Some of the best food in Colombo costs very little. Here is what to eat and where locals go for it.
Kottu: Hotel de Pilawoos
Chopped roti stir-fried on a hot griddle with vegetables, egg and meat. Listen for the clatter of blades. Pilawoos on Galle Road is the late-night legend; order the chicken cheese kottu.
Isso vadai and seafood: Galle Face Green
At sunset, the stalls along Galle Face Green fire up. Try isso vadai, crunchy lentil fritters topped with prawns, devilled cuttlefish and spicy chickpeas, then grab a kottu from a food truck.
Egg hoppers: Slave Island
Bowl-shaped rice-flour pancakes with a soft egg in the middle, eaten with spicy lunu miris. Slave Island’s old eateries, such as Hotel Nippon, are a good place to try them in the evening.
Short eats: any good bakery
Fish buns, rolls, patties and cutlets from a local bakery make a perfect snack or cheap lunch. Perera & Sons and Fab are city favourites.
Pettah
Wander Pettah’s market streets for samosas, fresh juices and achcharu (spicy pickled fruit).
The stalls along Galle Face Green come alive at sunset, serving isso vadai, kottu, devilled seafood and snacks by the ocean.
- Budget
- Restaurant
- Isso vadai
- Kottu
- Devilled cuttlefish
Colombo’s legendary late-night kottu spot on Galle Road, famous for its cheese kottu.
- Budget
- Restaurant
- Kottu
- Cheese kottu
- Late night
A historic old hotel in Slave Island, known locally for egg hoppers and simple Sri Lankan dishes.
- Budget
- Restaurant
- Egg hoppers
- Street food
Street food tips
- Choose busy stalls where food is cooked fresh in front of you.
- Carry small notes.
- Drink bottled water or king coconut rather than tap water.
- “Hotel” in Sri Lanka often means a local restaurant, not a place to stay.
Want something more refined? Read our fine dining in Colombo guide.