and culinary units.
The Retail Space
Spread out through the first five floors (from Ground to 4th floor) of Colombo City Centre, the retail space includes a mix of over 16 high-end local and global brands, which we find really impressive.
The ground floor is lined up with boutiques like Armani Exchange, Swarovski, BsaB, Charles & Keith, Spa Ceylon, Luxe Bags by Odel and of course LG. Upon entering to your right, there's a massive VR display if you want entertain yourself by walking with some dinosaurs in the jungle.
The first floor is aligned with brands like Envoy, mothercare, Galleria, U.S. Polo Assn., Jockey, Basilur, Sting, C. & J. Clark, Titan, Roots Gelato, Abans Laptops and LG phones/TV.
Incorporated with boutiques like Jezza, aditi, Abans Homestyle, elithé Naturals (product of Nature Secrets), Odel, Kadapatha, Chamathka, and Aviraté, the second floor boasts of local brands, but it also has a couple of global brands like Insoles and The Face Shop.
The third floor of Colombo City Centre is dedicated for the cinema theater managed by Scope Cinemas, a stall of Bubble Me Bubble Tea, Miniso, Odel Sports and the most elegant food court you'll ever see in Colombo (or maybe in the country).
With nearly 20 restaurants, the food court at Colombo City Centre is called Food Studio, and it covers a massive range of food preferences – including Japanese, Indian, Sri Lankan, Chinese and whatnot. The restaurant collection here includes McDonald's, Isle of Gelato, The Mango Tree, Sumatran Spice, Midah Sisters, Shiok, House of the Moon, Tokyo Shokudo, Simply Strawberries by Jagro, Grub, Punch Island Bar, The Little Prince, and Fresh Intentions. The Portuguese chicken franchise, Oporto is also supposed to open a stand here very soon.
One of the things I liked about this food court is that they don't just promote themselevs through fancy restaurant brands – they display the cuisines that each restaurant has to offer. So, you don't have to peek into all the restaurants to see what they have – you just have to look these yellow neon lights with your preferred food type.
The Food Studio is a construction of two sections, and be it a family outing, private/business meeting, friendly get togethers, or a date – this place caters to all these events. It also has an outdoor lounge that opens to the scenic views of the Beira Lake.
The fourth floor is where you can access the parking lot, and there's this one shop called Amari in its corner – a shop that sells bonsai trees, and ornamental plants.
Conclusion
So far, so good! It seems like Colombo city finally has a shopping mall that actually lives up to the standards of a 'shopping mall', offering up a brilliant combination of retail, entertainment and culinary experiences. This is all we gathered during our quick visit to Colombo City Centre, and we hope to do an exclusive review soon, which includes a detailed look at each floor, especially the food court. So stay tuned!
