Best food in Sri Lanka: our top picks

One of the best ways to understand Sri Lanka is through its food. Meals are built around rice, coconut, and a range of spices that vary from region to region. You’ll find light, vegetable-heavy dishes in the highlands and rich, seafood-based curries along the coast. Street stalls serve up quick bites like kottu, while small family-run cafés lay out full rice and curry spreads, sometimes with a dozen different dishes on one plate. Here are the best Sri Lanka foods to try during your trip and where to try them.

1. Egg hoppers

Traditionally eaten at breakfast, the savory, bowl-shaped Sri Lankan take on pancakes is delicious any time. You'll find them everywhere, from street food stalls to restaurant menus. Cooked in a small, high-sided pan, they are made from a batter of fermented rice flour, coconut milk, coconut water, and a sprinkling of sugar. An egg is broken into the dish while it cooks. Typically it’s enjoyed with a spicy sambal.

Where to try: Egg Hoppers at SkinnyTom's Deli (Unawatuna/Galle)

SkinnyTom’s does a great version of egg hoppers—crisp around the edges with a soft center, just how they should be. They come with three sambals, ranging from mild to properly spicy, all made in-house. The place itself is casual and open-air, with wooden tables and a view of the sea. If you sit near the kitchen, you can watch the chefs prepare hoppers right in front of you. This is a great addition to any Sri Lanka itinerary.

2. Vegetable curry

The archetypal Sri Lankan meal consists of a mini-banquet of fragrant seasonal curries, each one bursting with flavor. Some curries feature potatoes, carrots, and pumpkin. Other rarer varieties include meaty-textured young jackfruit, long okra-like drumsticks, and bitter gourd, which resembles lumpy cucumbers. 

No matter how you plan a trip to Sri Lanka, you're likely to have vegtable curry at some point. Always served with rice—white, brown, or red—Sri Lankans prefer to eat it with their fingers.

Where to try:  Upali's by Nawaloka in Colombo

Upali’s is a well-known place in Colombo where you’ll get a proper home-style curry. Their vegetable curries change with what’s in season, usually cooked in thick coconut gravies.

One to look out for is the jackfruit curry—it’s slow-cooked and full of spice. The setting’s relaxed and tidy, and it’s a go-to.

3. Gotu Kola Kanda

Part soup, part herbal porridge, this traditional nutritious green concoction is Sri Lanka’s age-old natural answer to a sugar-filled energy drink. It is made from wild leafy greens—including medicinal herbs gotu kola and hathawariya, part of the asparagus family—and rice. It’s believed to have many health-giving properties, including aiding digestion, reducing cholesterol, and boosting the immune system.

Where to try: Theva Residency, Kandy

Theva’s version of this Sri Lanka food is made fresh each morning with herbs from the surrounding hills. It’s a light, green tonic with a mild, earthy flavor—something you sip slowly. The view from the terrace here adds to it: quiet mountains and cool air. See our guide to the best time to visit Sri Lanka to time your visit to Kandy right.

4. Seeni Sambal

Rice and curry are usually served with a helping of sambol, designed to be mixed into your food to give it a bit of extra kick. Sambols come in various forms, the most common being pol sambol (coconut sambol), an often eye-watering, lethal combination of chili powder, chopped onions, salt, grated coconut, and Maldive fish. Treat it with caution.

You might also come across the slightly less overpowering lunu miris, consisting of chili powder, onions, Maldive fish, and salt; and the more gentle, sweet-and-sour seeni sambol (“sugar sambol”).

Where to try: hopper stalls in Jaffna

Jaffna is one of the best places to visit in Sri Lanka for this dish. You’ll find small hopper stalls serving seeni sambal that’s rich, dark, and just sweet enough to balance the heat. It’s made with caramelized onions, tamarind, and a mix of spices like cinnamon and cardamom. 

These stalls are usually packed, especially in the mornings and evenings, and the sambal is cooked in batches throughout the day so it’s always fresh.

5. Crab

Seafood plays a major role in the country’s diet, and Sri Lanka’s lagoon crabs are justly famous the world over for their succulent sweet meat. Colombo’s Ministry of Crab—which makes a regular appearance on Asia’s best restaurant lists—celebrates this iconic crustacean.

The catch of the day comes in a range of sizes, from half a kilo to the whopping two-kilo Crabzilla, in time-honored recipes, including chili crab, pepper crab, and curry crab.

Where to try: Ministry of Crab, Dutch Hospital, Colombo

Ministry of Crab is in a restored colonial building and focuses on lagoon crab—big ones, sometimes over 4 pounds (2 kilos). They keep it simple so the flavor of the crab stands out.

The pepper crab, made with cracked pepper and butter, is one of their signature dishes. It’s not a formal place, but it feels special, and it’s popular enough that booking ahead is a good idea. If you're staying in Colombo, see our guide to Sri Lanka accommodation.

