In the same premises which the Independence Memorial Hall is situated, sits another iconic building named "The Arcade - Independence Square". This is an elegant building with pure white walls and minimalism. This building houses a high-end shopping complex that will meet most of your shopping needs. It contains iconic statues, decorations and monuments as well.
In this complex you will find stores that sells most of the leading clothing product brands such as Charles & Keith, Tommy Hilfiger, French Connection (FCUK), Giordano, Nike, Levi's, Dockers and most of the international watch brands such as Titan. And you'll find yourselves passing shops such as V’Designs, Azarya, Stone 'N' String - Fashion Jewelry, Hira - Gems and Jewelry, Linen
& I, Kiito, Emcee - The toy store and we can also find gadget and appliance stores such as Samsung, Abans - Authorized Apple Re-seller and Abans - LG. If you're a tourist, I highly recommend that you visit the Glamorous Sri Lanka store, it trades Sri Lankan Tea products, Gem & Jewelry, Handicrafts, Garments ,greeting cards and Food items at a reasonable price.
If we move to dining I'd say some places might be a little bit costly but it's definitely worth it! You'll find international chains such as Burger King. You will also find yourselves in front of a Japanese Restaurant named "Tsukiji Uoichi" which is the best Japanese Restaurant that I've been into personally. I'll be reviewing that soon in the dine section.
The other dining places which are located at the Arcade Independence Square are, Dilmah t-Lounge, Dilmah t-Boutique, Mlesna which offers a luxurious range of Sri Lankan tea to its customers. You will also find restaurants such as Elephant House which is an Ice Cream vendor, Paan Paan, Krishna, Kaema Sutra, Sen-Saal, Toby's Estate, Asylum and Lemongrass. Oh and you can get bubble tea here for a really low price too!
If we are to talk about entertainment, this complex houses a cinema - Empire Cineplex which shows all the latest releases from all around the globe. There also stores such as JBL and harmon/kardon to fulfill your other entertainment needs as well.
If I am to talk about my personal experiences here, I should be honest and say that this place is a bit confusing to find our way around even with all the direction sign boards. Other than that, I highly recommend this complex to anyone who's willing to spend their time in Colombo. Oh and I should also say that this place might be a little bit crowded on weekends. But who cares right, you have more than one option under each category!
