2A, Sulaiman Terrace, Jawatte Road, Colombo 5
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The Cakery used to be a resident favourite amongst the plebs at office, but they've long since dwindled in terms of service and food.
Aside from the usual cakes, The Cakery serves up a bunch of other cafe food - pasta, waffles, pancakes, sandwiches, and wraps and whatnot. Everything here is either vegetarian or seafood fare and no meats. Plus, it's BYOB (wine and beer only) and it's corkage free.
The Creamy Pesto with Smoked Salmon (Rs. 850) came as a generous helping of penne pasta soaked in homemade pesto sauce and cheese, along with some beautifully pink smoked salmon on top. You can replace the layer of smoked salmon with prawns, and get the parmesan and herbs addon (we did) if you like. In terms of flavor, this one was quite alright. The smoked salmon had that distinct smoky flavor, while the pasta was cooked Al dente and presented a very mild pesto aroma. More cheese and pesto would have certainly made this better.
The Garlic Prawns Sandwich (Rs. 650) on the other hand was much better. With plenty of chili garlic prawn bits to munch on, it was filled with mozzarella, iceberg lettuce and Cakery's homemade bell pepper and tomato sauce. The tangy hits of the sauce sort of overpowered the fresh seafood flavor, but we really didn't mind. The bread was nicely toasted, producing a deliciously crispy exterior. 
We ordered a couple of cakes off the display - Chocolate Cheesecake Tart and Raspberry - Passion Fruit Slice.
My lunch partner is a loyal patron of The Cakery, and Raspberry - Passion Fruit (Rs. 280) Loaf was his favorite. Boasting the natural flavors of said fruits, it wasn't sugary, and whatever the sweetness it has, comes from the fruits itself. I didn't hate it, but in terms of texture, I'd have preferred it to be fudgy and spongy, instead of being crumbly.
The Chocolate Cheesecake Tart (Rs. 380) was such a delight. Consisting of two layers - a decadent, crumbly dark chocolate base, a rich chocolate cake-like middle, topped off with a light and fluffy layer of cream cheese, it sits smoothly on the palate. The teeny tiny sourness that comes from the cream cheese layer blended perfectly with the bitterness of the dark chocolate. We recommend this.
The Cakery uses an in-house blend of coffee called Thambapanni in their coffee based drinks. Frothy and light, their Cappucino (Rs. 450) had a good caffeine punch emerging through, but the milk itself was a bit of a letdown. It did not have that velvety texture that we hoped for. 
Hella refreshing and strong hints of coffee seeping through, the Iced Mocha (Rs. 520) was a good one. The milk was light and adequately cold, but we'd prefer some more chocolate in this.
It was a busy Wednesday afternoon, and the cafe was buzzing with customers dropping in for lunch. Our food arrived within around 15 minutes, which is pretty impressive.
The interior hasn't changed a bit. It's the same set of cozy cushion sofas and wooden chairs neatly aligned with tables. They've got plenty of space upstairs, downstairs and in the lounge.
The Cakery is still popular and seems to be doing well with the business. While there's room for improvement, it's a place that you can drop by, sit down and treat yourself with a cuppa, accompanied by a slice of cake/dessert - preferably that delicious chocolate cheesecake tart.
We recently went back to The Cakery to see how they're doing.
The Cakery was a massive hit amongst the YAMU staff back in the day but they've slowly declined in terms of service and food.
The Cakery is amazing. There's almost nothing to complain about, and everything to like.
The Cakery by The English Cake Company is one of the most popular spots in Colombo for fresh baked cakes. A few things have changed since our last visit, but the cakes are still good.
The Cakery used to be a resident favourite amongst the plebs at office, but they've long since dwindled in terms of service and food.
The Cakery used to be a resident favourite amongst the plebs at office, but they've long since dwindled in terms of service and food.
සිංහල කේක් කියන්නෙ පාන් වෙනුවටත් කන්න පුළුවන් දෙයක් ලු!
Address
2A, Sulaiman Terrace, Jawatte Road, Colombo 5
Directions
Turn to Sulaiman Terrace from Jawatte Rd. The Cakery is about 50m down the lane.
Contacts
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Cuisine
Price Range
Dish Types
Ratings Breakdown
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Munza
Agree. They need more seating space. They should consider expanding the seating area with more plastic chairs (not those tiny stools) on the road/pavement. Would be quite nice in the evenings, sans the traffic.
