Opening hours
…| Mon | 9am – 9pm |
|---|---|
| Tue | 9am – 9pm |
| Wed | 9am – 9pm |
| Thu | 9am – 9pm |
| Fri | 9am – 10pm |
| Sat | 9am – 10pm |
| Sun | 10am – 8pm |
…
Borrow a book.
Borrow a book.
Order a coffee.
Stay a while.
A reading room and cafe on the third floor of 479 Galle Road, Wellawatte. Get a library card, take books home, and come back for more.
Everything you need, one floor up
Walk up three flights from the Galle Road traffic and you're in a quiet room full of books, with a coffee cart in the corner.
Tables piled high. Browse as long as you like.
2–∞
books a month with a library card
Compare cardsFind us
3rd floor, 479 Galle Road
Wellawatte, Colombo 06
Order and pay at the book counter.
Quiet hour
Every weekday 3–4pm, phones down and pages up.
Pick your library card
Borrow up to your monthly limit and swap as often as you like. Return books to the box by the counter.
Sprout
2
books a month
- Keep each book 2 weeks
- Reserve 1 title ahead
Rs 1,500 a month
Fern
5
books a month
- Keep each book 3 weeks
- 10% off drinks and cake
- Reserve 3 titles ahead
Rs 3,000 a month
Old Oak
∞
books, 3 at a time
- A free coffee every week
- 15% off books you buy
- First pick of new arrivals
Rs 5,500 a month
A refundable Rs 2,000 book deposit is held while your card is active.
On the shelves this month
New and second-hand. Tap a cover to see if it's for sale, for borrowing, or both.
From the coffee cart
A short menu, made properly. Order at the book counter.
- EspressoRs 550
- CappuccinoRs 850
- Café latteRs 900
- Iced coffeeRs 950
- Spanish latte house faveRs 1,100
- Ceylon black tea, potRs 600
- Masala chaiRs 750
- Iced miloRs 700
- Hot chocolateRs 900
- Fresh lime sodaRs 600
- Biscoff cheesecakeRs 1,200
- Chocolate fudge cakeRs 1,000
- Butter cake sliceRs 550
- Watalappan weekendsRs 700
- BrownieRs 600
- Butter croissantRs 650
- Chicken & cheese toastieRs 1,300
- Egg mayo sandwichRs 950
- Fish buns, twoRs 400
Clubs & evenings
Free for members, Rs 500 with a drink for everyone else.
drag →
Sundays, 4pm
Sunday Book Club
One book a month, one long chat, lots of tea.
Weekdays, 3pm
Silent Reading Hour
Bring a book, find a chair, say nothing for an hour.
First Friday, 7pm
Poetry & Plain Tea
Open mic for poems in English, Sinhala and Tamil.
Last Saturday, 11am
Book Swap Morning
Bring two books, leave with two different ones.
Wednesdays, 6pm
Translated Fiction Circle
Stories from everywhere, read in English.
Come up and stay a while
The Book Cafe, 3rd floor479 Galle Road, Wellawatte
Colombo 06, Sri Lanka