Tea Time in C-town

With a great set-up at the Dutch Hospital and an even better menu, the Heladiv Tea Club has grown into a local hotspot. And it seems like they’ve managed this because of the well rounded dining selection available. Traditional tea, fancy tea cocktails, beers and some fabulous dessert is bound to fulfill all your gastronomic needs. They’ve built an entire experience out of drinking tea and they’ve done it in style, with inviting contemporary interiors that blend just as well as their tea into the bygone era’s architecture.

Everything about this place is just right. The place is inviting and spacious; the atmosphere is friendly and laidback; the staff is friendly and attentive, and we haven’t even got to the tea yet. With an equal amount of hot and cold options, their tea hits just the right spot. Be it a warm tea on a rainy evening or a cold one during a heated summer’s day, their leaves plucked from seven different regions across the island bring together the cream of the crop in strength, aroma and flavor.

So this relatively new spot found at the Kotte Road junction has integrated a lounge, boutique and a pub and as a result, their menu offers you tea champagne, Rama’s butter beer (it’s non-alcoholic, though) and some creatively named ones such a Tearamusu and Tream Soda. The tea comes from Kalwana and their furniture from the UK. This makes sense as its interior is more inclined towards a pub than a tea house, which complements the menu where you can pair a visitor’s favourite, bitter lemon tea, with their highly recommended fish and chips.

Run by Japanese-Sri Lankan Midori Peiris, Euphorium has an intimate charm of its own and most of that is attributed to the owner herself. Personally named after books of her choice and with thorough knowledge of each tea that is displayed on their ‘tea-wall,’ this Kynsey Road salon is host to an array of interesting concoctions along with the occasional tea appreciation classes. On some days a refreshing Chloe, made up of a black tea mixed with dried flower petals, might do the trick while a more daring day will you have sipping on a Tea Soda,  a deep red hibiscus tea, golden yellow passion fruit juice and soda.

Dilmah t-Lounge is a magic show, a history lesson and only then, a tea lounge. The tricks and treats they conjure with basic tea makes you question what you were thinking drinking your cup of plain tea day in and day out. A menu filled with all the wonders the tea world has to offer, it’s no surprise that you can also find a quick account of how tea came to be. If the top-notch tea and scenic view of the World Trade Centre doesn’t do it for you, have a go at their tea flavoured ice cream and crepes.

If you want a quaint, uninterrupted setting that also happens to serve some tea, you will find it in a small building run by Mackwoods, filled with paintings and overlooking the Beira Lake. With warm service and a wonderful view, you can find yourself spending the better part of your day reading one of the many books available by local authors while breaking away every now and then to sip on your comforting tea and steal a glance of the sun gleaming over the Beira.

They also have a new outlet at the Racecourse grounds, with the same flavor but more contemporary interiors. While this seems to be gaining more popularity, its quiet, almost homely feel, keeps the old one close to the heart.

With 36 years in the tea export industry, café owner Niraj De Mel, decided to give the local market what he simply considers ‘a good cup of tea.’ Now you may think this is a menial task, but Mel’s artisan tea, put together by professionals, shows you the attention to details it requires to bring you the perfect cuppa. They also serve an excellent range of breakfast food, savouries and sweets which can be enjoyed on the tables and chairs set up in their airy garden. Mel’s doesn’t try too hard but succeeds in being that place you’d like to spend your afternoon at. They also seem to host many birthday do’s and a monthly high tea.

Tranquil offers a cozy and often quiet place to relax with some very aesthetic teas. They serve some tasteful blends, despite a comparatively limited selection, with a bunch of snacks and shakes as well, but their star attraction seems to be the outdoor area that doubles as a shisha lounge. With very few places that offer this combo, it’s a good place to escape the bustling city pace for a slow sip and a smoke. Don’t take our word for it, but a tea infused with berries, grape and watermelon named Smoke on the Road sounds heavenly.