The Brooklyn
of Colombo is
Cinnamon Gardens.

See the 24 venues →Where to stay
Galleries Markets Laid-back Walkable Coffee culture Fine dining
The case for Cinnamon Gardens

Cinnamon Gardens (Colombo 7) is the coolest neighborhood in Colombo for slow coffee at Cafe Kumbuk, Saturday's Good Market, and galleries in old houses.

Cinnamon Gardens is where colonial mansions sit behind crumbling walls draped in frangipani, and grandmothers fan themselves on verandas while stray dogs sleep in the middle of the road. The streets are wide and shaded. Art galleries operate out of old houses. Saturday mornings belong to the Good Market. You'll eat well, drink slowly, and wonder why you booked only two nights.

Kala Pola draws over 350 artists and upwards of 30,000 visitors to a single stretch of Green Path in Colombo 7 on one Sunday each January.
Close contenders

Other cool neighborhoods in Colombo.

Slave Island / Park Street Mews (Colombo 2)

Slave Island is shedding its rough edges fast. Park Street Mews turned a colonial warehouse into Colombo's best evening out - cocktails, street food stalls, and live music crammed into one courtyard.

Kollupitiya / Barefoot Strip (Colombo 3)

Kollupitiya's Barefoot Strip runs off Galle Road and revolves around the legendary Barefoot bookshop-cafe. Good for a long lunch, a cotton sarong, and watching Colombo's creative class do its thing.

Havelock Town (Colombo 5)

Havelock Town is the residential neighborhood that keeps surprising you. Quiet lanes, solid Sri Lankan restaurants, and a growing cafe scene that hasn't gotten full of itself yet.

See the full shortlist, ranked →
Three sides of the neighborhood

Where to go in Cinnamon Gardens.

01
Stay in Cinnamon Gardens

Cinnamon Gardens has the best hotel stock in Colombo.
02
Eat & Drink in Cinnamon Gardens

Colombo 7 drinks slowly - long lunches under old trees, rice and curry from 12:30pm, cocktails at The Love Bar after dark.
03
Do & Shop in Cinnamon Gardens

The Good Market on Saturdays, the Sapumal Foundation on weekday mornings, and the Lionel Wendt for whatever's on that week.
All 24 spots mapped out

Cinnamon Gardens, corner to corner.

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Our 24 top picks

The Cinnamon Gardens guide.

Practical info

Good to know.

The boring numbers that decide whether you stay three days or four.

CurrencyLKR
LanguageSinhala
Cost level $Inexpensive
Best monthsDecember to February
Local time UTC+5:30
Plug type US & India plugs · 230V/50Hz
Emergency119 police, 1990 ambulance
Local tip
The string hoppers at any neighborhood kade off Horton Place at 7am will beat every hotel breakfast in the city.
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Head to head

How does Colombo stack up?

All comparisons →

Bangkok vs Colombo

Asia
Common questions

Things to know about Cinnamon Gardens.

What is the Brooklyn of Colombo?
The Brooklyn of Colombo is Cinnamon Gardens (Colombo 7). Cinnamon Gardens is where colonial mansions sit behind crumbling walls draped in frangipani, and grandmothers fan themselves on verandas while stray dogs sleep in the middle of the road. Kala Pola draws over 350 artists and upwards of 30,000 visitors to a single stretch of Green Path in Colombo 7 on one Sunday each January.
What is the coolest neighborhood in Colombo?
Cinnamon Gardens (Colombo 7) is widely considered the coolest neighborhood in Colombo. Cinnamon Gardens is where colonial mansions sit behind crumbling walls draped in frangipani, and grandmothers fan themselves on verandas while stray dogs sleep in the middle of the road. The streets are wide and shaded. Art galleries operate out of old houses. Saturday mornings belong to the Good Market. You'll eat well, drink slowly, and wonder why you booked only two nights.
Where should I stay in Cinnamon Gardens (Colombo 7), Colombo?
The best boutique hotels in Cinnamon Gardens (Colombo 7) include Maniumpathy, Paradise Road Tintagel Colombo, and De Saram House by Geoffrey Bawa. Maniumpathy is the one to book first. A beautifully restored colonial villa on Kynsey Road with just a handful of rooms. Personal, quiet, and run with genuine warmth - hard to leave.
Is Cinnamon Gardens (Colombo 7) in Colombo safe at night?
Yes. Colombo 7 is the diplomatic and residential core, with embassies, ministries, and old Colombo families on tree-lined streets. Police presence is steady and walking after dark is generally fine, though pavements get patchy and stray dogs appear at night. Solo female travelers report it as the most comfortable district in the city. Use metered taxis or PickMe rather than flagging tuk-tuks.
Is Colombo expensive?
Colombo is easy on the wallet by international standards. The airport taxi into Cinnamon Gardens runs about 4,000 to 6,000 rupees via PickMe, a litre of bottled water costs 80 to 120 rupees, and most restaurant bills already include a 10 percent service charge, so extra tipping is optional.
When is the best time to visit Colombo?
January and February are the driest and most comfortable months, with lower humidity and temperatures around 27-30C; December is reliable too. Steer clear of May to September during the southwest monsoon and October to November's inter-monsoon thunderstorms, when heavy downpours hit daily. Even in the dry season, save walking and park visits for before 11:00 or after 16:00 to avoid the midday sun.

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