The Love Bar at Flamingo House

Openly discriminatory and humiliating experience. This establishment seems to have no issue welcoming tourist money — especially when it comes from white customers — but behaves very differently toward others. I was refused entry despite wearing appropriate, elegant clothing. The real reason was obvious: I am Black. Meanwhile, my partner, who is white, had been accepted just moments before without any issue. When I called her to tell her I had been refused, she immediately came back downstairs. Only then did the staff suddenly change their attitude and say that I was “finally accepted” — not because I met any criteria, but solely because I was accompanied by a white person. After such humiliation, accepting entry was simply impossible. We chose to leave immediately. No place is worth sacrificing one’s dignity. Being tolerated only by association, rather than accepted as an individual, is a clear and unacceptable form of discrimination. I strongly advise anyone who values dignity, equality, and basic human respect to avoid this place.

Amazing atmosphere. I had drinks and did not try any food items. Clean and organized. Goodish music because it was not consistent. DJ seemed experimenting with is 😅

Pretty empty before 1am. Music is ok. Staff is really friendly!

Love Bar sits upstairs at Flamingo House on Horton Place and manages to be both kitschy-cool and unmistakably upscale. Step through the neon-lit entrance and you’re greeted by plush velvet sofas, flamingo-pink walls, and retro murals that reference the legendary love story behind the restaurant below. It’s all very Instagram-ready, but the décor doesn’t feel gimmicky; it sets the tone for a night that’s equal parts playful and polished. Drinks are the headline act. The menu is full of house “love potions” built around local ingredients—think lemongrass-infused gin or passion-fruit arrack—alongside classics like espresso martinis. Signature cocktails (try the Kalinga Ginlet) are balanced and theatrical, though prices hover at the higher end for Colombo. Shared fish-bowl–style concoctions look fun but can underwhelm on potency, so choose wisely if value matters. Music drives the vibe after 9 p.m. The in-house DJs lean into Afrobeats, R&B, hip-hop, and the occasional tech-house set, keeping the compact dance floor lively without feeling chaotic. Saturday tends to fill early; on a big event night you’ll queue downstairs unless you’ve reserved. Crowd is fashion-forward but friendly—think thirty-somethings mixing with expats and creatives—so smart-casual attire fits right in. Service is courteous if sometimes stretched when the place is packed. Bartenders are happy to riff on the menu or recommend off-list spirits, and security keeps the atmosphere safe. Space is limited, especially in the indoor bar section, so grab an outdoor table if you need breathing room. Bottom line: Love Bar is ideal for date night cocktails or a pre-club warm-up—come for the standout interiors and well-made drinks, stay for the music and people-watching. Just budget for premium pricing and book ahead on weekends to avoid the line.

氛围和鸡尾酒不错，装修有格调。但存在严重种族歧视问题，多名黑人顾客被无理拒入，而白人同伴却可通行。音乐重复播放，空间狭小。若重视平等与尊严，请谨慎前往。

I was at Love Bar on Friday with a few friends, and we were having a really good time. Around 3:45 a.m., while the crowd was still strong and the vibe was great, the lights were suddenly turned on. After a few minutes, the lights were turned off again, and we stayed until around 4:30 a.m. Normally on Fridays, the lights are not turned on until 4:30 a.m., so this felt unusual and slightly disrupted the atmosphere. Overall, the night was enjoyable, but turning the lights on early affected the vibe when the crowd was still very much active.

Llegué y no había nadie , talvez por que era jueves en la noche . La decoración muy linda y el personal súper amable

Discriminatory and deeply insulting experience. My companion was denied entry under the excuse that his clothes were “too short,” which was clearly not credible. He was wearing a lace tank top designed by a professional designer — elegant, tasteful, and perfectly appropriate for a bar setting. The real issue was obvious: my companion is a Black man with dreadlocks. There was no posted dress code, no capacity issue, and no objective reason to refuse him entry. Using clothing as a pretext felt dishonest and degrading. When I came downstairs myself, the staff suddenly said it was “okay” for him to enter. That abrupt change only confirmed our feeling that the initial refusal was unjustified. Rather than correcting the situation, it made it even more insulting — as if the problem disappeared only once I intervened. We chose to leave immediately. We found the entire experience disrespectful, humiliating, and incompatible with the values a modern, supposedly inclusive venue should uphold. We will not be returning and cannot recommend this establishment to anyone who values fairness, respect, and integrity.

