The Heritage Café & Bistro Inside The Galle Fort Proudly Mirrors Rich Sri Lankan History And Culture

In order to truly discover Sri Lanka, one needs to look beyond the country’s capital of Colombo. A good place to start is down south, specifically in the seaside town of Galle that for 400 years was shaped by rich history with heavy contributions coming from the Portuguese, the Dutch and the English.

Inside the walled city, which according to The Jewish Chronicle carries some form resemblance to the Old City of Jerusalem, the old things naturally blended with the trappings of modern life. Antique shops that complement the existence of judiciously preserved colonial-era structures, and among the chief reasons the fortified Galle is an acknowledged UNESCO World Heritage site, co-exist with boutique hotels and hip restaurants.

Of the latter, The Heritage Café & Bistro stands out as an easy pick for old-time and new visitors alike. If one intends to dig deeper on why the Galle Fort has become an irresistible pull for tourists exploring Sri Lanka, The Heritage readily provides some of the snapshots – the precise reasons the restaurant is more than a place to dine.

The Heritage Offerings

The Heritage, owned and operated by Dale and Sabrina Rennie, serves handmade bread, pastries, pasta, pizza and fresh salad that CNTraveller.com recommended the place as nice breakfast stop before embarking on a walking tour around the Galle Fort. However, The Heritage functions not only to satisfy one’s hunger but also to tickle the senses.

To be clear, the restaurant has on its regular menu the diverse cuisines from Asia, the Middle East and Europe but guests and visitors also come to marvel at the “edgy artworks” that give the place its distinctive flavour. Sabrina, Dale’s wife, and along with talented local artists generously provided art pieces that essentially became The Heritage signature crowd draws.

For instance, the latter’s photo and welded works proved conversation pieces for many who frequent The Heritage. In addition, Prageeth Manohansa’s Elephant Tuk Tuk, an opus beautifully crafted using solid brass material, is among the restaurant’s most talked about artworks.

Considering all these, there is no denying The Heritage proudly bears a badge that honours the colourful history of Sri Lanka, at least in the southern part of the island nation, and celebrates its rich culture that is an assortment of a fascinating past and the great things to come.