Located at: Horton Place, Chatham Street, One Galle Face Mall, The Shoppes at City of Dreams – Colombo, Sri Lanka

Availability: Christmas season 2025

‘Tis that time of the year again, which means that t-Lounge by Dilmah puts their ‘Seasoned Greetings’ menu out for us to indulge in. This year’s launch took place at their chic new outlet at The Shoppes at City of Dreams, and involved a stunning grazing table that captivated guests as they walked in. It was a beautifully arranged spread of sweet and savoury goodies, interspersed with sprigs of assorted flowers of red and magenta, and candles that glistened through the evening. If there was need for any further confirmation that Christmas had indeed arrived at t-Lounge, a couple of tastefully decorated gingerbread houses, and finger platters in the shape of gingerbread men sealed the deal.

As if the grazing table wasn’t enchanting enough, t-Lounge took it a notch up by welcoming guests with a personalised drink, curated just for the launch event. A Dilmah Rose, Marzipan & Mint Tea-infused base was topped with a layer of froth, onto which was dust-printed each guest’s name. Definitely the most memorable part of the evening!

In terms of savouries, the grazing table and pass-around mini options gave a fair bit of insight into what patrons can expect at all t-Lounge outlets this season. It’s always a delight to see the chicken/beef Wellingtons make their way back onto the menu every season – testament to their steadfast popularity.

Apart from this, my favourites included the Mushroom Pastry, Fried Rice with Teriyaki Chicken, and Feta Roll with a jammy sauce. The Hot Cross Bun with Marmite Chicken (Custard Cream was another option) was pretty good, too, as was the Brioche Bun with Curry Prawn. Also available among the savouries were Cheese ‘n’ Leeks Bread, Crispy Rice with Avocado and Tuna, Honey-roasted Beef on Sourdough, and Pulled Mutton Bao Buns.

Christmas in Sri Lanka wouldn’t be Christmas without Christmas cake, and t-Lounge by Dilmah’s Christmas Cake Balls were at hand to tick this box off. The Date Cake was as festive as festive gets with its snowflake attire, and the Christmas Cake Crème Brûlée – literally a combination of the two elements – had also made its way back to this year’s seasonal menu.

The ganache on the Black Forest-inspired Chocolate Cake was delectable, and the Lychee Sorbet was utterly refreshing. The Napoleon Cake and Jelly Curd Cake were quite attractive, too. However, it was the Love Cake Baked Alaska that scored top points from me, from the desserts. It had a beautiful, almost kulfi-like, love cake ice cream on a soft sponge, enrobed in a smooth, flamed meringue casing. Flavour and textures on point.

Also back in town for the season was t-Lounge’s signature Mulled Wine, prepared in-house, and the delightful snowman marshmallows that accompany their Earl Grey Hot Chocolate – always a fantastic choice in chilly/rainy weather.

Clearly, a lot of thought had been put into curating this Christmas menu. The attention to detail from the food, to the beverages, the décor, and everything in between was commendable. As you can see in some of the images, even the name boards for each item on the grazing table had a whimsical little tale to go with them. All-in-all, it was a wonderful event hosted by t-Lounge by Dilmah to launch their Christmas menu for 2025.