Walk Pettah, Sip History: A Tea Lover’s Guide to Colombo’s Most Storied Streets
Tucked between the old Colombo Fort and the bustling Colombo Port lies Pettah, one of Sri Lanka’s most vibrant and energetic districts. For centuries, traders, travellers, and tea men have passed through its narrow lanes. It’s here on Dam Street that PMD has called home since 1969, and where our newly renovated Tasting Room now welcomes visitors.
If you’re spending a morning in Colombo, skip the hotel buffet, lace up your walking shoes, and let Pettah wake you up the way it has done for us for generations.
The name Pettah comes from the Tamil word "pettai," meaning "outside the fort," which makes perfect sense; the Dutch and later the British built their Fort here, and the markets and workers settled just beyond its walls. In Sinhalese, it’s known as Pita Kotte. The streets may look chaotic today, but they follow a plan hundreds of years old.
Start your walk from the clock tower at the edge of Fort and follow the stream of early-morning traders, porters, and tuk-tuks into the heart of Pettah.
Start your walk from the clock tower at the edge of Fort and follow the stream of early-morning traders, porters, and tuk-tuks into the heart of Pettah.
Main Street is the backbone of our neighbourhood. You’ll pass shops selling everything from saffron and cinnamon to second-hand mobile phones, bolts of fabric, and golden bangles. Keep an eye out for the Nartamy’s weaving their way through the crowds, stacked high with goods from every province in the country.
The word Nartamy is from Tamil and refers to someone who shifts goods from lorries or shops.
Take a detour down 2nd Cross Street to visit the Red Mosque (Jami Ul-Alfar), built in 1909. Its striking red-and-white striped façade once acted as a landmark for sailors arriving into port. Even today, it stands as a symbol of Pettah’s diverse, layered identity.
Just a short walk away, hidden among warehouses and spice merchants, sits Wolvendaal Church, built by the Dutch in 1749. Its name comes from a rather poetic mistake — the Dutch mistook Sri Lankan jackals for wolves and dubbed the area “Wolf’s Dale” (Wolvendaal). Inside, the tombstones of Dutch governors and families lie underfoot, offering a quiet, solemn contrast to the market buzz.For a view of a newer Pettah, wander over to the Floating Market on Bastian Mawatha. Opened in 2015, its rows of stalls and water-bound platforms are a modern take on the trading traditions of the area. Here you’ll find handicrafts, clothes, snacks — and the occasional bargain.
No visit to Pettah is complete without a stop at 155 Dam Street, home to the PMD Tea Tasting Room. After your walk through Colombo’s colourful chaos, step into our quiet space — a place where time slows down and the kettle is always on.
Our building dates back to the 1960s, and you can still see the original Avery weighing scale and Milner safe, once used when Dam Street handled PMD’s rice operations.
Today, it’s where we showcase our finest Ceylon teas — from single estate high-growns to rare seasonal flushes.
Try a pot of Planters’ Afternoon, sip a Silver Tip, and hear the story of how tea shaped the city — and our family.
