Cinnamon Grand Colombo is no stranger to anyone residing in and around Colombo. And the Tea Lounge, if you don't already know where it is, is an impossibility to miss, just because it's there, smack dab at the entrance.
While we have been to almost every restaurant at Grand, we had somehow missed the Tea Lounge. Thus, come today we packed up and set out towards Colombo to see what's good.
Ambience
The Ambience at Tea Lounge is one of the nicest spaces in Colombo. With their squeaky clean floors, comfortable as hell chairs and the decor in general, we literally cannot find a single complaint. Combined with the telltale lounge music and the general bustle of the hotel, what we expected, we got in fistfuls.
Nonetheless, we should give you a heads-up that security measures are high with security personnel checking every vehicle, bag and almost everything else. They're full-on alert for the safety of their customers from the minute you walk in and throughout the time you spend there.
They might ask you a question or two if you're taking pictures of the interior with a DSLR. Considering all that went down, it's quite understandable.
Even still, the atmosphere inside the hotel was undeterred and perfectly relaxed, as before.
The Food
The Tea Lounge at Cinnamon Grand has a single Day Menu for food. Sure, there aren't hordes to choose from, but, there is enough to keep you satisfied. We went with the Assorted Ham ( Rs.500) and the Duck Wrap (Rs. 700).
This gorgeous platter of food is the Assorted Ham. Comprising of 5 different varieties of ham and 4 varieties of pickled veggies, we LOVED it! I'm going to be honest, I'm no charcuterie connoisseur, but even I can tell when it's good. With a wonderfully tangy sauce and two rye bread rolls, It turned out to be one of the best things that have ever happened to me, price tag included. If you do eat pork and does happen to go to the Tea Lounge, we plead that you get this.
The Duck Wrap was 3 pint-sized wraps surrounding a gorgeous plate of french fries. Prepare for an ode, friend, because this straight up deserves one.
A beautiful entourage of avocado, duck meat and strawberries, this wrap positively blew us away. The filling wasn't overly seasoned so as not to destroy the elemental flavours but was lacking in nothing.
Delicately crunchy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the in, the fries were, as you can probably tell, everything you hope for. Not solely in food, but, in life as well.
Drinks
The drinks menu at Tea Lounge essentially comprised of tea, more tea, cocktails and other alcoholic beverages and juices. We went with their Raspberry Hibiscus Tea (Rs. 350) and a Dark Secret (Rs. 490).
Here we have the Raspberry Hibiscus Tea. This essentially was love, at first sight. Ruby red and smelling like ambrosia, this was one of those rare drinks that are beautiful in every way. Smelling wonderfully like a mix of raspberry and hibiscus flowers, it goes perfectly with the wrap or anything else and is worth going there for.
This glass of literal sunshine and orange juice was the "Dark Secret". Citrusy, sweet and beautifully fizzed up, it was perfect for saving you from the horrid horrid Colombo heat. If you're into all things citrus, we suggest going with this.
Service
As you probably already expect, the staff at CG was both warm and attentive. Apologizing because the food took a while (30 minutes) and having regular check-ups on every person at the lounge, to make sure that everything was in order and safe. All in all, they were wonderful.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we absolutely loved our experience at the Tea Lounge at Cinnamon Grand. The ambience was great, the food is superb for and the service becoming the virtual cherry on top.
