The capital city of Sri Lanka, Colombo,
is definitely a paradise for tourists. The exotic city has so much to
offer. From beautiful tourist attractions to plenty of shopping options,
there’s so much to see and do. The unlimited fine dining and street
food options make it a haven for all kinds of foodies.
The sad part is that most people visiting the island often give Colombo
a miss because they find it boring. Every itinerary includes driving
straight to the beautiful beaches in the Southern Province from the
airport.
If at all tourists should do something in Colombo is, explore the Sri Lankan food. Sri Lanka
boasts of a fascinating culinary heritage. The cuisine is an
amalgamation of local produce with spices and recipes brought to the
island over centuries by Arabs, Indians, Dutch, English, and Portuguese.
Food in Sri Lanka is really great and nutritious and makes for a complete meal.
On your next visit to the island, don’t
go in for the usual Thai, Italian, and run-of-the-mill options, instead
visit restaurants that serve authentic Sri Lankan cuisine. The flavour
and texture of their cuisine is something you won’t find anywhere in the
world.
To make things easier for you, we’ve narrowed down on some of the best restaurants in Colombo that serve authentic Sri Lankan food.
Kaema Sutra
Address: Shangri-La Hotel 1, Colombo 00200, Sri Lanka
Kaema Sutra is the brainchild of Bollywood celebrity, Jacqueline Fernandez and Dharshan Munidasa, one of Sri Lanka’s best-known celebrity chefs.
It is a new-age restaurant that takes
Sri Lankan cuisine to a whole new level. It is more on the expensive
side, but an exciting fine-dining option in Colombo. The restaurant is
located in a renowned hospitality chain, Shangri-La group of hotels.
From Sri Lankan tapas to traditional rice and curry, they have it all.
Of course, you may find similar food
options at a much cheaper price, but if you truly want to experience the
beauty of Sri Lankan hospitality in a tranquil and refined setting,
Kaema Sutra should be on your list.
Our favourites include – Euro Hopper,
boneless chicken curry and ambul thiyal. For dessert, order their sweet
hopper, which is a sweet pancake filled with strawberries and cream.
Curry Leaf
Address: Sir Chittampalam Gardiner Mawatha, 2 Lotus Rd, Colombo 00100, Sri Lanka
Curry Leaf is another upmarket
restaurant serving authentic Sri Lankan food in Colombo. They do an
amazing spread of fresh seafood and local cuisine. It is a buffet
restaurant that is open only in the evenings.
The restaurant is a hot-spot for
tourists and locals, alike. Think kottu, hoppers, rice, pittu, string
hoppers, curries, and sambols.
The buffet is priced at $16 per person. Though it is quite expensive, it is one of the best buffets in the city.
Ministry of Crab
Address: Old Dutch Hospital Complex, 04 Hospital St, Colombo 00100, Sri Lanka
Ministry of Crab is another sensational restaurant in Colombo. It is a venture of ace cricketers, Kumar Sangakkara, and Mahela Jayewardene.
The restaurant is housed in the historic
Dutch hospital building. As the name suggests, the restaurant serves
the best crab in the country. The colossal crab weighs 1.2 kg and can
suffice for at least five people. They have medium-sized crabs available
too. It’s fleshy, succulent and highly juicy.
If you plan to visit this stellar seafood restaurant, make a reservation ahead of time.
Besides the king-sized crabs, we would
recommend you try the butter crab, clay pot prawn curry, pol sambol,
garlic, and leek fried rice, kangkun garlic, and egg.
They serve great cocktails too.
Visiting Ministry of Crab is definitely
one of the best experiences when in Colombo. Though it’s extremely
expensive, it’s worth it.
Upali’s by Nawaloka
Address: 65 Dr. C.W.W Kannangara Mawatha, Colombo 00700, Sri Lanka
If a satisfying and authentic Sri Lankan
dining experience is on your list, head to Upali’s then. If you ask any
local where to find the best Sri Lankan food in Colombo, nine out of ten will name Upali’s.
They have a strict Sri Lankan menu.
Their extensive spread can satisfy the taste buds of a spice lover.
You’ll find sambols, rotis, curries, rice, and a dedicated vegetarian
menu as well.
The place is not as expensive as Kaema
Sutra, but not as cheap as street food options either. If a good sit
down dinner with a satisfying meal is on your mind, they have you more
than sorted.
We would recommend their black mutton
curry, cuttlefish curry, sambol, and lentil curry and pol sambol. They
also have a set lunch menu that comprises of three vegetables, papadams,
dry fish, sambol and curried gravy. The lunch thali costs $2.25.
For drinks, they have some basic thirst quenchers.
The restaurant is located in the heart of the city and is family-friendly.
Dutch Burgher Union
Address: 114 Reid Ave, Colombo 00500, Sri Lanka
Set in a colonial-era club, Dutch Burger Union is one of the most chilled out and best restaurants in Colombo.
Though the name has Burgher in it, the food served is nothing close to
the fast-food favourite, burger. Burghers are instead a small Eurasian
ethnic group in Sri Lanka.
Their authentic Sri Lankan spread
features meaty curries and rice wrapped in banana leaves. Their yellow
rice is a favourite with tourists.
A signature dish at DBU is lamprais, a
dish which comprises of rice with vegetable and, meat wrapped in a
banana leaf and cooked. This dish alone costs $3.
Though many locals claim that the standard has gone down, it is still popular with tourists visiting from Europe.
In drinks, their iced-coffee and mango juice is just right to take you through the sweltering heat.
If you want a decent Sri Lankan spread in a laid-back setting, this should be on your list.
(under the courtesy of srilankatourisminfo.com web)
