The Barnesbury: A TARDIS in Hogwarts
Cozy, London-esque cafe in Colombo, Sri Lanka
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Not often times do you find a quiet and snug place to eat out in the busy suburbs of Colombo, Sri Lanka but The Barnesbury is here to tell you otherwise.
So here’s a quick run through of what I love about The Barnesbury:
- The theme and interior is beautifully done. Love the subtle details.
- The atmosphere is quiet and its very comforting.
- Great place for a group of friends or couples.
- The furniture is old school. Really comfortable. The lounge area is excellent.
- The food is not too pricey. Its very reasonable, especially considering that this is quite a fancy place to eat out at.
- The service is excellent and the waiting time is quicker than I thought it would be.
- The food is excellent. Most of what we tried was delicious.
- A small outdoor garden that’s stunning.
- A shisha hub/lounge for those who are interested. A good surprise.
Oh Man ! The Atmosphere
With the pictures you can tell that their pretty much going for a UK themed cafe and they nail those details well.
The entrance to this cafe don’t seem like much (In fact, it looks ordinary, very similar to a typical mid-tier bakery entrance in Sri Lanka) but don’t let the outside fool you because the inside, quite literally, feels completely different.
When you first enter, you’re greeted with a wall of posters and I have to say that this might be the favorite part of the restaurant to me. Its the perfect place to capture that solo photo of yours for Instagram and I love the little references all these posters have, including the surprisingly meaningful quotes that you should keep in mind before you enter and exit this place.
When you finally enter the deeps of The Barnesbury, you’re welcomed to a beautiful lounge area. It’s very vibrant and it really compliments the silence this place has.
From the brick walls to the vintage chandeliers, everything feels as if it were a fancy old cafe down at London on a winters day.
Do you remember the common room for Gryffindor that was in the Harry Potter movies ? This is how it felt like. From the fireplaces to the furniture, the whole place felt like a location out of Hogwarts and it really does have that vibe.
There’s also a small indoor garden and a shisha lounge as well. This was really a surprise because everything on the outside of the restaurant felt small but the inside is enormous. I don’t know if they tried to make the whole place feel as if you’re inside of the TARDIS from Doctor Who but if this was the idea, then they really nailed it.
Oh Man ! The Food
Now lets get down the most important factor. You know what it is.
For a place that is UK themed, in terms of the food, The Barnesbury really gives you a lot of options. They do offer a variety of local and foreign dishes so there’s plenty to try out and satisfy your hunger.
On my first visit with a couple of my friends, I ordered a Lamb Masala Kottu, which was one of the many signature dishes they offered at the restaurant.
The presentation was great and the waiting time was not that bad, at most, it felt like 20 minutes.
I loved the kottu and the portion size, considering it’s price, was not too bad although I wish it could have been more.
Damn ! I have never been more wrong in my life because even though it looked small, it was more than enough for one person and I think the given portion was perfect. It was seasoned well with the perfect amount of heat to keep you interested with every bite and the lamb was well cooked.
My friend had the Chicken Mongolian, another signature dish. This was well worth it, considering the price was cheaper and the portion size was bigger compared to the kottu that I ordered.
How did I quench my thirst ? Water ? No. I got myself a coffee shake (I know its too much but I like enjoying good food although the side effect being me getting more fatter everyday).
Although I do agree that its too heavy, especially after what I had, this coffee shake was the perfect way to top it all off and call it day. It was not too sweet and it really wasn’t that thick compared to your ordinary milk shake. The coffee taste was splendid and it didn’t feel artificial because you could really feel the raw bitterness on the aftertaste.
Overall, How was this Hogwarts vibe giving TARDIS ?
The Barnesbury is a wonderful place to come and chill out. In terms of the food, there’s a lot of variety and I’m sure there’s plenty of options to satisfy your cravings.
In terms of the price, its really reasonable compared to a lot of high-tier restaurants that you find in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Even a lot of mid-tier cafes around Colombo offer main dishes for a really high price point so it’s nice to see a place where anyone can go and enjoy without worrying a lot about the price of a dish.
There’s a lot of surprises for you here and a lot for you to enjoy so give this place a shot when you’re nearby and I’m sure you’ll be surprised.
To me, I think this is the place to go after work, if you want a quiet, lovely evening with yourself or if you want to annihilate your stress with a couple of people, who are more stressed out than you, on a lonely evening.
Thank you, Reader!
I appreciate you taking the time to read this story. I hope it was insightful and valuable! Please feel free to leave your feedback and suggestions in the comments below.
Have a great day!