DewDrops
Have visited the cakery and have to agree that more seating space should be provided…loved the Choc Orange cake from the cake company and the panino sandwiches
Maya
I think the cakery is over rated, and over priced. Sometimes for Sri Lankans, when a foreigner is behind the operation, there is nothing greater than that. There are lots of Sri Lankan run home bakers, who make much better cakes.
suzy
Been there a few times, and the food is out of this world, but the open kitchen looks a mess, and the staff was eating while cooking, which put me off!
Dasarith
who is the cute girl in chef kit?
NarenGunasekera
Compared to most outlets like coffee bean, barista and even one of my favourites, coco veranda, the cakery represents superb value for money. To compare home bakers and cakery with their different overheads, etc is quite foolish. Also both cakery and panino are a local/foreign combo and I like the place because both parties are very personable in addition to the food being good. Paninis are a bit expensive but still good.
Not sure what the issue is with eating in a kitchen, quite strange IMHO to find that a problem. Place seems hygienic and since it is open plan this should be apparent.
They are very friendly but a bit amateur when it comes to customer service. Mixing up orders, sometimes forgetting stuff and taking awhile to get bills done but I reckon that is more down to growing pains. All in all highly recommended.
ML
The food is good, as it was at the good market. But the service is lacking -- some kids working there appeared to be high-schoolers, with no real training on customer service. Also -- really this place has such potential -- but totally lacks ambience. Not just seating, it needs more warmth and colour. Serving up home-prepared foods that give you an instant warm-fuzzy feeling, in a cold character-less place feels like an anomaly.
Lulu
I went there on a Sunday with a couple of friends to grab some brunch and not only was their BBQ chicken melt sandwich so good but their raspberry & lime cake was just downright delicious!
The service was quite good and the staff was friendly. Sitting outside the shop felt like I was just sitting down my lane enjoying a quite relaxed Sunday eating good food with good company. So I definitely liked the ambiance.
Overall I thought the price was quite reasonable especially regarding the quality of food that was served!
Saumya
I am distinctly unhappy with the fact that they will not provide a bill for the money I pay. I feel it's somehow an underhand flaunt of the country's laws and this means I probably will avoid this place.
D
Loved cakery and panino since it opened …costumer services is hit or miss but at least with a smile and delish food! Best cakes in Colombo in my humble opinion and value for money …until recently…
I've been 3x now in the last 3 months ( used to go More often) and have been really disappointed with the quality control of cakes…. It's as worth going out of my way before but I'm a bit put off now by dry cakes and watery coffee…. Hope it improves "
Ashy
Highly overrated . As usual if a foreigner operates anything "it's the best" is the Lankan mentality. Paan Paan Delifrance and sandwiches at most cafés are far superior. The kade paan is not the original bread fired in a clay oven. Cakes are nothing special to crave for.
anusha
What has happened to Panino??? I went there recently after a long absence, and I was so sad to see a decline in their food quality. I never believed they had good service , but their food was quite good. Well, gone are the roast paan sandwiches, and in its place they have a thing called a 'stack'. I ordered the smoked salmon priced at Rs. 550, and found it to be filling-centered…… meaning the filling was only towards the centre of the bun. It was more bread than anything else, and the cheese…. oh Gosh…. some stinky, cheap, horrible tasting cheese! I had to eat something else just to get the horrible taste out of my mouth.
I certainly wouldn't go there again. Horrible, horrible, horrible…… yuck! Absolutely NO value for money!!!
PeterF
Ha ha, That "horrible tasting" cheese is apparently mature gouda cheese made by an english gentleman in Kandy and is very expensive. I suppose when people are used to the plain plastic chess you get in Srilanka, real cheese seems "yuck". Sometimes if a foreigner makes something foreign they ARE actually better than someone local making them as they are made to the right taste and not Srilankanised in anyway. My 2 cents anyway….
PeterF
Also no receipt is done on purpose by the managers. The 2 way display not only explains why they don't that also show what they are charging you for. They are doing this to save money, not because they are cheep but for environmental reasons. they would print you one if you ask for one. They don't give/sell any plastics at all as well (sometime inconvenient) but can understand what they are trying to do. Well done
PeterF
Correction, to save paper, NOT "Money" :)
Anusha
Well obviously PeterF is a great fan of Panino (or maybe he's related to the owners????), but I for one don't want my lunch to have stinky, awful tasting cheese. I may not be a cheese connoisseur, but I certainly like mine to smell and taste creamy. But what about the poor quality (or rather quantity) of the filling? I suppose great cheese lovers don't really mind that at all, as long as your cheese is expensive and it is made by an "English Gentleman" and the place charges you a mint for stinky sandwich.
Anyway, opinions are opinions, and for one hate it! (I used to love it there, but not anymore)
Anusha
* I for one hate it!
