Tag: Cinnamon Red Colombo

In case you are wondering, this “hospital” has nothing to do with medical care, but rather retail therapy and foodie fulfilment. Intrigued? Read on to find out more!

A Bit of History
This hospital dates back to Dutch colonial rule in the 17th century; it was mainly established to take care of sick or ailing seafarers of the Dutch East India Company upon arrival at the nearby Colombo Port. In more modern times, it was a police headquarters though was later disused before its transformation in 2011.

Getting There
This site can be found near the popular Galle Face public park by the coast and is within a 15-minute drive from hotels such as Cinnamon Red Colombo. It is located along Hospital Street across from the World Trade Centre building; if you are looking for where to stay in Colombo, find a place close by!

Shopping Fun
Though not huge, theDutch Hospitaloffers some great shopping in Colombo. Stores such as Barefoot and Luv SL by Odel offer ethnic souvenirs from clothing to ornaments, while for traditional handicrafts there’s Shilpa National Crafts. Check out Colombo Jewellery Store for some bling orSpa Ceylon for a revitalising massage!

Dine and Drink
After all that shopping, you can enjoy the wonderful dining options here. There’s a charming open-air courtyard where you can have meals and listen to live music too. Popular dining venues include the Ministry of Crab, Colombo Fort Café and Heladiv Tea Club; also well-known is Tap House by RnR a happening pub to chill out with friends.

 

 

In Sri Lanka, street food culture has existed for a very long time. It was developed as a necessity in Colombo as in some locations the population density was so thick houses weren’t equipped with cooking facilities. So, they took to setting up stalls outside on the street for everyone to go get their food from.

String Hoppers on Galle Road

The Galle Road is famous for street food and one famous dish that can be found here is string hoppers, a staple for both breakfast and dinner that is served with coconut sambol and curry. Try Green Cabin, for rumour, has it they are the best. Such hotspots can be found within a 4-10 minute drive from Cinnamon Red Colombo if you’re a foodie looking for where to stay in Colombo.

Samosa at the Pettah Train Station

 
At Pettah’s central station, samosas aren’t the only “short eats” (the equivalent of pastries to Sri Lankans.) On a walk through the station area you will find the best vegetable or chicken samosas in the country. There’s also beef if you need more bite in this fried triangle-shaped snack.

Pani-Pol in Dehiwala – Mount Lavinia

On the Galle Road beach stretch from Wellawatte to Dehiwala – Mount Lavinia a ‘must try’ is the pani pol – pancakes made from coconut topped in palm treacle and stuffed with coconut and sugar. If you have a sweet tooth, this one’s for you.

Kottu at Hotel de New Pilawoos

If you’ve wondered what the metallic beats that follow you through the streets of Colombo at night are, that’s a street vendor making your next order of kottu rotti. Kottu is made of rotti julienned and mixed together with eggs, meats, spices, curry, cheese and assorted vegetables. You can eat it anywhere, but branches of Hotel de New Pilawoos are particularly popular.

Damon Starky is a creative nomadic travel writer, who is well informed and experienced on a wide range of interests that would connect to the needs of any type of traveler. Google+