The 20 best restaurants in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka's spicy, coconut-rich cuisine, alongside fish and seafood, plays a starring role, crafted from a huge array of home-grown produce such as cinnamon, cardamom and clove, nutritious gotukola (Indian pennywort) and moringa, jackfruit and banana flower, and a rainbow of fresh fruits. This is all woven into traditional menus or novel dishes fusing Western and Eastern flavours.
Capital city Colombo has the widest variety of restaurants, particularly smarter establishments, though there are plenty of places to eat along the south and west coasts. Inland, the dining scene is more restricted to roadside cafes and hotel restaurants.
All our recommendations below have been hand-selected and tested by our resident destination expert to help you discover the best beaches in Bali. Find out more below, or for more Sri Lanka inspiration, see our guides to the best hotels, bars, things to do and beaches.
Best all-rounders
Best for families
Best for cheap eats
Best for fine dining
Best for walk-ins
Best for atmosphere
Best all-rounders
The Gallery Cafe
Housed in the atmosphere-laden former offices of the late architect Geoffrey Bawa, this brick-floored restaurant spills tables onto a courtyard while rotating exhibitions of contemporary art (all for sale) adorn the walls. Start with a fierce tamarind chilli martini before tucking into a smoky black pork curry with leafy gotukola sambol. The puddings and on-display cakes celebrate chocolate and fruit and include a legendary passion fruit meringue pie.
Monsoon
This converted former tea warehouse, with high ceilings and industrial-style decor, is a stylish setting for South Asian food, particularly classic street food dishes. The waiters will help you pick items off the all-day menu, such as cloud-soft bao buns (go for the honey and sriracha chicken) or steaming bowls of beef broth with chilli and lime. It's in the heart of Colombo's vibrant Park Street Mews – an intimate cobblestoned precinct of restaurants and bars.
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