Grind
A popular brunch and specialty coffee spot at Access Towers, with a strong vegan menu.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Matcha latte
- Mango matcha
- Lychee matcha
t-Lounge by Dilmah
Dilmah’s tea lounge in Fort, with a huge selection of single-origin Ceylon teas, tea cocktails and light bites.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Ceylon tea
- Single-origin tea
- Tea mocktails
Café Kumbuk
A relaxed, garden-style café off Independence Avenue known for healthy brunch, local produce and plenty of vegan and gluten-free options.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Flat white
- Sri Lankan coffee
- Brunch
Peppermint Café
A 24-hour, pet-friendly café in Colombo 7, popular with locals for sandwiches, pasta and fish and chips.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Open 24 hours
- Pet-friendly
- Fish and chips
Seed
A bright brunch café on Horton Place with healthy and vegan options and indoor and garden seating.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Specialty coffee
- Single origin
- Healthy brunch
KIKU Colombo
A Japanese-inspired café and restaurant on Layards Road, known for matcha lattes, specialty coffee and fresh seafood.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Matcha latte
- Lavender matcha
- Matchagato
Barefoot Garden Café
A leafy courtyard café at the Barefoot store, with relaxed brunches, Sunday jazz and a bookshop and gallery next door.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Brunch
- Garden seating
- Live music
Cloe Café
A neighbourhood café in Nawala, known for its matcha latte sweetened with honey.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Matcha latte
- Honey matcha
- Coffee
Butter Boutique
A Colombo cake café best known for its tres leches, plus cinnamon rolls, brownies and good coffee.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Matcha latte
- Hojicha
- Flavoured matcha
The Cauldron
A vegan café blending Sri Lankan flavours with plant-based cooking, popular for creative bowls and comfort food.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Vegan
- Plant-based
- Smoothies
Black Cat Café
A pet-friendly café in a restored 1920s mansion in Colombo 7, known for homemade ginger beer and all-day brunch.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Ginger beer
- All-day brunch
- Pet-friendly
The Commons Coffeehouse
A laid-back coffeehouse on Flower Road with a menu ranging from American breakfasts to kottu.
- Mid-range
- Café
- All-day breakfast
- Kottu
- Milkshakes
Milk & Honey Café
A mostly vegetarian café on Horton Place with an all-day breakfast menu and healthy options.
- Mid-range
- Café
- All-day breakfast
- Vegetarian
- Healthy bowls
Coco Veranda
A popular Colombo 7 café using Italian beans, with a long food and drinks menu.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Italian espresso
- Iced drinks
- Milkshakes
Tea Avenue Jawatte
An old-world tea house with a long menu of Ceylon teas, light meals and a relaxed setting for work or catching up.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Ceylon tea
- Iced tea
- Laptop-friendly
Kiri Kōpi
A specialty coffee shop in a grand colonial-style building, with single-origin coffees, Sri Lankan beans and an all-day brunch.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Specialty coffee
- Single origin
- Sri Lankan coffee
Department of Coffee, Colombo 7
A specialty coffee brew bar near Independence Square, with pour-overs, Aeropress, syphon, cold brew and rotating single origins.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Pour-over
- V60
- Aeropress
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Our 17 favourite cafés in Colombo
We have marked 17 cafés in Colombo, each picked by locals rather than ranked by an algorithm. You will find them around Colombo 7, Union Place, Colombo 2, Fort, Colombo 1 and Layards Road, Colombo 5.
Start with Grind, t-Lounge by Dilmah and Café Kumbuk, then use the filters to narrow it down by price.
What you’ll find: specialty coffee, matcha latte, brunch, vegan options, single origin, ceylon tea, iced tea, flat white, sri lankan coffee and pet-friendly.
Good to know
- Some cafés close one day a week, so check before you go.
- Ask whether they serve Sri Lankan-grown coffee; many now do.
- Weekend brunch gets busy; go early or mid-afternoon.
Also in Colombo: Best hotels in Colombo · Hostels & poshtels in Colombo · Best restaurants in Colombo · Things to do in Colombo. Or see the full Colombo guide.
Good to know
What are the best cafés in Colombo?
Our current picks include Grind, t-Lounge by Dilmah and Café Kumbuk. See all 17 on this page, picked by locals.
Where can I get matcha in Colombo?
Try Grind, KIKU Colombo, Cloe Café and Butter Boutique. Tap through to each one for what to order and when to go.
Where can I get a good flat white or long black in Colombo?
Try Café Kumbuk, Coco Veranda and Department of Coffee, Colombo 7. Tap through to each one for what to order and when to go.
Where can I find pour-over or cold brew coffee in Colombo?
Try Seed, Kiri Kōpi and Department of Coffee, Colombo 7. Tap through to each one for what to order and when to go.
Where is the best brunch in Colombo?
Try Grind, Café Kumbuk, Seed and Barefoot Garden Café. Tap through to each one for what to order and when to go.
Which cafés in Colombo are good for working on a laptop?
Try Tea Avenue Jawatte and Department of Coffee, Colombo 7. Tap through to each one for what to order and when to go.
How do you choose the cafés you list in Colombo?
Every place is chosen by our team for its location, value and character. Paid placements are always labelled “Premier choice”; “Team’s pick” is never paid for.