Avartana
Progressive South Indian tasting menus with Sri Lankan touches at ITC Ratnadipa, one of the most acclaimed restaurants in Colombo.
- Luxury
- Restaurant
- Fine dining
- Tasting menu
- South Indian
Capital Bar & Grill
Shangri-La Colombo’s steakhouse, with premium meats and seafood, a show kitchen and an ocean-view terrace.
- Luxury
- Restaurant
- Fine dining
- Steak
- Seafood
The Gallery Café
A stylish restaurant and gallery in Geoffrey Bawa’s former office, known for elegant Sri Lankan and international dishes and famous desserts.
- Upscale
- Restaurant
- Black pork curry
- Prawn curry
- Desserts
Hotel de Pilawoos
Colombo’s legendary late-night kottu spot on Galle Road, famous for its cheese kottu.
- Budget
- Restaurant
- Kottu
- Cheese kottu
- Late night
Galle Face Green Street Food
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
Upali’s by Nawaloka
A popular, good-value Sri Lankan restaurant in Colombo 7 for curries, hoppers, kottu and rice and curry.
- Mid-range
- Restaurant
- Rice and curry
- Hoppers
- Kottu
The London Grill
Colombo’s classic fine-dining room at Cinnamon Grand, known for European cooking, cloche service and a big wine list.
- Luxury
- Restaurant
- Fine dining
- Steak
- Wine
Peshawri
ITC’s famous North-West Frontier restaurant, known for tandoor kebabs and slow-cooked dal, now at ITC Ratnadipa in Colombo.
- Luxury
- Restaurant
- Fine dining
- Kebabs
- Dal
Curry Leaf
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
Raja Bojun
A 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
Nuga Gama
A traditional Sri Lankan village-style restaurant under a banyan tree at Cinnamon Grand, serving a big spread of local dishes.
- Upscale
- Restaurant
- Rice and curry
- Hoppers
- String hoppers
Table One
Shangri-La Colombo’s all-day restaurant, with market-style buffet stations spanning Sri Lankan, Asian and Western food and views over the ocean.
- Upscale
- Restaurant
- Buffet
- Brunch
- Hoppers
The Lagoon
A famous seafood restaurant at Cinnamon Grand where you pick fresh fish, crab and prawns and choose how they are cooked.
- Upscale
- Restaurant
- Seafood
- Crab
- Lobster
Shang Palace
Shangri-La’s signature Chinese restaurant, with Cantonese, Sichuan and regional dishes, dim sum and elegant private rooms.
- Luxury
- Restaurant
- Fine dining
- Dim sum
- Cantonese
Palmyrah
A long-running restaurant at Renuka City Hotel serving Jaffna-style Tamil food, famous for crab curry and milk hoppers.
- Mid-range
- Restaurant
- Crab curry
- Milk hoppers
- Jaffna food
Ministry of Crab
Colombo’s most famous restaurant, celebrating Sri Lankan lagoon crab in a restored colonial building at the Old Dutch Hospital.
- Luxury
- Restaurant
- Crab
- Pepper crab
- Garlic chilli crab
Hotel Nippon
A historic old hotel in Slave Island, known locally for egg hoppers and simple Sri Lankan dishes.
- Budget
- Restaurant
- Egg hoppers
- Street food
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Colombo at a glance
Colombo is Sri Lanka’s commercial capital and biggest city, and the first stop for most visitors arriving at Bandaranaike International Airport in Katunayake, north of the city. It rewards a day or two: colonial streets in Fort, the markets of Pettah, sunset on Galle Face Green and one of the most exciting café and food scenes in South Asia.
Neighbourhoods to know
- Colombo 7 (Cinnamon Gardens): leafy and calm, home to the National Museum, Viharamahadevi Park and many of the city’s best cafés.
- Colombo 3 (Kollupitiya): central, close to the seafront and packed with restaurants.
- Fort and Pettah: historic buildings, the main railway station and busy markets.
Getting around
Tuk-tuks are everywhere. Using a ride-hailing app such as PickMe or Uber gives you a fixed, metered fare and saves haggling.
Good to know
Which area of Colombo is best for cafés?
Colombo 7 (Cinnamon Gardens) and the neighbouring areas have the highest concentration of specialty coffee shops and brunch cafés, many within a short tuk-tuk ride of each other.
How far is Colombo from the airport?
Bandaranaike International Airport is in Katunayake, north of the city. Allow around an hour by car using the expressway, more at peak times.
How do I get around Colombo?
Tuk-tuks are the easiest option. Booking through an app such as PickMe or Uber gives you a metered fare upfront.