Sri Lanka Travel Guide: Tips for Food and Drink
There it is Sri Lanka Travel Guide over what we love the most: food and drinks! Perhaps this is part of the Travel Guide even better. After all: a day without eating well is a day wasted. Whether you are on the other side of the world or in our little country. Voila, the Sri Lanka Travel Guide: Food & Drink.
Just a quick note: there are quite a few (food) routes possible through Sri Lanka, but whatever you choose, keep in mind that there are two climates on the island. For the west and the south, the best travel period is December to April. If you are unable to do so, it is best to travel north and south from April to September. Good to take into account, but on the other hand… Sri Lanka is always possible.
Flying to Sri Lanka means landing on... Columbo. Colombo is not a very popular destination, so many people choose to travel straight on. Are you in Colombo for a day? Then do this: The Barefoot Garden Cafe. It is everything you want it to be: an oasis of calm in the noisy city. That, and luxury, good food, good wines and you can shop there. It can't be done. Definitely order the carrot cake and stick around for a whole afternoon.
And if The Barefoot Garden Café is closed in the evening, you just go there The Gallery Café where you can (and want to) spend the entire evening. The furnishings are superstylish but the special thing about this restaurant are the lovely people who work there: those people who will really do anything to ensure that you have a good time.
Kandy is perfect as a transit city to Sigiriya, Polonnaruwa and Dambulla and in addition to the Kandy - Ella journey itself, there are still plenty of other reasons to travel to the city. Here's what to eat and drink:
Walk after one tour through the gardens of Kandy straight to Slightly Chilled. The Slightly Chilled Lounge Bar and Restaurant is in principle nothing special - a fairly bare space and a large number of picnic tables on the terrace - but what makes the place highly recommended is the view over Kandy and the relaxed realm. Perfect for a cold beer while the sun sets.
A great option in Kandy is Secret Alley! As the name suggests, the small café is hidden in a narrow alley on one of the busy streets in the center of the city. Go into the alley, up the stairs and you end up in a colorful and mini café where the tastiest shakes (okay, sometimes they are of the not-healthy kind, but tasty, think of a brownie shake… Nom) and fruit bowls serve with granola. A wonderfully quiet spot if you are tired of the busy traffic in Kandy (which can happen sometimes, but hey, then you appreciate the 'peace and quiet' in our own capital all the more).
Need tips for a good route through Sri Lanka? We also have it and you can read it here!
Helga's Folly is the height of hysteria. A kind of haunted house or fairytale house (depending on how you see it, in our eyes: haunted house) with chandeliers everywhere, color and Lots of Dust. Pieces of cloth. Helga's Folly is an attraction, in fact, and it is better to see the place as such, rather than going for a bite to eat. You have been warned.
You might not say it, but the town Galle is the capital of the Southern Province of Sri Lanka (we would call it a village). In 1663 (note, a quick history lesson) the Dutch came to Sri Lanka and during Dutch rule in the 17th and 18th centuries they built a fort. This fortress is still standing and was even able to protect the city during the tsunami. Proofs even more that this is a city to be admired.
Looking for a DJ? Galle is a must visit. Whatever you do, be sure to enjoy an evening of luxurious dining Fort Printers. This restaurant is part of the hotel of the same name and not only does it look beautiful, the food is also to die for. Freshly made curries, fish and the tastiest wines. Perfect for a romantic dinner! Or actually just perfect, for any dinner.
Rasta Rant: Just sit comfortably under a hut (more of a shelter) with a fish from the BBQ. Don't do anything about it anymore. Rasta Rant.
Ahinsa Restaurant: Or eat in a tree house in Sigiriya. A tree house! Because that is, quite simply, cool. Naturally. Apart from that, the curry is included Ahinsa something to write home about and just like Rasta Rant, Ahimsa is also such local that the restaurant does not use the internet.
