A leafy courtyard café at the Barefoot store, with relaxed brunches, Sunday jazz and a bookshop and gallery next door.
- Mid-range
- Café
- Brunch
- Garden seating
- Live music
Why we marked it
- Isso vadai (prawn fritters)
- Kottu from food trucks like Nana’s
- Devilled cuttlefish and seafood
- Sunset by the ocean
Known for
Galle Face Green is Colombo’s seafront promenade, and as the sun goes down the stalls along its southern end light up. Families, couples and kite flyers come for the breeze, the sunset and the snacks.
What to order
Isso vadai, crunchy lentil fritters topped with whole prawns, is the classic. Kottu from food trucks such as Nana’s, devilled cuttlefish, spicy chickpeas and fresh fruit with chilli salt are all worth trying.
Good to know
- Go around sunset, when it is liveliest.
- Bring small notes; everything is cheap.
- Pick busy stalls where food is cooked fresh.
Where it is
Galle Face Green, Colombo 3, Sri Lanka
More spots in Colombo
All of ColomboA big Sri Lankan buffet restaurant in Colombo 3, with dozens of curries, seafood and traditional dishes at a fixed price.
- Mid-range
- Restaurant
- Buffet
- Rice and curry
- Seafood
Hilton Colombo’s Sri Lankan restaurant, with a dinner buffet of string hoppers, pittu, kottu and fresh seafood in a garden setting.
- Upscale
- Restaurant
- Buffet
- Hoppers
- Kottu