What I absolutely loved about this place is the inspiration behind starting it. The owner and his colleague who wished to remain behind the scenes shared their story with us. Both of them are marine engineers by profession but their goal is to bring Sri Lanka to its former glory in producing and exporting coffee to the world. 

“I was fascinated to learn that in the mid 1800’s Ceylon was the world’s largest coffee exporter, catering to Europe’s demand of over 6 million cups of coffee a day! My goal is to recreate that same alluring unique taste of coffee to the modern day world that captivated the whole of Europe.” This was his father and founder of London House of Coffee George Martin Kodithuwakku’s dream! They grow their own coffee in Kothmale keeping with strict organic standards under the guidance of Dr. M. Seneviratne, an agricultural scientist and coffee specialist. 

Because it is a place specializing in their coffee we tried out many coffee based drinks. We first tried their Café Latte (Rs. 575). I love my coffee with a lot of milk and sugar so I absolutely loved it. 

But I can guarantee all the coffee enthusiasts out there that you would absolutely love their Coffee Medium Press (Rs. 500). They roast their coffee daily to keep it fresh and the flavour intact. They said coffee tastes best within 7 days of grounding it.  If you love your coffee strong and black, this is a must have at the London House of Coffee. 

We also tried their Cappuccino (Rs. 575). This is a crowd favourite, and it was lovely and the drizzle of chocolate on top made it even better! 

This place is definitely a coffee haven but I absolutely loved their Fresh Strawberry Juice (Rs. 700). At the London House of Coffee they only serve organic fruits and vegetables at the least they try to serve you with fresh products. The strawberry juice was delicious and refreshing! And I finished the whole jar, which is something I usually never manage to do. 

They also serve a range of goodies to accompany their delicious coffee. We first tried their English Scone served with Jam and Cream (Rs. 350) The scone was quite tasty but just a little too hard. It was not too sweet and tasted good with the jam and cream. 

We also tried their Blueberry Cheesecake (Rs. 450). It was a baked cheesecake topped with blueberries and being a big fan of cheesecake myself I absolutely loved it! It was the perfect side dish for the amazing coffee they serve. 

Even though they specialize in coffee they also serve a couple of main dishes on their menu. We tried their Organic Salad (Rs. 400) and their Fish Pot Pie (Rs. 650). The salad was tasty with its fresh veggies and drizzle of cheese on top. But I really enjoyed the pie! The fish and veggie filling was delicious and the mashed potatoes on top really elevated the dish. Served warm, it was really tasty. 

Located down Gregory’s Road, Colombo 07 the place was very busy for a Wednesday evening. The staff is led by their manager Mr. Razleen and assistant manager Mr. Terrence. They were all very friendly and the service was very quick as well. The coffee house has comfy couches upstairs and an open air balcony as well. We really enjoyed our experience at the London House of Coffee. 

They are open from 7AM to 11PM every day and you can call the on (011) 2693072 for reservations and check out their Facebook page www.facebook.com/Thelondonhouseofcoffee/ for more information. 

Photographs by Kanishke Ganewatte