So as you already probably know I spent two months in Sri Lanka before moving to Australia. I was on a mission to explore the country I was born in and see new places I hadn’t visited on childhood family holidays. Halfway into our trip we planned to travel to the gorgeous beaches of south but terrible flooding halted us. We had no choice but to stay put in Colombo for a few weeks. At first, I hated the idea – I had no idea what there was to do. Just as I was starting to miss home I came across the In on the Green.
The In on the Green was like a home away from home. The only real pub I found in Sri Lanka – dark and cosy, full of friendly locals.
Drinks
I am hands down all about the spirits as I’ve never enjoyed the bitter taste of beer. The cocktail menu made me very happy as there are lots of options to choose from. I tried a few and loved the English Garden made with rum, lime, cucumber and mint. They even have a build your own cocktail option which I never tried but looked like great fun.
Oscar and our friend Matt went for the Lion Stout – an incredibly strong stout of which two pints would be plenty for the night. Lion is a Sri Lankan brand and I’m told it’s really good. It’s always the cheapest drink available so if you’re a fan of beer or stout definitely give it a go.
Price: Cocktails are around 950 rupees and above (£5/$8 AUD) and beers are £3/$5 AUD and above. Drink prices don’t include the taxes that are added to the bill.
Food
If you’re like me it’s imperative that food either precedes or follows drinking. Either way, as long as there is food I’m happy!
The food at the In on the Green really channels typical pub food. It was the first time in Sri Lanka I got my hands on fish and chips and it did not disappoint! What really got me drooling was the Devilled Cuttlefish which I highly recommend. It’s a really common Sri Lankan thing to eat certain spicy dishes whilst drinking. I have fond memories of family parties when I was a kid and my mum would always make her devilled fish, chickpeas, fried mutton and boiled eggs to serve with drinks.
Music by Cold Sweat
There is live music on both Friday and Saturday nights at the In on the Green. We tried both nights out but it was Cold Sweat on a Friday night that really blew us away. They’re an incredibly talented trio and you can tell that a lot of the locals ritually see them every week.
If you check out the In on the Green let me know in the comments or to tag me using #thebellephant on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. I’d love to see videos of the music!
