Restaurants in Colombo
If you want to really tickle your taste buds then you will have many restaurants in Colombo which serves some excellent food. The restaurant is blessed with some beautiful ambience and has a mesmerizing collection of fresh fish, sea food and lobsters amongst others.
As Sri Lanka’s major income is earned by the fishing industry so don’t miss the opportunity to taste crabs from the Ministry of Crabs or if you are looking for something truly spicy then it is best to visit the Yaal restaurant where you can choose the spicy cuisine called Jaffna which has the most exotic combination of vegetables and sea food.
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Here are some of the best restaurants in Colombo that you should visit:
7 Degrees North - Cinnamon Lakeside
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7 Degrees North is a high-profile bar in which Colombo’s who’s who can be spotted quite frequently. The interior decorations are quite swanky and fashion personified. It is considered to be one of the most stylish bars in Colombo. This place gets extremely crowded during weekends. Personalised service is available for guests coming to the bar as most of the people who come here are celebrities in their own fields.
Highlights: This bar presents a panoramic view of the Beira Lake and presents a divine view of the illuminated Gangaramaya temple during the evening hours.
Location: Five star hotel of Cinnamon Lakeside.
Price for two: The prices are indeed steep because of its location; approximately LKR3500.
Speciality dishes: Potato Wedges, Lamb Kababs, Pork Tapas, mushrooms (sauté), Lion & Bloody Mary are must-try food and drinks here.
Timings: 5PM to 12AM
Cafe Japan
If you are a fan of authentic Japanese food, you should head right away to Café Japan in Colombo city. The customer service here is top notch. The place is not very popular; however, of late, it has been getting lot of attention through its food.
Highlights: The restaurant’s highlight is that it cooks exclusively as per its guest’s preferences. All you need to do is to call for an appointment and specify how you want your food to be.
Location: Bambalapitiya, at a short distance from the famous Galle Road.
Price for two: Comes up to approximately LKR3500<LKR5000.
Speciality dishes: Katsudon, which is a dish made from rice topped with any non-veg choice. How can you not taste Sushi in Café Japan? This place serves great Sushi.
Timings: The restaurant is open from 11 to 2 in the mornings and from 5.30 to 9 in the evenings, on all days of the week except Tuesdays.
Eat Italy
Eat Italy is probably one of the best Italian restaurants in the entire island nation of Sri Lanka. The customer service at this place is simply awesome. However, the same cannot be said about the interiors and the ambience. It is a small joint which is done with basic lighting and additional features.
Highlights: This is currently managed by an Italian lady who takes care to greet her guests personally.
Location: Mount Lavinia.
Price for two: Approximately LKR3000.
Speciality dishes: Do not miss the rice cutlet dish known as Arancini while you come here. It is stuffed with vegetables and meat and done just the way it is prepared in Italy. Also, try out their lasagnas and desserts as they are super tasty and affordable.
Timings: This small and lesser-known joint is open from 9AM to 9PM on all days of the week.
The Lobby Lounge - Taj Samudra
True to all Taj Group of Hotels, Lobby Lounge has some of the world’s best interiors and great varieties in food. High-quality customer service has always been the hallmark of Lobby Lounge and they follow it till date. The calm ambience and the relaxing food leave nothing but positive memories in you, about this place.
Highlights: When it comes to the 10 best places in Colombo to have the authentic English high tea, The Lobby Lounge Café at Taj Samudra would definitely feature in it.
Location: Taj Samudra.
Price for two: Approximately LKR1500, which is surprisingly cheap. The choice of alcoholic drinks available at the lounge’s bar is pretty impressive. Their buffets are highly popular and so are their dessert options.
Speciality dishes: After the main course, do not miss to taste their Italian Tiramisu –a sweet which melts in your mouth literally!
Timings: The place is open 24/7, all through the year.
Playtrix Sports Bar and Cafe
This is one of the unique sports bar/ restaurants in Colombo and it was established during 2015. Visitors to this bar cannot stop gushing about the customer service and ambience here.
Highlights: True to its name, the place hosts some exciting sporting events all through the year – with the beer pong and pub quiz being the most famous of them all. The ambience of the café is absolutely colourful and is definitely a far-cry from the sober cafes that are found in some other places in the city.
Location: Cinnamon Gardens.
Price for two: Approximately LKR2000 to LKR 3000.
Speciality dishes: Cocktails definitely dominate food options at this place.
Special offers: Every day, you can get exciting offers from 5 to 8 in the evenings, where you get one cocktail free when you buy 2. Their burgers and beer are one of the best in Colombo.
Timings: The place is open from 11AM to 11PM.
