The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Colombo 2020

Sri Lanka might be best known for its tea, but in recent years the city of Colombo has experienced a coffee surge. The city now has its fair share of artisan cafes, using both local coffee and importing some of the world’s best beans. From cosy nooks to stylish cafes, here’s where you’ll find the best coffee in Colombo.

We rounded up the best places for coffee in Colombo last year too, but this year’s list has some exciting newcomers.

The 7 Best Coffee Shops In Colombo 2020, How do these rankings work?

1. Kopi Kadé

Kopi Kadé is a newbie on our list and has really made a names for itself as consistently serving some of the best coffee in Colombo, thanks to its owner’s experience in Melbourne. They use a rich medium roast for their coffee here, using a rotating roster of coffee roasters from around the world. The end result? The perfect place for a speciality brew.

2. Plus Nine Four

Everything about this place oozes pure class, so it make sense that we’ve previously named it among the best coffee shops in Asia. The coffee is simply to die for but the food is a very close second. They brew up all sorts of world-class cuppas: from espresso to Chemex drip. Be sure to try their specialty Salted Caramel Affogato or their coffee-spiked ‘Dirty Chai’.

3. Whight & Co

Whight & Co always gets mentioned when discussing Colombo’s coffee scene, as it truly is excellent. The owner hails from Australia so knows more than a thing or two about coffee and they go so far as to grow their own coffee beans in the hills of Sri Lanka. They then roast them onsite and brew each cup on a state-of-the-art La Marzocco machine.

4. Butter Boutique

Butter Boutique is a beautiful cafe that specialises in droolworthy homebaked goods and speciality coffee, with the beans a blend of Brazilian and Ethiopian and roasted in Melbourne. As well as rich ristrettos and espresso coffee made by well-trained baristas, you can enjoy indulgent drinks such as a red velvet latte. Yum.

5. Barista

Barista has several locations around the city and is a foolproof spot to pop into for a cup of excellent java. They serve Italian-style coffee and the vibe is that of a modern espresso bar.

In a nutshell, it’s good simple coffee made by people who really know what they are doing. What more could you ask for?

6. ONE Up

This colourful and vibrant Australian-inspired cafe is well known for having some of the best brunch and coffee in town. Alongside a tasty menu of Eggs Benedict, fluffy pancakes and vanilla waffles, the coffee really stands out. ONE Up uses beans from local Colombo company Tusker Coffee Roasters as well as beans from a speciality roaster in the Maldives.

7. Cafe Kumbuk

Cafe Kumbuk is so good, it’s almost like one of those secret spots you want to keep from the rest of the world. It’s a charming sustainable cafe (and a sister cafe to Nine Plus Four) with a menu full of organic goodies. As for the coffee? All of their coffee is grown and roasted in Sri Lanka by Soul Coffee and it’s really good.