Milk & Honey Cafe

Milk & Honey has completely changed its menu - and we really don't mind! Despite adding a lot more breakfast and meat options, this is still quite the vegan, vegetarian, and kid-friendly spot.

The Dining & Drinks

We started with a couple of lemonades, a Pink Watermelon & Lemon and a Green Mint & Lime, both at Rs. 350. The green required a bit of kitul treacle, which they provided (but was soon a sticky swamp grave for a fly or two), but the pink lemonade was delicious and fresh. We'd recommend both.

As we'd swung by for brunch, we tried their new breakfast options. The all-day breakfast platter was great at Rs. 950, complete with two fried eggs (they didn't give us an option on this), one homemade chicken sausage which was flavourful but lacking in quantity, a lovely chunk of brioche toast, accompanied by sauteed mushrooms (both oyster and button), baked beans (interestingly made out of black-eyed peas rather than kidney beans), a grilled tomato, and some rather excellent homemade tomato chilli jam. This is definitely one of the best options on their menu, but we do wish there was a bit more meat (either bacon or another sausage). 

Unfortunately, their oat waffles weren't available (so let us know in the comments if you've tried and loved it), so we tried their Fish Cakes with Poached Egg, Hollandaise & Green Salad (Rs. 900) instead. With fresh green salad, perfectly executed hollandaise, a slightly runny egg, and lightly crispy fish cakes, this is a wonderful addition to their menu. We'd recommend it if you're a pescatarian or just looking for quality health food. 

A friend tried the Spicy Scrambled Eggs on Wholemeal Toast (Rs. 650), but it wasn't spectacular and we didn't think it particularly worth the price. What was worth it however, was the brownie at Rs. 350. While they have lots of vegan dessert options, this wasn't one of them but it was nevertheless delectable. Soft, deeply chocolatey, and thankfully lacking nuts, this was a steal and definitely enough for 2 to share.

We also attempted some of their homemade strawberry ice cream (the other option is Chocolate & Cashew), which was a bit pricey at Rs. 500 a bowl of about 2 scoops, but featured little chunks of strawberry, beautiful lightly creamy and gently sweetened ice cream, and an edible flower perched on top. A perfect hot Colombo afternoon treat.

Service

Service consisted of one very efficient (and very sassy) waitress who took our orders, gave suggestions, and catered to all the tables present seamlessly and solo. I think there might have just been one cook in the kitchen though, so our dishes took quite a while to come out. The fish cakes, for example, took about 40 minutes.

If you're with cranky kids the wait could be tough so watch out because you may resort to taking them around the shop for distraction and then end up having to buy a toy (maybe this is the management's crafty plan?). If you're not with kids, then settle down with a good book and enjoy the sunshine.

Ambience (Or Why It's Perfect For Kids & Parents)

The ambience really lends itself to young families and toddlers. There's open garden space, fresh air, no smoking, no alcohol, and they'll provide you with high chairs if needed. It doesn't hurt that the mural is absolutely adorable too. Our only issues were the ubiquitous flies that have now made Colombo their bastion of disease (although this isn't the cafe's fault), and the fact that their thin bench seating is a bit uncomfy for bootylicious Asian butts. 

The cafe is actually part of a much larger shop, which has a whole selection of premium imported products for newborns to pre-teens. You'll see all sort of products perfect for maternity, nursing, as well as toys, books, and games for older kids.

We particularly liked their collection of TY toys, nerf guns, and the excellent selection of young literature like Roald Dahl, Neil Gaiman, and more. Quality kids stuff is quite expensive, but I'm sure you've already made your peace with that. They also have ethical produce like organic tea, locally-made jams and pickles, and coffee. They're pretty reasonable, and beautifully packaged, so I'd suggest them for gifts.

Overall

We enjoyed our Milk & Honey experience. It was a cosy weekend brunch with fresh natural light, good breakfast, and excellent dessert options. It's also a superb spot for buying local produce or international baby products and kids toys (heads up, the shop is open till 7 PM, half an hour later than the cafe). If you're a parent or just into breakfast, what's not to like?