Must-see restaurants in Sri Lanka

By far Negombo’s most creative eating experience, with dishes that are a hybrid of Western and Eastern flavours. Martin, the British owner, is a rare…

One of the most progressive, enjoyable restaurants in the country, Bedspace Kitchen has it all right. Around 95% of their ingredients are sourced in Sri…

A product of Sri Lanka's best tea producer, Dilmah, this gem of a cafe is in an annexe to the hugely successful Old Dutch Hospital. The interior…

For authentic Galle-style rice and curry, this minuscule place (there are only four tables) can't be beat. Chef Shamil Roshan Careem hails from one of the…

Dinner at the Hill Club is an event in itself. The menu focuses on traditional English dishes such as roast beef with all the trimmings and rich puddings …

Crabs are a major income earner for Sri Lanka’s fishing industry, but most are exported. This high-profile restaurant rectifies this loss by celebrating…

This government-run stand exists to preserve local traditional foods, but for travellers it's an excellent chance to do some culinary exploration. Try a…

Run by an engaging local team, this huge, stylish roadside cafe-bar-restaurant goes from strength to strength. Its latest addition is an upper deck…

A classy retreat from Galle's steamy streets, this refined air-conditioned hotel restaurant is the perfect setting for a great meal, with the formality of…

With its airy, upper-storey pavilion and dripping eaves, this haveli (town house)-style building has a charming setting, but it's the food that really…

With an open kitchen, lots of space and outdoor seating, Mangos is an atmospheric place to dine and is wildly popular with extended Tamil families and…

Half-buried under palm trees and flowering plants, this is a sweet little garden-terrace restaurant on a quiet (at least compared to the main road) side…

Right across the small canal from the namesake station, this fashionable upstairs cafe has artfully mismatched furnishings and a boho vibe. You'll find an…

With candlelit tables right on the sandy beach, this seafood pub is a hidden treat. In the heat of the day you can retreat under the grove of palm trees;…

The nightly buffet dinner (Rs 1100) at this hotel, served at 7.30pm sharp in the starlit rooftop restaurant, is a tasty short cut to falling in love with…

One of the best food vendors on Galle Face Green, Nana's is a legend for its excellent grilled meats and rice dishes. Choose a battered plastic stool and…

This classy hotel restaurant features a menu that changes daily and lots of fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Staff are professional and welcoming. Many…

The sign says 'Relax Zone' and this is a fine place to sit back and enjoy the company of cafe owner Fazal Badurdeen, who has a million stories to tell. He…

A neo-rustic log cabin that looks suspiciously like a backwoods hipster hang-out but is actually just a simple, very cheap roadside joint run by a jovial,…

No, it’s not a hotel, but this bustling eatery offers Kandy’s best samosas, authentically spiced curries and heaving plates of frisbee-sized, but gossamer…