Cafe Shaze
Café Shaze in Colombo is a nice joint specialising in all kinds of non-vegetarian cuisine.
Highlights: One of the best joints for Western cuisine in Colombo. The customer service is excellent with indoor and outdoor dining options available.
Location: Located in the busy area of Thimbirigasyaya, Café Shaze is quite spacious.
Price for two: Around LKR3500.
Speciality dishes: The place is known for its great variety of drinks as well. Grilled fish which is served in a roast pan here, is a must try at this place. Also, do not miss out pastas cooked with seafood of your choice, beef dishes, milkshakes and fruit juices. All the dishes have good quality and quantity of meat cooked very softly, just the way it has to be.
Timings: The place is open from 10 in the morning to 12 in the night.
Mistsi's Delicacies
If there is one restaurant that serves high-quality vegetarian and non-vegetarian fare in local and European cuisine in Colombo, it has to be Mitsi’s Delicacies. The restaurant exudes a very homely ambience.
Highlights: Though it is quite small in size, this joint has lovely customer service and makes people want to come back again and again. This is probably the only place in Colombo city, where, you get to taste Balkan cuisine.
Location: Bagatalle Road.
Price for two: The cost for two comes up to approximately LKR2000.
Speciality dishes: Some of the must-try dishes are the mix grill platter, lamb kebabs, Chocolate cakes and macaroons. The sweet macaroons available here are believed to be one of the best in Sri Lanka. It is a relatively less-visited joint; however the food and dessert items here are simply awesome.
Timings: Open from 9AM to 11PM all through the week.
Ministry of Crab
A venture started by Mahela Jayawardane, Kumara Sangakara and Dharshan Munidase, Ministry of Crabs is an ideal restaurant to experience the delicacies at its best.
Highlights: Serving authentic Sri Lankan seafood with a touch of distinctiveness, it is an excellent restaurant creating options for visitors to fall in love with Sri Lankan food. Dedicated to the presentation of sweet and succulent crabs, The Ministry of Crab is an ideal place to dine. Serving fresh food with a wonderful delight has enabled this restaurant to gain recognition. With a variety of crabs sizes served on a platter, one can take their pick as per need. Not just crabs; it also serves meat and fish dishes made with equal attentiveness to that of crabs.
Location: Positioned at the Old Dutch Hospital, The Ministry of Crab is one of the most sought after dining options for the visitors.
Price: The crab dishes start from 3600 per kg to 23200 per kg, depending on the size of the crab served. Indeed, the Prawn dishes are a bit cheaper that starts from 1600 to 3800. Apart from this, other dishes are served on an average of 800 to 2500.
Flamingo House
Flamingo House represents just one word – “strange”. Food, ambience and the overall customer service is reasonable here. It is quite an unique food joint that serves Asian and European cuisine styles.
Highlights: There are murals of flamingos all over the restaurant, which justify the reason behind the place getting its name.
Location: Horton Place, Colombo.
Price for two: Approximately LKR3000, which is slightly on the higher side.
Speciality dishes: The choice of cocktails was quite impressive and they were priced reasonably. Some of the reasonable dishes are the chicken sandwich, lamb chops and dim sum. The place is quite fine for group dinners, but not recommended for couples, due to the exorbitant prices.
Timings: The restaurant is open from 11in the morning to 11 in the night.
The Lagoon
The Lagoon is one of the best places in Colombo when it comes to seafood, though it is a tad costly. The ambience of the restaurant with its excellent yet simple interiors makes guests feel cosy. With the host of sea food joints available in Colombo, it is indeed tough to make a mark; however, The Lagoon has been doing a wonderful job so far.
Highlights: With close to 150 varieties of seafood being cooked in this restaurant, guests are surely spoilt for choice here.
Location: The restaurant is located within the five star hotel of Cinnamon Grand.
Price for two: Approximately LKR6000.
Speciality dishes: Singapore chilli crab meat dish is a must-try at the Lagoon. Feel the crab meat balls cooked in chilly- sauce melt in your mouth.
Timings: This place is open from 12 to 2.30 in the afternoons and from 7PM to 12.00AM.
The Mango Tree
Food that goes beyond a delectable experience, Mango Tree is a wonderful restaurant in Colombo that serves North Indian, Sri Lankan and Mongolian cuisine.
Highlights: Well, the tourists flocking to Colombo for a wonderful travelling experience should not leave back without tasting the range of delicacies delivered within the budget. Certainly, one can find rich heritage of North Indian food served with much authenticity. Apart from this, one can also indulge in savoring on choice of drinks at the Bar counter. A dining experience at Mango Tree can surely be a right decision. It is the specialized preparation that adds a distinctive touch to the cuisine served here.
