Nestled in the busy road of Stratford Avenue is a small coffee café with a big Sri Lankan name. Kopi Kade is the brain child of Australian-Sri Lankan, Nimeshan Namasivayam, whose childhood in Sri Lanka was spent watching episode after episode of Sri Lanka’s longest running TV show ‘Kopi Kade’ which inspired him to name the café after. 

Nimeshan has worked in the coffee industry for over 15 years having been a barista, a coffee roaster and a professional coffee taster. He has judged Barista competitions in Sri Lanka for several years and is one who takes his coffee very seriously. 

“We are very serious about the coffee here” he confessed and he definitely wasn’t lying! He roasts his own coffee and imports quality coffee from the United Kingdom, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand and also offers one of the most high end coffees of the world; Geisha in his café. 

Not only is it a coffee shop, it’s also a coffee school! Nimeshan conducts classes on Mondays and Tuesdays teaching people to brew a perfect cup of coffee, learn the difference from a café latte and a flat white and even help them whip up something fancy using their own coffee equipment at home. 

Having taken coffee to a new level, we went to check out Kopi Kade to see if it lives up to its big name; 

Atmosphere 

What was previously a warehouse, the café is small but spaciously designed. Under the guidance of architect Manjula Wijerathne, whose work can be seen at Nuga Gama and Chutneys to name a few, the café adopts a very minimalistic touch with a sleek undertone and an old fashioned twist highlighted in the colours of black, brown and bronze. 

Artwork for the café is provided by Gandhara and rotates every once in a while and ranges from black and white prints to colourful drawings adding a contract to the café’s colour palette. 

Even though it’s located on a busy street, Kopi Kade is designed in such a way that you can shut yourself away from the hustle bustle of the road and enjoy a bit of solitude whether you want to catch up with a friend or even just spend some time by yourself. 

Beverages 

Before we order our drinks, Nimeshan hands us a small sheet of paper that is basically a ‘Coffee For Dummies’ handout which honestly was truly helpful! The sheet basically mapped out the differences between all kinds of coffee drinks like macchiato, cappuccino, mocha, affogato, latte, espresso, long black, iced black and iced white and gave an indication of what it contains and how it’s served. So this sheet of paper will help you know what you’re ordering instead of the usual order and hope-for-the-best-that-you-like-it method that coffee noobs like myself normally follow. 

We first started off with their Café Latte at Rs.500 which was light and well done. 

We were told their Hot Chocolate priced at Rs.550 is a hit among the customers so we gave it a try. For kids, the hot chocolate is 50% dark but generally it’s served 70% dark and 55% milk to adults with white chocolate. It’s easy to see why it’s a best seller because it’s the kind of hot chocolate that makes you want to curl up with a book on one hand and a cup on the other. 

The Banana Milk at  Rs.450 we tried on the insistence of Nimeshan who told us that it might just take us by surprise. I was a little hesitant because I’m not a big fan of bananas but I was a told the risk would be worth it and it sure was! The Banana Milk is very similar to a smoothie but at the same time it isn’t one. Made with banana, butterscotch, organic coconut flower sugar, vanilla bean and blended milk, it’s a filling drink with flavours that we couldn’t get enough of! 

Food 

The café also serves what Nimeshan would like to call ‘refined Sri Lankan short eats’. The food menu is quite extensive and has a range of dishes varying from your normal cutlets to sliders and to homemade ice cream. 

All the food is baked instead of fried without the use of any preservatives and is all home-made. The menu only displays the finger foods and bites but Kopi Kade also serves mains by way of specials that vary from week to week. 

The food menu has a healthy balance of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options and also has something for everywhere whether you are looking for something spicy or something sweet to go with your coffee. 

From their vegetarian options we tried their Roasted Mushroom Soup at Rs. 550 and their Paneer Bite at Rs.80. The soup has 4 kinds of mushrooms; shiitake, oyster, button and abalone. The mushroom soup for us was like soul food with its thick consistency and generous mix of mushrooms. 

The Paneer Bite is a piece of grilled home made fresh paneer served with sweet chilli jam or hot chilli sauce. 

From their non-vegetarian options we ordered their sliders; the Spiced Mutton Slider at Rs. 250 and their Prawn Curry Slider at Rs.300. The Spiced Mutton Slider is a simple burger with a spiced mutton patty sandwiched between white mini buns and BBQ or hot chilli sauce. 

The Prawn Slider included a prawn paste with a spiced prawn fry and curry bisque ketchup sandwiched between white buns. The Prawn Slider definitely doesn’t miss the opportunity to infuse the flavour of prawns at every turn and we really enjoyed that. 

From a sweet aspect we ordered their home made Malt Ice Cream at Rs. 250 and their fruit concoction (still unnamed!) at Rs. 650. The Malt Ice cream is a special throw back to our childhood if you were ever a fan of Nestomalt as a kid. The ice cream is organic with no preservations and has a thick creamy consistency to it with a flavour that will take you back to your small days. 

Their fruit concoction however was the real winner.  Featuring a mango sorbet, a kolikuthu mouse and caramalised bananas; the dessert was an odd combination but a combination that works very well together. The kolikuthu mouse is sensational and while each of the components taste well separately; combined together, you get a great dessert that is a must try! 

Service 

Kopi Kade is run by a team of 5. Nimeshan is at the front and center greeting customers and walking them through the menu.  We thought the service was great and certainly appreciate the privacy they gave us while we were there. 

Parking 

Yes, and if it is difficult  to find a spot to park in front of Kopi Kade, parking is also available at Gandhara. 

Overall 

Overall, we loved the concept of Kopi Kade and enjoyed their food and drinks. The menu, prepared by owner Nimeshan, is creative and innovative and we loved that about the café! Whether it’s catching up with a friend or looking for a quiet spot to catch up on your reading or to study – the Kopi Kade is a charming little nook that we’d recommend! 

Check Kopi Kade out on Facebook and Instagram. They are open on Wednesday and Thursday from 12:00PM to 8:00PM, and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 12:00PM to 9:00PM. 

Kopi Kade is located at 15/6, Stratford Avenue, Colombo 06. 

Photographs by Pradeep Dilrukshana