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Colombo Nightlife

Introduction

Nightlife & eating and drinking

Nightlife in Colombo is on the up. Until quite recently the most a visitor would have been able to enjoy was a few overpriced cocktails in the hotel bar. The scene has changed dramatically in recent years and while Colombo will not win any awards for its evening pursuits, the tourist has a number of options to choose from.

The bar and pub culture seems to have sprung up overnight and there are plenty of good, friendly places to try.

Tantra is a bar for the well-heeled, with its minimalist furniture and fine array of drinks. It can be found on the fourth floor next to the Holiday Inn on Sir Mohammed Macan Marker Mawatha. Downstairs is Glow, which prides itself on attracting the top DJs around and often puts on a good live band.

Another top joint for live music is Clancy's on Maitland Crescent. Based on the typical British pub, it has managed to avoid going overboard on the Toby jugs and attracts plenty of locals.

Just to prove that Colombo caters to all tastes, those who head down to Mawby's on New Buller road will find themselves in a country and western pub, although one that manages to be thoroughly modern at the same time. Good fun.

Many of the nightclubs still have to be unearthed inside hotels. The Hut is widely regarded as one of the best. It can be found inside the Mount Lavinia Hotel and offers superb views away towards the Indian Ocean.

Sri Lankan cuisine has a broad range of influences from the Portuguese and Spanish colonialists to Malay, via the highly spiced dishes indigenous to the region. Curries abound and Sri Lankans are keen to curry all sorts of dishes, even fruit based ones. Restaurant goers will often find locals eating a main curry of meat or fish coupled with many curried vegetable options.

Visitors will find a huge range of restaurants in town, with Japanese, western and local tastes all catered for.

For the best in traditional Sri Lankan fare, a trip to Thambapani restaurant is a must. It is by no means cheap but there are a huge range of superb curry dishes on offer, with fish especially prominent. There are also a number of vegetarian possibilties.

A cheaper option for those wishing to try local cuisine is the Banana Leaf on Galle Road. A more limited number of options are available here but the food is of high quality.

For the best in fusion cooking, try the Colombo Plaza Hotel, where the western influences of 300 years ago meet with the western influences of today, with plenty of spice thrown in for good measure. Pricey.

For a decently priced veggie eatery head to Shanti Vihar on Havelock Road. This place has no pretencions and just gets on with offering superb food.