The Coolest Neighbourhoods in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Cinnamon Gardens is the all-time coolest neighbourhood in Colombo. Lots of books have even been written about it. What used to be a huge area filled cinnamon trees, then a posh suburban area of large houses with even larger gardens, is now a bustling neighbourhood with boutique hotels and cafes with great WiFi. The main roads where all the action can be found are Horton Place, Wijerama Mawatha, Ward Place and Gregory Road.

Eating:
Black Cat
Tea Avenue
Kumbuk

Sleeping:
Tintagel

Wellness:
Prana Lounge

Shopping:
Odel
Independence Square

Chilling:
Viharamahadevi Park

This is one of Colombo’s up and coming party neighbourhoods. Everything stems from one pedestrian street called Park Street. This is the area close to the famous Gangaramaya Temple visited by pretty much all visitors to Colombo. But Park Street has nothing to do with temples but more with restaurants, cafes and nightclubs. This area of Colombo 2 is a mix of business, pleasure and new condos. Beira Lake is only a few blocks away and so is the Viharamahadevi Park on the edge of Cinnamon Gardens. Slave Island is a large area surrounded by Beira Lake and a great place to walk around.

Eating:
Park Street Mews
Cafe Francais

Sleeping:
Uga Residence

Shopping:
Spa Ceylon
Park Street Gourmet

Culture:
Gangaramaya Temple

Colombo 5 is one of the largest neighbourhoods in Colombo but the coolest area is around Thimbirigasyaya and Havelock. Only a few years ago, Thimbirigasyaya Avenue was an uncomfortably skinny road, nothing special. Now, it’s a busy and bustling entrance to the city with businesses and condos popping up everywhere. The concentration of places to eat or have a coffee is pretty impressive, making it a great a place for expats to find a place to live. From big and small supermarkets to coffee shops, a bubble tea place and health food restaurants, this area just keeps getting better and better. Havelock road is the other large road that crosses paths with Thimbirigasyaya and has plenty of places as well.

Eating:
Calorie Counter
Java Coffee
Isso
The Fab
Bubble Me
Dolce Italia

Sleeping:
Hotel Janaki
Plenty of long-term rental apartments
Dolce Italia House

Shopping:
Gloria
Arista
The Outlet Store
Indi & Co

Bambalapitiya is an area that spans some of Galle Road and some of Marine Drive. It’s very central and quite busy. It houses the famous Barefoot Garden Cafe, as well as the popular Banana Leaf Curry House. This area is always in constant motion, be it with cars, people, buses or tuk-tuks. There is considerably less vegetation than in Cinnamon Gardens or Thimbirigasyaya, but it still has its charm. There are plenty of hotels on Marine Drive and some even have rooftop bars to enjoy the view.

Eating:
Barefoot Cafe
Wight & Co
The Fat Crab
Banana Leaf Curry House

Sleeping:
OZO
Hilton

Shopping:
Barefoot Gallery
Majestic City
Puma