Kandy is considered the gateway to Sri Lanka’s hill country, and almost everyone stops in the city for a bit before moving on to places like Ella or Nuwara Eliya.
But while most people are only here for a day or two, we were here for over a week!
That meant we could sample the coffee at almost every cafe in the city!
Before we get into it, you should be aware that ‘Cafe’ is used somewhat loosely in Sri Lanka to mean anywhere with food, whether a coffee shop, a bakery, a proper restaurant, or a late-night lounge.
This post focuses on the best coffee/brunch spots in Kandy, where you can get a great espresso drink, smoothie, or juice. We even found a few that are great for getting work done!
Let’s jump into our favorite cafes/coffee shops in Kandy!
Best Cafes in Kandy
We honestly enjoyed almost all of the Kandy restaurants, but the cafes were our favorite part of dining our way through the city. Each of these cafes has delicious local coffee and great service!
1. Cafe Koi
Address: 115 DS Senanayake Veediya, Kandy
Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM (Daily)
Menu
Cafe Koi is our absolute favorite cafe in Kandy. It’s located right in the city center, just two blocks from Queens Hotel, Kandy Lake, and Sacred Tooth Temple.
This cycling-themed coffee house serves the best coffee in town, with a variety of specialty coffee we couldn’t find anywhere else (before DOC opened a location in Kandy).
The baristas were incredibly friendly and hospitable to us, and the chic, minty green interior makes Cafe Koi specifically great for couples to have an afternoon coffee date with dessert.
Yet, the coffee is good enough that it’s our favorite place to stop for a cappuccino before heading out for a day of exploring Kandy!
2. Department of Coffee
Address: 22 Colombo St, Kandy
Opening Hours: 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Daily)
Website
We first visited the Department of Coffee on our 1st day in Sri Lanka. It was at their Colombo coffee shop, and we were blown away at the quality of coffee and the number of options they had available!
Last year, they opened a second location in Kandy, next to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth.
Unlike anywhere else in the city, this coffee shop serves pour-overs any way you like (V60, Kalita Wave (Chemex), Syphon, French Press, Aeropress, or Clever Dripper). They also have a full slate of espresso drinks and alternative milk for people with allergies.
In addition to coffee, they have excellent (albeit expensive) food. Open-faced breakfast sandwiches, burgers, and wraps are available all day, and a more elegant dinner menu features lamb stew, duck confit, and roast chicken!
3. Cafe Buono
Address: 72 DS Senanayake Veediya, Kandy
Opening Hours: 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM (Closed Sunday)
Menu
We spent a lot of time at Cafe Buono. It was open late, which meant we could explore all day and then come here in the evening to get some work done! The ambiance was perfect for that, with lots of cozy seating and outlets for our phones and laptops.
They have all the espresso drinks you’d respect at a cafe, and the prices are affordable, too!
It used to be on the opposite side of Kandy Lake and was difficult to find, but they recently moved to re-open their coffee shop in downtown Colombo, so that’s no longer a hangup!
The only thing to note is that while the baristas are awesome, the service can be a little slow. So, it’s probably not the best place for takeaway coffee.
4. The Garage Kandy
Address: 96 Peradeniya Rd, Kandy
Opening Hours: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Daily)
Instagram
The Garage is one of the most unique cafes we’ve visited anywhere in South Asia. It’s an automotive-themed cafe with drinks and dishes that reflect that.
The decor includes car parts, tires, tool boxes, and license plates, and you can order menu items such as the Hybrid Iced Tea, 92-Octane Shakes, 1000cc Carbonara, Jumpstart Frizz, V6 Cheese Kottu, or 100MPH fries.
It’s really niche, and they also had some of the most affordable coffee and snacks in Kandy. We thought all of it was great and even ended up staying for lunch!
5. Secret Alley Cafe
Address: 10/1/1/1, E L Senanayake Veediya, Kandy
Opening Hours: 7:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Daily)
Instagram
Cafe Secret Alley has a boho, beach vibe similar to that of cafes in Mirissa or Arugam Bay.
It’s on the second floor, down a narrow alley, which we thought would make it difficult to find, but there’s great signage, and the bright yellow exterior made it easy. If you’re confused, walk down the street directly across from Kandy City Center Shopping Mall (KCC) and look to your right!
Inside, there’s a mix of indoor and open-air seating.