Location: Located opposite Pittala Handiya, Mango Tree has been operational since 9 years and serves best of food in Colombo.
Price: The average price of the delicacies range between 225 and 450; while the drinks fall within the price of 90 to 195.
The Sizzle
A restaurant that aims to serve food on the cast iron platter positioned on the wooden base, The Sizzles is one of the most visited restaurants.
Highlights: Developed as an innovative kind of dining place, the restaurant serves Halal recipes offered in an artistic manner. Scrumptious blends, suffused in herbs and eastern flavors, the visitors or even locales can experience a sense of union in taste with an enticing aroma. What adds excellence to the dining experience in The Sizzles is the choice of seafood, meat delicacies and the delightful veggies.
Location: Positioned on the Walukarama Road, The Sizzlers is quite an excellent restaurant to visit. It offers quality food within budget friendly rates.
Price: With mocktails ranging between 300 and 100, people enjoying drinks can surely have a ball. Indeed, the tea starts with 110 and the category of shakes ends at 450. Here, starters start from 400 and ends at 900 on an average. And of course, the main meals start from 1000 and rests at 1900.
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More Restaurants in Colombo
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Monsoon - located at the end of Park Street Mews, this stylish restaurant offers a range of dishes from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. (Park Street Mews, Col 1, 0112 302 449)
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The Gallery Café - previously the studio of the architect, Geoffrey Bawa, this is one of the trendiest spots in town. Great atmosphere and great food (Alfred House Gardens, Col 3, 0112 582 162)
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Rare at Residence - a twist on modern international cuisine with infusion of Sri Lankan flavours, each dish is an experience in itself (20 Park Street, Col 2, 0115 673 000)
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Nihonbashi – fantastic Japanese restaurant which has sealed its spot on the Top 50 Restaurants in Asia list (No. 11 Galle Face Terrace, Col 3, 0112 323 847)
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Upalis – a wide range of traditional dishes are on offer, and diners can enjoy beautiful views of Vihara Maha Devi Park and the iconic Town Hall (65 CWW Kannangara Mawatha, Col 7, 0112 695 812)
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Nuga Gama - a traditional village setting in the middle of the city. This is a good place to have Sri Lankan rice and curry although it is outside, therefore it is better to dine here in the evening (Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Col 3, 0112 582 162)
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Kaema Sutra - contemporary Sri Lankan cuisine in the heart of Colombo (4th floor, Shangri-La Hotel, Col 1, 0117 888 288)
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Shanmuga’s - specialises in vegetarian Indian dishes (53/3 Ramakrishna Road, Col 6, 0112 361 384)
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The Bavarian Restaurant & Bar – hearty, meaty and delicious German dishes at reasonable prices (Galle Face Court, Col 3, 0112 421 577)
Cafés in Colombo
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Barefoot Café – an atmospheric lunch spot serving salads, sandwiches and quiches. There is also a good specials board with other dishes. Go on Sunday afternoon to see their live jazz (706 Galle Road, Col 3, 0112 300 133)
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Seed Café - all day breakfast and light lunch dishes with great vegan options (60 Horton Place, Col 7, 0776 209 087)
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Kumbuk Café - healthy salads, fresh juices and interesting sandwiches with a local twist (Independence Avenue, Col 7, 0112 685 310)
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Park Street Mews - a laid-back café atmosphere in the daytime. Good for lunch (50/1 Park Street, Col 3, 0112 300 133)
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Black Cat Café – generous portions, great vegan options and proper coffee in an artsy setting (11 Wijerama Mawatha, Col 7, 0112 675 111)
Bars in Colombo
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The Veranda – Galle Face Hotel’s sea-facing veranda is the best spot for a predinner sundowner. Those who enjoy a pub atmosphere will enjoy nearby In… on the Green where you can watch sport whilst listening to great live music (2 Galle Road, Col 3, 0112 541 010)
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Botanik Rooftop Bistro & Bar - Botanik serves contemporary bistro style food with slow cooked meats, fresh seafood and handmade bread and pasta and is a trendy spot for a pre- / post-dinner drink (7 Hospital St, Col 1, 0766 445 888)
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Ward 7 – Jetwing Seven’s rooftop bar offers fantastic sunset views of the city and an intimate, calm atmosphere (57 Ward Place, Col 7, 0112 550 200)
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Cheers Pub – a great place to enjoy simple English pub grub and watch some live sport (Cinnamon Grand, 77 Galle Road, Col 3, 0112 437 437)
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