Barefoot Garden Cafe

A Colombo institution. Simply put, no visit to the city is complete without a (preferably long, unhurried) visit to Barefoot. The modest entrance leads to a magnificent garden shaded by trees, with a large covered area as well. Sunday brunch is the highlight, with an accomplished jazz group of Colombo natives who over many years have become part of the place, mingling with guests in breaks. The menu is an eclectic variety of Sri Lankan and more familiar café offerings. Ask for the blackboard for daily additions tobthe printed menu. The service is fabulous, the wonderful waiters are friends who know their regulars and the vibe is utterly relaxed yet totally efficient. This is a superbly well managed operation. Between courses do not miss the shop, a vibrantly colourful emporium of books, clothes, bags, fabrics, accessories, gifts, souvenirs, pictures ... room after room of treasures. Finally, check what is on show at the large airy art gallery over two floors. Don't rush. Stay for hours. You'll be hooked.

Went there on a weekday around 2.30pm for lunch and it was hard to find a table. It was packed with mostly tourists. The staff try their best to attend to us even when it’s overwhelmingly packed. We ordered the chicken wrap which was packed with fresh vegetables and tender chicken. Loved every bit of it. Also had the beef burger which was a lunch special and it was packed with caramelized onion, jalapeno and melted cheese. The beef patty was juicy and tasted delicious. Tried the vanilla milkshake, safe to say it’s one of the original milkshakes which is rare to find it Colombo. Thick,creamy and not too sweet. If you are a reader the Barefoot bookshop has an interesting range of books. I loved the vibe, the crowd and everything. Would definitely be back.

We spent a late morning at Barefoot Garden Café, and it’s especially nice to sit outdoors in the garden. The setting is lovely — a leafy courtyard surrounded by colourful buildings, quiet but full of character. It feels more like a creative space than a typical café. For brunch, we ordered the Sri Lankan breakfast, a flat white, some bread, and a chocolate cake. The food was very good — especially the breakfast and cake — while the coffee was only average (honestly, I didn’t like it), but the ambience more than made up for it. Service was relaxed and unhurried, perfectly suited to the mood. After eating, we wandered through the attached shop and gallery. There’s a great mix of textiles, small gifts, and accessories, and we picked up a few friendship bands for our daughter. Overall, Barefoot is an easy place to linger — come for the food, stay for the garden, and keep browsing in the gallery.

24/11/2024 - Super nice place with amazing indoor garden and restaurant/bar to spend all day. You enter from bookstore and souvenir shop and it opens up to a green space. We were also lucky to see music band performance. Prices are not cheap just like Europe standards but still worth to see.

It's been one of this essential Colombo experience! The food here is great, love the ambiance and decorations all around. There is a part where it functions like an art gallery. A part thag sells their famous products made frok cotton. A good selections of books and art works on sales. Do buy their nice stuff toys made from cotton, in various shapes and sizes. They sell clothing too, it bear the iconic look, people can recognize them from this gallery. This is one of the places I get gifts for friends.

Just what we needed as we spend 48hrs in Colombo. A tranquil haven providing respite from the the heat and hectic pace of Colombo. The ‘Black Pork Curry’ was amongst the best curries I have ever eaten. The service was attentive without being over bearing and the prices very reasonable.

This is a really cute place with a nice vibe and good atmosphere. However, the food and drink service is very slow. When our food finally came my partner’s order was wrong and so had to wait longer. When his food was correct it then had a chicken bone in it. Mistakes happen but there was no apology or anything from the staff. The food was mediocre and not worth the wait. The shop and gallery are lovely and definitely worth visiting.

Lovely setting for a coffee, with the addition of live jazz on a Sunday! Would recommend going 10-11am for nicer ambience - as soon as it got closer to lunch time, it was very noisy & service was a bit slower. Would visit again