The place was almost empty when I went maybe because of the season but there is not much nightlife in Ella for sure. Only thing is to go running or meditate in the green environment. I guess there are a lot of yoga classes and SPA as well

such a funny place. we called in advance to book the best table for ourselves, decent people, came to the club and the security didn’t wanna let our driver and business partner in because they were wearing slippers — because they position themselves as VIP club, alright, but the look they gave to us was so humiliating, they were talking to my local friends who were in slippers like they’re nobody. we came down to find a solution, i was with my man who owns over 15 night clubs in india, however the manner they gave to us was the same 😂 like it is a very special place and the vibe was like we don’t deserve to be here. once I mentioned out loud about who we are the security instantly changed the tone and let us in. we came inside, got ourselves a table in VIP, and made a big check with drinks and stuff. I was happy with the music for sometime, but after the DJ just started playing them on repeat, several songs could even play 3 times 😭🤦🏼‍♀️ As I read from the reviews now, it happens there all the time. whatever. the crowd, the space? The interior is not luxury or VIP, I am sorry. it’s giving 2016 plain core. it’s not enough space to move freely in VIP. Basically, the whole space is TINY. and the crowd mostly wearing business suits for some reasons, I think that’s how they also expected us to appear, but let me tell you guys, people who got real money just wear whatever they want and don’t care 🙏🏼They just come to have fun and relax, and they don’t have to prove anything to get a good treatment. the whole situation was a shame for me, because we came together as business partners, including my foreign bf and other family members, they just came straight from the airport to have a good welcoming chill in sri lanka , and this place was recommended to me by one of my friends, so I thought it’s a decent one. But trust me this place is a fake luxury, they trying to show off, but they ain’t it. Firstly—fix your manners and speak gracefully if you’re targeting upper class audience, thank me later. Or do you expect me to come in an office suit as well for a good seem, but we won’t spend a coin in your place? Overall, I really got bored in there, I felt like the music was also not loud enough and you really have to stop put songs on a loop. it feels like you’re losing your mind when you hear the same tune for the 3rd time within couple of hours. Thanks, will never come back

Unfortunately not able to go in - I was led to look at the rules of entry - which specifies ‘members or couples only’. However they fail to specify this anywhere on their Instagram or website. Very inconvenient as a foreigner solo travelling SL. Do better.

The Typical club. Always good vibes when I go there. Drinks are alright. Again the main issue with every club , the annoying maintenance of Male to Female Ratio. I mean the best thing they can do is charge an entrance fee for both sexes without making it an annoying experience to gain entrance when you are of the male gender. Anyways all the times I've sneaked in , it has been a good experience , :P Cheers .

Witnessed a discriminatory situation. I was visiting Sri Lanka with friends and personally witnessed one of them being denied entry for no valid reason. He is a Black man with dreadlocks and was wearing an appropriate, designer outfit. The excuse given was that his clothes were “too short,” which was clearly not true. What was shocking is that his partner, who is white, had been allowed in just moments before. When she came back downstairs, the staff suddenly changed their mind and said he was now allowed to enter — only because she was present. After such humiliation, we all chose to leave immediately. No place deserves your money if it cannot offer basic respect and equal treatment.

We visited Love Bar last Saturday, booked a VIP table, and purchased a bottle. The service and music were absolutely top-notch, and we truly appreciated the effort from the staff in that regard. Unfortunately, our night was completely ruined due to the overwhelming number of underage kids inside the club — it honestly felt more like a preschool than an adult nightlife venue. These kids started a fight, during which our bottle and glasses ended up on the floor. One of my friends was injured as a result. What made it worse was that the bouncers took no immediate action. We were shocked to hear the kids openly claim they were “friends with the owners,” and the bouncers seemed afraid to intervene. It took them an hour and a half to address the situation. If Love Bar wants to maintain its reputation, stricter age checks and better crowd control are urgently needed. Please stop letting underage kids into the club — it ruins the experience for genuine customers and creates serious safety concerns.

That one place you can enjoy to the max in the heart of colombo. Parking space is provided. DJ was not a grand one. Outside smoking area is there. A place where you can live in the moment and collect lot of memories.

This is such a lovely amazing place. Once of the best drinking venu in town.

The driest atmosphere ever. Like a previous review has mentioned the people in this club seem high and really dull. No one is there to genuinely enjoy some music and dance and have fun. Everyone there is on some weird ego trip session to show off to their date or their friends and everything boils down to the place having such an off energy to it. Would not recommend.

Super place to hangout ..with great music on Friday n Saturday It get crowded and packed dancefloor by midnight .. but till cool place to be.

It’s everything you’d expect from a night life experience.. great music, sound, ambience, good bar, great drinks, except the service! The service dilutes the experience quite a lot. We went on a busy Saturday night (but the crowd comes in only post 11:30pm) and the staff claimed that cards won’t work and we’d have to pay in cash. It happened second time around as well. This is a way for them to not bill the order and all the staff present that day seem to be party to this idea. So as we had limited local currency we had to leave after 2 rounds of drinks. But of course the atmosphere is electric. The place is small unlike the insta pics btw.

Not a fan of the interior, it feels dodgy. Space is limited. But saving grace, dj did a decent job. Crowd was not misbehaving, kept to their own cliques more or less. Drinks were nothing special, I think they can make it a lot more interesting.