Experience Colombo aboard “8° on the Lake”

Cinnamon Lakeside will become a key attraction among visitors to Colombo who wish to set sail on the Beira over brunch or dinner aboard “8° on the Lake”.

This first-ever floating restaurant in Colombo is the only purpose-built floating venue here guaranteeing guests with a unique experience of enjoying the city skyline once the boat is anchored in the middle of the lake. The first event hosted was the Valentine’s Day promotion “Candlelight Cruise” following which a host of other special occasions like brunches, evening high tea, sunset cruises, gourmet dinners and even Mother’s Day and Easter Sunday are tipped to be held aboard this new venue.

The hotel has invested Rs.100 million in converting a ‘trimaran’ (a multi-hulled boat), into a floating restaurant manufactured by Neil Marine in line with international standards, Cinnamon Lakeside General Manager Denis Gruhier said on the sidelines of a press conference to promote this facility.

He noted that the boat was constructed in the manufacturer’s yard but was re-built at the lake once it was brought down in parts to Colombo. It is expected to be a regular venue for brunches and would look at hosting gourmet dinners and noted that this restaurant could be used for corporate and other social events on request as well.

Mr. Gruhier observed that initially the boat was sailing every two days since it started out as a result there would not be regular dinners but will be opened on certain dates. The boat is operated with a licence on a lake with a depth of only 4 metres, he said. With the capacity to seat 100 both on the upper and lower decks the minimum allowed onboard would be around 30-40 people, he said.

The boat is equipped with a kitchen and a staff crew of 16 people with a design based on elegance but adopting a casual feel, Mr. Gruhier said.