6. Kottu roti

The go-to Sri Lankan food is a delicious stir-fry made out of leftovers. With a rhythmic clatter, the kottu maker deftly wields two large metal cleavers, finely slicing roti flatbread together with meat or vegetables, garlic, and spices on a large iron skillet. Another favorite roti is the sweet pol roti, made with shaved coconut. Eaten for breakfast, it’s perfect with lunu miras and dhal.

Where to try: Food Cycle in Wellawatta

At Food Cycle, they do this Sri Lanka food with flair—the loud chopping is part of the experience. Their cheese kottu is especially popular, with spiced chicken, veggies, and a stretchy layer of cheese. The place is basic, with plastic chairs and a quick pace, but the food hits the spot.

7. Dhal curry—one of the heartiest Sri Lankan foods

Dhal, or lentil curry, is a traditional Sri Lankan side dish, often eaten two or three times a day. Red lentils are cooked in coconut milk with onions, piquant green chilies, and spices such as cinnamon, cumin, fenugreek, and pandan leaves. Thinner than its Indian counterpart, it is made to be extremely flavorful. It’s extra tasty when made in a traditional clay pot.

Where to try: Nanda Restaurant in Ella

If you’re in Ella, Nanda’s is a good call for dhal curry. It’s a small, family-run place up in the hills, with wide views across the valley. Their dhal is slow-cooked in clay pots, and just before it’s served, they stir in a bit of coconut cream that gives it a rich, smooth finish. It’s especially good with their roti.

8. Lamprais

Unique to Sri Lanka, lamprais is a savory delicacy often served for Sunday lunch. The authentic recipe is labor-intensive. It includes frikkadels (Dutch-style meatballs), a three-meat curry infused with spices such as cinnamon and cardamom, and seeni sambol. It is all mixed with rice boiled in a spicy stock before being wrapped in a banana leaf parcel and slowly oven-baked.

It's one of the more elaborate dishes that make up traditional Sri Lankan food and is definitely worth a try.

Where to try: VOC Café  in Dutch Burgher Union, Colombo

For a traditional take on lamprais, head to VOC Café inside the Dutch Burgher Union in Colombo. This old-school café still uses recipes passed down through the Burgher community, and you can tell it’s been perfected over generations. The rice, meat, sambol, and accompaniments are steamed together inside a banana leaf, which gives the whole parcel a deep, layered flavor

9. Fish Ambul Thiyal (sour fish curry)

There are plenty of fish curries, but ambul thiyal, or sour fish curry, is one of the best. Cubes of firm fish, usually tuna, are cooked in a blend of spices, including turmeric, black pepper, cinnamon, garlic, and curry leaves. The secret ingredient is dried goraka, a tamarind-like superfruit that gives the dish its sour flavor.

Where to try: local seafood shacks of Galle or Mirissa

Along the southern coast—especially around Galle and Mirissa—you’ll find seafood places along Sri Lanka beaches that cook ambul thiyal with whatever came in on the boats that morning. 

It’s usually tuna, cut into chunks and simmered with goraka (a souring agent a bit like tamarind) and plenty of spices. The result is tangy and dry rather than saucy, and it pairs really well with rice and coconut sambol. 

10. Watalappan

Watalappan is a custard-style dessert with roots in Sri Lanka’s Malay Muslim community, going back to the 18th century. This Sri Lanka food is made with coconut milk, kithul jaggery (a local palm sugar with a smoky depth), and warm spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. 

Steaming it instead of baking gives it a soft, almost airy texture, even though it’s quite rich. You’ll see it at most big celebrations, especially during Eid and weddings. Trying watalappan is one of the best things to do in Sri Lanka.

Where to try: The Kitchen Garden in Ella

At The Kitchen Garden in Ella, they do watalappan really well. It’s smooth, not too sweet, and made with locally sourced kithul jaggery. It’s served in clay pots and topped with cashews from nearby farms. The place itself is laid-back and open-air, set up in the hills with wide views of the valley below. They focus on home-style Sri Lankan cooking.
 

11. Pol Sambola (spicy coconut garnish)

Pol sambola is a staple condiment across the country. It’s made from freshly grated coconut, chopped onions, lime juice, crushed chilies, and Maldive fish—sun-dried tuna flakes that add a deep, savory hit. 

Originally developed to help preserve ingredients in the tropical heat, it’s now used to add serious flavor to all kinds of dishes, especially breakfast. It’s often served with rice, hoppers, or even just fresh bread, and it plays a big part in the country’s bold, layered flavor traditions.

Where to try: Galle Fort’s seaside cafés

In Galle Fort, many of the cafés make their pol sambola with just-grated coconut and locally sourced Maldive fish, giving it a really fresh, coastal taste. Eating this Sri Lanka food here—alongside warm bread or hoppers, with ocean air blowing through those old colonial buildings—makes it feel even more rooted in place. You can often watch the fishermen hauling in their catch while you eat.
 

12. Kiribath (milk rice)

Kiribath is one of those dishes you’re likely to see during Sri Lanka’s most important moments—New Year’s, weddings, or even just the start of a new month. It’s made by cooking rice in thick coconut milk until it’s creamy, then pressing it into a flat layer and cutting it into diamond shapes. 

