Our Visit to Milk & Honey
Hidden behind a modest gate on Horton Place is Milk & Honey, a café that feels like an absolute sanctuary for parents navigating the busy streets of Colombo.
Designed specifically with families in mind, it is one part boutique children’s bookstore and one part lush, shaded garden café. If your kids are experiencing “temple fatigue” or are just exhausted from sightseeing, this is where you come to decompress.
The MILK Bookstore
Before you even reach the café seating, you walk through the MILK lifestyle shop and children’s bookstore — and this alone is worth the visit. It’s stocked with:
- Curated storytelling and picture books for all ages
- Educational toys, puzzles, and sensory items
- Art supplies and creative kits
- Beautifully designed baby gifts and keepsakes
It’s almost impossible to leave without buying a new book for the flight home. The curation is excellent — this isn’t a generic toy shop. Every item feels thoughtfully chosen. There’s also a second MILK store location at One Galle Face Mall if you’re that side of town.
What Kids Love Most
- The Bookstore: Obviously! Kids gravitate towards the book displays and sensory toys, and the staff are lovely about letting children browse and explore.
- Space to Move: The outdoor seating is situated in a beautiful walled garden courtyard. Tall trees provide natural shade, and there’s enough space for toddlers to safely wiggle out of their chairs and explore a bit of nature without being near a busy street.
- The Food: Fresh, wholesome, and delightfully free of heavy grease. They serve wraps, sandwiches, salads, rice bowls, and noodles alongside freshly baked brownies, carrot cakes, and pastries. They happily provide toddler-sized portions if you ask — genuinely rare in Colombo.
The Menu
The food and drinks at Milk & Honey deserve special mention. This is not your standard café fare:
- Fresh juices and smoothies — real fruit, no added sugar
- Wraps and sandwiches — light, flavourful, and perfect for small appetites
- Rice bowls and noodles — satisfying but healthy
- Cakes and pastries — the brownies and carrot cake are legendary
- Excellent iced coffee — you’ll need this after a morning at the park
The menu is well-suited for vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free diets — a genuine rarity in family-friendly venues in Colombo.
Parent Tips
This is an excellent spot to feed the kids a healthy lunch after spending the morning at the nearby Viharamahadevi Park (just a 5-minute tuk-tuk ride away). Pair it with a visit to Independence Square for a stroller walk, and you’ve got a perfect Colombo 7 half-day with kids.
The WiFi is reliable, the iced coffee is fantastic, and they truly understand the chaos of dining with toddlers.
Our Verdict
4.7 out of 5 — Milk & Honey is a genuine treasure in Colombo’s family-friendly scene. The combination of a world-class children’s bookstore, a beautiful garden setting, healthy food, and a totally judgement-free atmosphere for parents makes it one of our most-recommended spots. If you visit one café with kids in Colombo, make it this one.
Best for: A calm, healthy lunch with kids after exploring Colombo 7. Perfect for bookworm families and parents who value wholesome food in a beautiful setting.
📍 Getting There & Contact
- Address: 44A Horton Place, Colombo 00700, Sri Lanka
- Phone: +94 11 268 3968
- Website: shopmilkstore.com
- Hours: Daily 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Google Maps: View on Google Maps
