Whether you’re just visiting Colombo or you live here, the Cinnamon Grand Brunch is a must visit. This lavish Sunday luncheon has long been a tradition with many Colombo families who, after church or a Sunday lie in, drive over to spend their afternoon ensconced in the Taprobane restaurant amidst cascading chocolate fountains, silver platters of oysters and glistening legs of lamb.
Yes, it really is that opulent. The Sunday spread includes pretty much everything you can think of: sushi, cheeses, cold cuts, pastas, waffles, caramelized fruit, sorbets..it goes on. The food is of high quality and there’s more variety than you know what to do with. This is the ultimate brunch.
There are three options. Standard Brunch for Rs. 2664, Beer Brunch or Bubbly Brunch. The Beer and Bubbly includes unlimited beer or champagne, but we wouldn’t recommend the Beer. Beer is filling, and if you’re going to be eating a lot you don’t want to get full and bloated from too much brew. The champagne, however, is a good option – but significantly more expensive. And you can end up getting rather tipsy without even realising it. Still, there’s something quite lovely about drifting back and forth from a colourful, sumptuous buffet wrapped in that fuzzy champagne haze.
The food, the setting, the sparkly libation – all of this makes for a delicious Sunday afternoon. Envision this: the soft pop of a champagne bottle, the tinkling of glasses, little pearls of caviar heaped on a plate, and shiny mussel shells… It’s a sensuous way to spend the Sabbath.
And despite there being such a large spread tempting you to eat absolutely everything you see (and despite us being quite gluttonous), we didn’t feel ill and uncomfortable afterwards. Which is how we felt post-meal at Cantaloupe Aqua. That being said, you should eat wisely to get the most out of your food. Get to brunch at noon, and make your way slowly through each section. You have til three, so pace yourself, chat and drink between courses. It’s tempting to pile everything on your plate at once, but go slow if you want to sample all without burning out too soon. This is a wonderful brunch, but it does require some careful strategy.
