Issue 95

26 April

Meal Deals and Food Offers 

The Colombo Street Food Festival is back this Friday and Saturday afternoon and evening at Hospital Street. Starting from 5.00pm, you'll find lots of stalls offering a wide range of snacks and bites, beverages and more. There's also live music and other entertainment.  

The Granbell Hotel are celebrating their first anniversary with a week-long "Flavours of Asia" dinner buffets. On Thursday and Friday this week the buffet will feature Sri Lankan food; on Saturday and Sunday it's Indian; on Monday and Tuesday it's Chinese and on Wednesday it's Japanese.

This Friday, Coffee Colombo (at the Hotel Eurolanka) has a Jaffna Lunch Buffet, featuring some classic Jaffna dishes. It's on from 11.00am to 3.00pm and as there are limited slots, reservations are recommended.

Do you like a nice, spicy Mala Hot Pot? Do you like a really spicy Mala Hot Pot? Put your taste buds under fire with the Mala Hot Pot Challenge this Friday at Food Studio, One Galle Face. To take part, and for more details, send them a message to register.

In the mood for some Mexican food? Then the Mexican Family Dinner Buffet at Hotel MaRadha this Saturday might satisfy those cravings! It's on from 7.00pm and costs Rs4,500 per person.

Gypsy Pizza recently did an all-you-can-eat pizza deal which is now a regular weekend event. From Friday to Sunday, from 12 noon to 10pm, you can have all the pizza you can eat in 90 minutes for Rs2,750 per person.

Looking to next week and there's an extra special gourmet dinner, "A Botanical Affair" taking place at 7 Degrees. It includes hors d'oeuvres paired with gin cocktails and an dinner paired with malt beers, wrapped up with a cake tasting. This does sound like a experience to give your taste buds a treat (especially if you burned them with a Hot Pot on Friday!)

Check our home page diary daily for new events so you don't miss out!

Drinks Deals

The Courtyard have introduced "Sunset Sessions" at the poolside, on Friday and Saturday evenings with entertainment from 5.00pm. There is also a happy hour, with buy one, get one free on selected cocktails from 4.00pm to 6.00pm.

The Promenade at Odel, Alexandra Place now has a happy hour. Yes, daily from 5.00pm to 7.00pm there is a buy one, get one free deal on selected spirits.

For Tequila lovers, you can now get a buy one, get one free offer on Tequila cocktails at Level 4 from Sunday to Thursday, from 4.00pm to 7.00pm.

Tunnel Lounge in Mount Lavinia also have a buy one, get one free happy hour, on selected beers. It's available every day, from 5.00pm to 7.00pm.

Live Music and DJs

There is so much on this weekend, it's hard to know where to start.

On Friday, "Ekamath Eka Kaleka" has 14 performers, including BNS and Jaya Sri, at Viharamahadevi Open Air Theatre from 7.00pm. And at the same time, "Ascend" features Romaine, Centrigradz and more at the Royal College Junior Grounds, also at 7.00pm.

Saturday and "The Last of Us" features local metal legends Stigmata with guests Shehara, Eshantha Perera and Encender at Darley Road, from 7.00pm.

Meanwhile, at "Rockclusive" at the Blue Leopard, Grand Oriental you can catch Whirlwind, LOCAL and Ashen Sandaru on stage from 7.30pm.

And "Tropical Jams" has Magic Box Mixup, Jam Lab, Pop Culture, Jukebox & DJ Lunatics at Water's Edge, from 4pm.

Sunday and "Rap Sajje" is a Rap and HipHop festival almost forty, yes 40 performers at Viharamahadevi Open Air Theatre from 4.00pm.

Jazz and the Sundown Jazz Festival is on at Breeze Bar this weekend. Friday features Naomi and the Band, Mintaka and Summertime Blues and on Saturday there's Q and the Band, Summer Set and Bourbon Blues. Times are 4.00pm to 9.00pm both days.

And EDM: on Friday, "Melodic Movement" is back at Kava Bar with seven DJs, from 8.00pm till late. Also on Friday, "Solaris" is back at Disques with five DJs from 8pm.

On Saturday there are two big parties: "Time after Time" features guest DJs Shai T, Kasper Koman and Sister Sweet with seven local DJs at the Marquee, Port City. Doors open 4pm and it will continue till dawn. "Wild Times", the after party is almost as big as the main event with a seven DJ line-up and eight guest DJs at Beach House Bistro, Dehiwala from 7am.

The other big one is "Nevermore" with nine of Colombo's top DJs including two extended sets. This is at the Lotus Tower on Saturday from 6.00pm onward.

For more events next week, check our homepage diary.

Other Events

Open Mic nights are taking off and this Thursday there are two. There is one with House of Grace at Sugar Bistro, starting from 7.00pm. At the same time Malithra will be leading an Open Mic at the Tunnel lounge. On Friday there are again two: with House of Grace at Hotel MaRadha at 7.00pm and another one at Arthur's Pizzas which is One Direction themed, specially for songs by 1D and the members. So, if you want to get up and sing or perform, there's rarely been more opportunity!

Theatre: Stages Theatre Group are back with a new original show: "Ping! Virtually Everything is Fine". Described as a play for teenagers and parents, as hard-hitting and funny, reflective and relevant, it is being staged at the Wendt Theatre on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7.30pm with matinees for students at 3.30pm.

Do you find that art relaxes you? You might enjoy "Revive", an art therapy workshop this Saturday from 4pm to 6pm at the Myrus Colombo Centre.

From relaxation to martial arts and on Saturday "Pink is Stronger than you Think" is an all-women martial arts event by WBC Muaythai Sri Lanka as a fundraiser for the Apeksha breast cancer hospital. It's at Royal MAS Arena from 4.30p to 8.30pm.

This weekend, there's a Beach Festival at Port City with beach and water sports, food and entertainment. It's happening on Saturday from 8.00am till sunset and the evening after party from 7.00pm will feature performances by three popular bands, going on until 2am.

Also on Saturday there's a Tamil Stand-Up Comedy Night with five comedians. It's at HomeTree Co-working, starting at 6.50pm. Yes, 6.50pm.

Finally, if you have read the book "An Island's Eleven", the history of Sri Lankan cricket - or indeed if you are a cricket fan - then you might be interested in a Q&A and book signing with the author, Nicholas Brookes, at Cafe Kumbuk on Wednesday next week (3 May) from 3pm to 6pm.

Events get added daily so check back in a few days, there will be something new!