Fawzy
So I assume cheese that suits the western palette is the right one and Sri Lankanised cheese isn't? Wow what a snobbish comment that is. Ashy is right about this mentality in our culture and I doubt we'll ever progress socially if it remains. I don't honestly see why people keep criticising 'Sri Lankanised' palette when it is already a melting pot of so many foreign cultures anyway. As for the cakery, though the cakes are heavenly the flies and other externals are a bit of a turn off
Andrecmb
BEWARE of ordering home delivery from the English Cake Company with a credit card. If you do, the total price will be in USD, AND their exchange rate is 100 (as opposed to USDLKR of approx. 130)…! That means, that if you're using a LKR denominated credit card, you'll be paying approx. 33% more on your credit card bill, because your bank will use the going rate. I bought this to the attention of the owner (I think) 6 days a go, and checked again today. Nothing has changed…!!
RuwanGawarammana
Dirty Place with flies everywhere and Dry Cakes
I have visited this place earlier several times. Thought the place was amazing. Yet I visited the same place on 31/10/2015 and I was shocked. My previous visits were great, cakes, coffee ware very good and the place was awesome as it reminds me the UK where I did my higher studies.
Yet on 31st October 2015, when I went to the same place it was horrible. The place was unbelievably dirty. The people worked there haven’t a slight idea about the cleanliness. All the counter tops and table tops were covered with flour, chocolate egg shells and other dirt. The sink in the kitchen was full of dirty dishes and pans. Floor was covered in mud. Simply the place was very dirty.
Though it was dirty I bought cakes from the place. They are even worse than the place. Too dry to eat. I took two of my friends there suggesting them that the Cakery sells the best cakes in the town. I was ashamed to find out that I was wrong. I have never tasted drier cakes ever. Since they are expanding the business have they given up the quality? Sorry to say it seems like nobody cares about the place anymore. Sad…………………………………
Haz
Hot chocolate and the Passion victoria are amazing. When I went there, the place was very clean and the staff is very friendly. Had high tea another day and it was pretty cute too. Some Sri Lankans may not like the taste of lime and passion cheesecake but it is divine. I would suggest to include more spicy food to the high tea, because Sri Lankans love spicy food and then only the sweets come…. :)
S
Although they now have a bigger space the quality of the service is poor. There are no labels for any of the food items if at all they are mixed up. One of the guys behind the counter was extremely rude and displayed so much attitude we were completely put off by the place.
luckysam
Went there this morning. I must say they use very subtle tricks to hoodwink customers in way more ways than one. For instance, this morning, I ordered the Breakfast Bagel(salmon and egg with hollandaise sauce), of which the price was marked "Rs.400-550" and when I ended up paying a bill of LKR 3000+, this displayed as 660 ! I have no idea what the 400-550 range meant, but it didn't seem to matter either way, as they charged a exorbitant 600+10% SC ! The price discrepancy is comfortable aided, by the non-issuance of bills.
While at many international cafes(Delhi airport cafetarias, starbucks worldwide etc) they say, if you do not receive a bill, consider your meal FREE; the cake factory proudly says "we do not issue detailed bills" or something to that effect on the display counter. Disappointed !
luckysam
comfortably*
Tehani
Smoked salmon stack is a complete joke @ 600 bucks, clumps of cream cheese and a few slivers of salmon that is cooked, not smoked. I mean, why even fucking bother?
Disgusted.
Had the worst ever pizza. So awful.
Disgusted.
I agree with Maya. This place is extremely over rated. The service is very weak, almost non-existent. Atmosphere is dull, unprofessional, unclean, not tasty, and it's so utterly useless.
Azad
Went there once, and hated it. Overpriced the cakes are rubbish, dry and tasteless. Chocolate cake at Family Super in Mount Lavinia is far better…
Malinthe
The quality of the place has definitely dropped in the last few months. I used to like the smoked salmon stack and it was horrible the last time I had it. Cakes are also kind of inconsistent. Beverages are sad. I only go there now because there's a lot of space for groups at the new premises. Really hope they'd get these things sorted out.
Malinthe
The lemon drizzle loaf is really good, btw.
SherineWoodTaylor
Went there just today and had a terrible experience where the staff was openly discussing on their internal problems. They took in my request for a spaghetti for their pasta dish and came with penne and when i tried to correct the waiter he was saying I ordered the pasta dish not spaghetti…. I rest my case :D Also the food was'nt good.
I used to love this place :|
Malinthe
Their savories seem to be improving a bit. Had a few pleasant meals in the last couple of weeks.
foodlover
TOTAL DISSAPOINTMENT, DO NOT GO THERE.
