28 of the best · Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka
From lagoon crab in the Old Dutch Hospital to rice and curry and high tea by the ocean, these are the places to eat in Colombo and around the island.
Our 28 favourites, listed A–Z · Updated October 2026
Three of our favourites from this list, vetted by people who know and love Sri Lanka.
Lagoon crab, the Colombo icon
The famous crab restaurant in the Old Dutch Hospital, founded by chef Dharshan Munidasa with cricketers Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara.
Old Dutch Hospital, Hospital Street, Colombo 1Explore View on map
In Geoffrey Bawa’s former office
Paradise Road’s restaurant in the former office of architect Geoffrey Bawa, with a courtyard pool and a gallery.
Alfred House Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
Sri Lankan classics, all day
A busy restaurant for Sri Lankan rice and curry, hoppers, kottu and lamprais.
C.W.W. Kannangara Mawatha 65, Colombo 7Explore View on map
The Sri Lankan table.
The back story
The dishes you will eat every day in Sri Lanka, from the clatter of kottu to the crisp bowl of an egg hopper.
The back story
From rice with a dozen curries to egg hoppers, kottu, lamprais and the crabs of the Negombo lagoon.
The famous tables.
Lagoon crab, the Colombo icon
The famous crab restaurant in the Old Dutch Hospital, founded by chef Dharshan Munidasa with cricketers Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara.
Old Dutch Hospital, Hospital Street, Colombo 1Explore View on map
In Geoffrey Bawa’s former office
Paradise Road’s restaurant in the former office of architect Geoffrey Bawa, with a courtyard pool and a gallery.
Alfred House Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
Special nights.
Dharshan Munidasa’s first restaurant
The Japanese restaurant with which chef Dharshan Munidasa began, cooking with Sri Lankan seafood.
Paradise Road
The courtyard dining room of the Paradise Road boutique hotel in a grand old house on Rosmead Place.
65 Rosmead Place, Colombo 7Explore View on map
The classics.
Village feast in the city
A recreated Sri Lankan village in the gardens of the Cinnamon Grand, serving traditional dishes under a great nuga (banyan) tree.
Cinnamon Grand, 77 Galle Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
Northern flavours
The Renuka City Hotel’s restaurant, long known in Colombo for the cooking of Jaffna in the north.
328 Galle Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
Sri Lankan classics, all day
A busy restaurant for Sri Lankan rice and curry, hoppers, kottu and lamprais.
C.W.W. Kannangara Mawatha 65, Colombo 7Explore View on map
From the ocean and the lagoons.
All about prawns
A Colombo restaurant group devoted to the Sri Lankan prawn (isso), with its flagship on Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha.
53 Ananda Coomaraswamy Mawatha, Colombo 3Explore View on map
Pick your fish, choose the cooking
Cinnamon Grand’s seafood restaurant, where you choose fish and shellfish from the display and how to have it cooked.
Cinnamon Grand, 77 Galle Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
Buffets and high tea.
An all-day dining hall
Shangri-La Colombo’s all-day restaurant, with open kitchens and international buffets.
Shangri-La Colombo, 1 Galle Face, Colombo 2Explore View on map
Tea facing the Indian Ocean
The Galle Face Hotel’s verandah restaurant, known for high tea and buffets looking out to the sea.
Galle Face Hotel, 2 Galle Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
From across the region.
Street-food flavours
A restaurant on Park Street serving Southeast Asian dishes.
Park Street 50/2, Colombo 2Explore View on map
Dim sum and Peking duck
The Chinese restaurant of the Shangri-La Colombo, for Cantonese, Szechuan and Dongbei cooking and dim sum.
Shangri-La Colombo, 1 Galle Face, Colombo 2Explore View on map
Sushi with a view
The Japanese restaurant at The Kingsbury, with city views, more than 50 kinds of sushi and sashimi and a teppanyaki room.
The Kingsbury, 48 Janadhipathi Mawatha, Colombo 1Explore View on map
Brunch and lunch.
Biryani house
A busy local restaurant in Wellawatte for biryani, Sri Lankan, Indian and Chinese dishes, with branches in Beruwala and Galle.
17 Charlemont Road, Colombo 6Explore View on map
Warehouse street
A row of restored old warehouses on Park Street, turned into a cobbled lane of restaurants and bars.
Park Street, Colombo 2Explore View on map
Named after the country code
A café-restaurant on Fonseka Road in Colombo 5, named after Sri Lanka’s +94 dialling code.
Fonseka Road 35, Colombo 5Explore View on map
Vegetarian favourite
A busy vegetarian restaurant for dosai, idli and thalis, popular with Colombo families.
53 Ramakrishna Road, Colombo 6Explore View on map
Since 1996
A cricket-themed restaurant and bar, open since 1996 and full of memorabilia, popular with expats and match-day crowds.
Flower Terrace, Colombo 3Explore View on map
Ceylon tea, properly.
A tea menu in the Fort
Dilmah’s tea lounge on Chatham Street, with a long list of Ceylon teas, tea cocktails and snacks.
Chatham Street 62/2, Colombo 1Explore View on map
Coffee and cake.
In the Barefoot courtyard
The courtyard café behind the Barefoot shop, with a gallery and the bookshop alongside.
Barefoot, Galle Road, Colombo 3Explore View on map
Coffee and cake in Colombo 7
A café and guesthouse on Wijerama Mawatha in Cinnamon Gardens, known for coffee and baking.
Wijerama Mawatha 11, Colombo 7Explore View on map
Garden café
A café in a leafy house off Independence Avenue, with fresh breakfasts, lunches and good coffee.
3/1 Thambiah Avenue, Colombo 7Explore View on map
Freshly roasted
A coffee house on Gregory’s Road, Colombo 7, roasting its coffee fresh, with a sister café in England.
2B Gregory’s Road (R. G. Senanayake Mawatha), Colombo 7Explore View on map
Beyond Colombo.
Views over the ramparts
A colourful Sri Lankan restaurant in Galle’s Old Dutch Hospital, with views across the ramparts to the sea.
Old Dutch Hospital, Galle FortExplore View on map
Beyond Colombo.
A Negombo favourite
A long-running restaurant on Negombo’s beach road, with an international and Sri Lankan menu.
Porutota Road, NegomboExplore View on map
Price guide per person, without drinks: $ budget, $$ moderate, $$$ upmarket, $$$$ top end. Many restaurants add a 10% service charge; check the bill before tipping.