While this isn’t the cheapest coffee shop in Kandy (or the best place to work), it’s another great cafe for couples or people looking for breakfast with their coffee. Two smoothie bowls and coffee for both of us cost 3500-4000 rupees ($10-12).
6. Cafe Aroma Inn
Address: 98 Colombo St, Kandy
Opening Hours: 6:00 AM – 11:00 PM (Daily)
Instagram
Cafe Aroma Inn also doubles as a guesthouse with extremely high ratings and some rooms with bathtubs, but another reason it is so well-known is its cafe on the bottom floor.
The cafe is centrally located in the city center, making it a convenient (and air-conditioned) spot to cool off and refuel after walking around Kandy for a few hours.
They serve great coffee and, similar to the Department of Coffee, a wide range of meals all day.
Sandwiches and burgers are the most popular items on the menu, but you can also find classic Sri Lankan dishes, soups, and breakfast options!
7. Cafe Walk KCC
Address: Kandy City Centre, Sri Dalada Veediya, Kandy
Opening Hours: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Daily)
Facebook
This isn’t necessarily the place to go if you want to hang out for a while, but we thought their English breakfast was really good, and it came with free juice/coffee.
Cafe Walk KCC is at the entrance of the KCC shopping mall, so there is a part of it that has the same feeling as when there’s a Starbucks in a grocery store (i.e., not the best ambiance).
Nevertheless, we enjoyed their express, which was an easy pit stop for breakfast!
Travel Tips For Kandy
Chances are that you will be doing more than just getting Coffee in Kandy. There are many things to consider when finding your way around a new city or country.
Here’s a small rundown of other travel tips that will be helpful for planning a few days in Kandy, from getting around the city to finding accommodation and planning what to do!
Transportation in Kandy
Rent a Motorbike: We rented our scooter from Rent A Bike Kandy (WhatsApp = +94 071-909-0945). They were easy to work with and offered scooters for just 1500 ($5)/day!
Rent a Tuk-Tuk: One of the most memorable things we did in Sri Lanka was renting a tuk-tuk from an incredible company called Tuk Tuk Rental. They provide an alternative income opportunity to Sri Lankan families by renting their tuk-tuks to tourists for just $14-20/day.
Click Here to get an Extra 5% Off the total price
(Referral Discount Automatically Applied)
Train To/From Kandy: Whether you’re taking the train from Colombo to Kandy or the iconic blue train to Ella, most travelers in Sri Lanka will eventually need to travel by train, but it’s not as straightforward as you’d expect. Tickets don’t go on sale until 30 days before departure.
The loophole is that you can reserve a ticket with 12go.Asia, and they will buy the tickets for you and ship them to your accommodation the night before! (You’ll receive a full refund if they can’t get them.)
Accomodation in Kandy
We spent over a week in Kandy, and it still felt like we didn’t have quite enough time! Our biggest recommendation is to stay within 10-15 minutes of Kandy Lake. This will guarantee that it’s easy to get around the city.
Here are some of our recommended places to stay in Kandy!
Places to Visit in Kandy
We spent a lot of time sipping coffee in Kandy, but we also had our fair share of fun throughout the day! Kandy is a vibrant city with loads of cool places to visit in the town and its surroundings, including;
Royal Botanical Gardens: This was the place that surprised us the most! We thought it would be like any other botanical garden, but it was so much better! After walking around for 3 hours, we still couldn’t get ourselves to leave!
Buddha’s Tooth: The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is the most famous attraction in Kandy. The temple claims to have the actual tooth of Buddha enclosed in a two-storied, seven-casket chamber. However, the entire complex is worth seeing, even if you don’t go in!
Ambuluwawa Tower: This slightly lesser-known place is just an hour outside of the city. Its spiraling staircase to heaven offers wonderful views of the hill country, and climbing to the top is genuinely heart-poinding.
Final Sip
Koi Cafe and Cafe Buono were the two coffee shops where we spent the most time in Kandy. They both had a great atmosphere for getting work done AND we loved the coffee.
But you can’t really go wrong with any of these cafes in Kandy 🙂
We also tried quite a few restaurants for dinner that left a great impression on us and had us coming back a couple of times throughout our 10 days in Kandy.
Also, don’t limit yourself to the city for places to see! Kandy has a ton of places that you can see on a quick one-day excursion, from safaris to ancient ruins, waterfalls, and whitewater rafting!