I went there placing a reservation a day before. Waited 10 minutes to talk to a staff member and I was asked to be seated. Waited another 10 minutes and no one came to serve us. Went back again to the counter and informed that I have put a reservation for the high tea, again I was asked to sit by another staff member. They were busy serving the take away customers. Waited again 5 minutes and no one came. We left without even having high tea. Such a disappointment. They don't even give a damn about their customers. Such a horrible experience!
Thor
Visited this place last evening. It was a complete disappointment. Cakes were just so DRY! Kinda seems like they are selling old stuff or using low quality ingredients. Sigh. I used to love their stuff…
Lekha
I use to patronise the Cakery long before they opened the outlet at Suleiman Terrace. In the good old days Ellie or Yohan would take the orders personally and the food was always fine. Sadly, over the years my patronage dwindled and is now dead, mostly because of what I witnessed whist waiting for orders to be processed. one time a staff member picked up a glass, had a drink of water off it and replaced it straight back on the shelf. Another time, the cleaner held the mop right into the sink and washed it out. Many times staff appeared from the kitchen munching away The last couple of times I visited, the outlet looked down right dirty, hardly what you expect when you enter to buy food. The service was always slow and they often muddled up orders, They didn't sometimes know how to operate the credit card machine. A visit to the Cakery could never be made in a hurry. The cakes often looked messy but were good, but cleanliness can't be compromised.
Emac
I couldn't agree more with this comment. That is exactly what struck me the in plain sight complete lack of hygiene. I don't have the time to chronicle it all here - but I think twice about going there now. I buy their cakes occasionally but I have no desire to eat their food.
The English Cake Company
Hey Yamu, although obviously we are really saddened by this review, we always find your reviews so helpful and we can ensure we take action to get things right next time – it was good to know we are still one of your favourites and another reviewer had a good experience three days ago. Certainly we know we need to improve on the consistency of our service. Just to let you know the bagels are freshly baked every day and the Peaches and Cream French toast is oven-baked which means it’s not very toasty – a little bit more like bread pudding. Thanks to your review we will make this clearer on our menu. Also the icing on the lemon & blueberry cake is just icing and lemon juice – no eggs anywhere – and we do not serve Macchiato coffees. I’m very sorry that we have clearly offended your reviewer this time though – this mention of “hype” and “peasants” and our “conveniently” getting orders confused. Why would this be convenient for us?! Although I notice she called her colleagues at your office “plebs” so perhaps this negativity extends more widely than just us! Hopefully you will give us a little time to remedy these problems and come back to check whether we have improved – we will! Very best wishes to you all, Eli & Yohan.
Aaron
Don't just respond to the review…its just one person…hope you looked at the plethora of negative reviews below your own response and hopefully try and do something about that. This review itself should not have given you the impetus to improve but instead the comments from the everyday average normal guy who visits.
I myself visited twice last year and had two bitterly disappointed ventures (many of the same reasons listed in the comments) and since not visited. Hope you do improve so good luck to you.
Frank
Totally agree…
Kinita
Thanks a lot for your supportive comment, Eli & Yohan! We're sure we'll enjoy our visits to the Cakery again in the future.
PS: Don't take Sarah's jokes too seriously, she lovingly calls us plebes all the time.
Aakz
Shouldnt the reviewer come out and say that ?
Anon
As someone who was a frequent customer, and wishes The Cakery success - I can only agree with this most recent review. I still generally find the quality of the cakes to be good… It's the service that really is the glaring negative. It shouldn't be such a complicated procedure placing an order and paying. Often there are 3 staff members taking different orders, no real idea of who pays first, seemingly making payment at a different counter each time. Staff are constantly chatting to each other while ignoring customers, it's rare for the staff to proactively offer assistance… Really disappointed with the service each time I visit.
Thammbi
Just enjoying the bashing of this buisness.Anyway im too poor for this place, not as rich as the colombo aunties complaining here.
Adrian J
Loved the fact that the bar was initially set well above average; can't stomach mediocre service after all that. it's nice to see see how feedback is being absorbed as we really want our Cakery back :)
Adrian J
service has improved. very welcoming and laid back atmosphere.
Vishwa
I had the best customer experience at The Cakery. I went there to buy a sweet for my mom and and I ended up talking about my mom with the manager. (I hope I got the designation right) After talking speaking with him for few minutes, I got what I wanted free. The experience overwhelmed me. ♥♥♥
Devesh
It's a great place……the quality of food is really good ………but it has less parking space which makes me worry……anyways keep up your good work
Johann
Have always enjoyed the cakes (recently sometimes too sweet), but service and cleanliness still seems to be an issue. Can spoil the experience.