King of the Mambo

King of the Mambo is the Galle Face Hotel's party venue and one of the liveliest places for a night out in central Colombo. The hotel describes it as Colombo's favourite beachfront hangout, and its tagline sums up the idea: drink, dine and dance to the beat of the Mambo. The look and mood are inspired by Havana, while the food is Mediterranean with a Cuban twist.

The evening usually starts with the sunset. The venue sits on the beachfront with views over the Indian Ocean, and it works as a day-to-night lounge, so arriving at opening time lets you watch the sun go down with a drink before the music picks up. The Galle Face Hotel's black-and-white Chequerboard by the sea, where guests gather to watch the sunset, is close by. Later on, live entertainment runs every night and the Mambo dance floor fills up.

The drinks list is built around signature cocktails, with separate cocktail and mocktail, bar and wine menus. To eat, there are tapas and a lunch menu that ranges from cold plates to hot dishes, which makes it easy to graze through the evening rather than sitting down to a formal dinner. Outside drinks are not allowed, the bar does not offer takeaway or delivery, and the hotel notes that alcohol is served at its restaurants from 10am.

King of the Mambo opens daily from 5pm, closing at midnight from Sunday to Thursday and at 2am on Friday and Saturday. The dress code is casual. The venue holds around 150 people and also has a private dining room for up to 14 and a karaoke room for up to 15, both useful for birthdays and group nights. Book through the venue's own phone line, especially for groups or weekend evenings.

The Galle Face Hotel itself, founded in 1864, is worth exploring before you settle in: the Verandah, Travellers' Bar and In...On The Green pub are all on site. Galle Face Green is right outside for a walk by the sea, and Shangri-La Colombo and ITC Ratnadipa, close neighbours on the Galle Face seafront, have more bars if you want to move on.