It’s subtle and filling on its own, but it really comes alive with something spicy on the side, like lunu miris sambol.

Where to try: Nuga Gama and Temple breakfast stalls in Kandy

At Nuga Gama in Colombo, you’ll eat kiribath beneath a huge banyan tree, surrounded by buildings designed to look like a village. It feels relaxed but grounded in tradition. 

In Kandy, early mornings near the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, you’ll find stalls selling kiribath wrapped in banana leaves.
 

13. Wood apple juice

Wood apple juice is one of those drinks you’ll mostly come across in Sri Lanka—it’s made from the pulp of the wood apple, a hard-shelled fruit with a custard-like inside that tastes both sweet and a little sour. 

The juice is usually blended with palm sugar and sometimes a squeeze of lime, which gives it a deep, tangy flavor that’s especially welcome in the heat. It’s also tied to Ayurvedic traditions—many drink it for its cooling and digestive properties. You’ll find it all over the island, but it’s especially common along the southern coast.

Where to try: Southern coastal kiosks (Mirissa beach huts)

A great Sri Lanka travel tip is that along Mirissa’s beachfront, there are a bunch of beach huts where you'll find wood apple juice made to order. You’ll usually see a blender, a stack of fruit, and someone who’s clearly been doing this for years. The texture can be thick, almost like a smoothie, and the flavor depends a bit on who’s making it—but the versions in Mirissa tend to be well balanced: not too sweet and not overly sour.
 

14. Sri Lankan love cake

Love cake is a dense, spiced semolina cake that’s deeply tied to Sri Lankan celebrations. It has Portuguese roots, but over time, it’s become something unique to the island. 

The recipe usually includes cashews, preserved pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom, with honey and rose water holding everything together. The result is somewhere between a cake and a chewy sweet, with a warm, slightly floral aroma. This Sri Lanka food is usually made for weddings or holidays, but you can still find it by the slice if you know where to look. It's a great one to try if you are in Sri Lanka with kids.

Where to try: Siam Ceylon or boutique shops in Galle Fort

Siam Ceylon in Galle Fort is known for their take on love cake. They lean into the richness, with extra cashews and sometimes a bit of citrus zest to brighten it up. 

The café is low-key but thoughtfully done, and the tea here pairs well with the dense cake. Explore Sri Lankan tea tradition with our guide to tea tourism in Sri Lanka. Around Galle Fort, you’ll also come across small shops that sell traditional love cake wrapped in wax paper or paper boxes.
 

15. Gotu kola sambol (pennywort salad)

Gotu kola sambol is a chopped salad made with pennywort leaves, grated coconut, red onion, chili, and lime juice. It’s crisp, grassy, slightly spicy, and surprisingly refreshing. 

Gotu kola has been used in Sri Lanka’s traditional medicine for generations—mainly for its supposed memory-boosting and healing properties—and this dish shows up on home tables and in Ayurvedic kitchens alike. You’ll see it more often in inland areas, especially in and around the Cultural Triangle.

Where to try: Ayurvedic healing centers in Anuradhapura

In Anuradhapura, Ayurvedic healing centers usually include gotu kola sambol as part of their daily meals. It’s often served with red rice. The setting tends to be calm and quiet, giving you a chance to actually pay attention to this Sri Lanka food. You'll often spend a week long Sri Lanka itinerary at these centers.

16. Godamba roti

Godamba roti is one of those things you’ll probably end up eating more than once in Sri Lanka. It’s a paper-thin flatbread, stretched by hand until nearly transparent, then folded around savory or sweet fillings. 

The dough gets its stretch from a particular kneading method, and watching someone spin it into shape is part of the experience. You’ll see it filled with everything from curried vegetables to jaggery and banana or chopped up into kottu roti on a hot griddle. 

Though it’s thought to have originated in the highlands, godamba roti is now a staple across the country, especially at night markets and roadside stalls. This is one of the best foods in Sri Lanka.

Where to try: Galle Fort street roti stalls

Inside Galle Fort, vendors set up carts along the old walls and prepare roti by hand, usually in full view. The dough-spinning alone tends to draw a crowd. Everything is made fresh while you wait.

17. Kukul mas curry (chicken curry)

 Kukul mas curry is Sri Lanka’s take on chicken curry, and it is a little different from what you might know from India. The base is coconut milk and roasted curry powder, but what really gives it a local identity are ingredients like pandan leaves and cinnamon bark. 

Some versions lean spicier, especially in the central hills, while coastal recipes tend to be a bit creamier with extra coconut milk. It’s usually part of a bigger spread with rice, sambols, and vegetable dishes. While it shows up at casual eateries, it’s also a go-to for family meals and special occasions, always cooked to personal taste.

Where to try: Metta's Homecooking in Unawatuna

At Metta’s, you get more than just a meal—you’re welcomed like a guest. The curry is slow-cooked in clay pots and served family-style, usually alongside other homemade dishes. It’s a relaxed, beachside setup with recipes passed down through the family.