The mountain village She is, in addition to being very beautiful, also a top place to be a cultural barbarian for just a moment: after a while the curry you might be disappointed for a while (but for a short while, because wow, it's so delicious). If so, then Ella is the answer. You will find many tents where you can relax.
cafe chill: Not to be missed when in Ella (also not to be missed) is the Chill bar (or Café Chill, is also allowed). When you walk from the station into the main street, you will automatically bump into it. Plus: the beautiful roof of the Chill bar proudly stands out above all the cafes and guesthouses. It is therefore also the hangout and gathering place for all backpackers, because the food is good and the WiFi is fast. Be sure to try their delicious cocktails, such as the passionfruit mojito!
Starbeans Café: If you want to avoid the Chill bar, just for a change, there is a nice breakfast spot two doors away: Star beans is the name. And no, not Starbucks, that has nothing to do with it. At Starbeans they have very good coffee, tasty pancakes and a delicious fresh card with fruit.
Ak Ristoro: Because sometimes you just deserve a really good, extensive meal, between all the nice quick bites. A wonderful restaurant that does exactly that, and where you can eat both a good curry and a tasty pasta, is AK Ristoro, just outside Ella and the busy main road. Please note: the interior of the restaurant is not necessarily special or attractive, but the food makes up for it.
Nuwara Eliya is THE stop if you want to walk in the nature reserve Horton Plains wherever World's End to find. World's End? That is a gigantic abyss with a very beautiful view. The reason to travel to Nuwara Eliya.
The Hill Club: In the past – early on – Sri Lanka was in the hands of the English and this is clearly reflected in Nuwara Eliya. How so? Well, like this: step inside The Hill Club and The Grand Hotel, two seriously English-looking establishments. The Hill Club goes back to the well-known colonial times and it is spic and span chic: jacket-tie, long dress. Don't forget to make a reservation. This is mainly about 'experiencing'. You don't fall over the flavors on your plate, but hey, that's okay. Good to know.
The Grand Hotel: What is typical English? Correct: one afternoon tea. In again just like The Hill Club it is at The Grand Hotel very chic.
Before the great tsunami of 2004, the beach existed of Marissa not (category silver lining, a strange one, but still) and now it is one of the most popular destinations in Sri Lanka. There's a lot of surfing going on and where there's surfing, it's there relaxed. The party is also for non-surfers thanks to the numerous tents lunch or a cocktail.
Salt Mirissa restaurant & Bar: You imagine yourself at Salt in real life boho atmosphere and we like that. Right on the beach. With mouth-watering food. Bacon to our mouths!
Are the curries disgusting you? It may seem unthinkable now, but it can happen. Then it is Little Tuna cafe a real Must! Although… Actually, Little Tuna is always one black when you are around. The sushi cafe is hidden in one of the quiet back streets of Marissa – an oasis where you feel like you are in a small village in the interior of Sri Lanka. There is a lovely garden decorated with lights and seats and a restaurant where you eat on the ground at low tables. Tupac and Bob Marley are blasting from the speakers and the boys in the kitchen are turning out the tastiest fresh sushi rolls. Everything is freshly made and you can taste it. A real winner!
Negombo is an unmissable beach town on the west coast of Sri Lanka north of the capital Colombo. Fun fact: on the water are the remains of a 17th-century Dutch fort that now houses a prison. You want to see the fishermen's houses along Negombo Lagoon and the Hamilton Canal also has Dutch 'ancestors'. As far as today's nationalism...
More importantly: where do we sit at the table? You will find it super chill in a quiet area between the center and the tourist strip of Negombo Ice Bear Cafe. A quiet garden with swing and hammocks and a gate to the beach. The owners are Swiss, so you can not only eat curries here, but also enjoy Swiss cheeses and rösti. Lovely place to hang out for an afternoon.
Normally we prefer to sail blindly on TripAdvisor... Call us stubborn or stubborn, that's all fine, but Lords is rightfully in the top three in Negombo. Everything you order here is delicious. Everything. Be sure to walk to the back, through the restaurant towards the toilets, and you will end up in the backyard where you can also eat and drink. Even more fun! Moreover, you are not at all bothered by the busy traffic and exhaust fumes from the street.
The menu is large, and there are also many vegetarian and even Vegan options. Be sure to try the soya curry – oh so delicious! Oh yes, and for dessert you hang your feet in the fish spa where the fish nibble at your feet. For fun. If you want of course (but in the Netherlands you pay a lot of money for it so we would do it, if only for the experience).
