Ever been to Cioconat Lounge? This great Halal restaurant in Colombo 7 is where you should head over to for pretty amazing and generous Halal dishes, as well as some of the best hot chocolate in town. HalalTrip takes a closer look at what the restaurant has to offer and some of its most popular dishes!
Cioconat Lounge (pronounced sho-ko-nut – you’re welcome!) is a trendy Halal restaurant in Colombo that peppers the Barnes Place area. The name is a combination of the Italian word for chocolate (cioco) and the franchise owner (NatFood). Despite being an Italian franchise, it is a multi-cuisine restaurant with Italian, Asian, International, Arabic, and Continental food offered. Equipped with outdoor seating to smoke shisha, a closed room for a private party, and personal buzzers to summon a waiter, Cioconat Lounge has thought of it all.
There is a vast range of Italian food on offer – pastas, pizzas, bruschettas and more – but they also take their Arabic side seriously, providing the environment with an outdoor shisha lounge and Saudi champagne.
Cioconat’s hot chocolate is a favourite amongst many – with some people dropping by just for that. A bonus is that you can request how thick you want it to be, so that you aren’t left wanting with a drink that is too runny or thick for your liking, and if you have a major sweet tooth when it comes to beverages, be sure to ask for some sugar on the side!
The Mixed Grill Platter is served throughout the day – not just for dinner as is the case with most other grills – and is pretty filling for one person. It comes with thin bread at the bottom that is soft with all the flavours of the grilled meat that covers it, chicken, beef, sausages, falafel skewers, hummus and a garlic dip, french fries, salad and pita bread.
As part of their Italian menu, Cioconat offers a range of pizza. The Mexican pizza has jalapenos, grilled cheese and a base of in-house tomato sauce. There is enough cheese to give it two thumbs up (such a rarity in Sri Lanka!).
Cioconat Lounge continues to strive to improve not just the quality of food and service that they offer, but as a package on the whole. As part of their franchise, they have a small store on the side that sells American candy as well as dates, their display of baked goods tantalises the customer the moment they walk in, and it has been the location for many small home-based stores to showcase their products as Cioconat hosts pop up fairs.
While the prices may seem a bit steep to some, in our opinion, what you pay is worth in terms of what you get. Whether you need a place to hang out with your friends, or to try something new, Cioconat Lounge is the spot to consider!
Click here for more details about Cioconat Lounge
