The city of Colombo is the largest city in Sri Lanka and in current times, the city is a very popular destination for travelers. Besides the numerous landmarks, the city offers much more – from art to shopping centers & from modern buildings to parks.
An important question to ask when visiting Colombo is where to eat. Colombo has many famous restaurants and can be very difficult to decide. The city is on the coast and as a result, many of the local restaurants base their cuisine on fish and seafood. It is a hard choice to make since you really did not try any of these places. My intent is to help you in this choice and give you four places that deserve to be visited in Colombo. You have to certainly try their food!
Curry Leaf – 2 Sir Chittampalam A Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo
Located in the Hilton Colombo, the restaurant is a great introduction to Sri Lankan cuisine. You do not need to be a guest at the Hilton to enjoy the delicatessen of this restaurant. Decorated as a Sri Lankan village, the restaurant serves authentic Sri Lankan food.
The most appreciated part of this restaurant is the fresh caught fish and seafood. In fact, the customer can decide which fresh fish they desire to eat from a daily list. At night the restaurant offers a buffet, which also include seafood and lots of spicy curries, local delicacies and lots of well-known Sri Lankan desserts. Both travelers and locals can be seen savoring and enjoying the local dishes. Curry Leaf also provides entertainment for its guests. The two major attractions are a woman who makes local sweets called Kevum and a band of four musicians who play and perform at the table. If you worry about the price, it is reasonable.
Interiors Curry Leaf
Ministry Of Crab – Old Dutch Hospital, Colombo
The second suggestion is Ministry of Crab which is located in the Old Dutch Hospital premises. The decor is contemporary Sri Lankan with an open kitchen and a high ceiling roof with Dutch architecture. It is owned by two famous Sri Lankan cricketers – Kumara Sangakarra & Mahela Jayawardena along with chef Dharshan Munidasa.
The cuisine is typical Sri Lankan sea food. If you decide to eat at the Ministry of Crab, you will have a serious feast of crab! Guests can choose any size of crab from 500 grams to 2 kilos. The variety of crab-based dish is vast, but the most recommendable dish is one: Pepper Crab. Another delicious dish to try is Garlic Chilli Prawn (the bigger the prawn, more the enjoyment). The restaurant also provides a bib since the guests can get a bit messy while she or he eats crabs! The restaurant is open for dinner on weekdays and lunch & dinner on weekends.
Pepper Crab at Ministry of Crab
Kaema Sutra – Arcade Independence Square, No.30, Independence Square, Colombo 7
The third restaurant to try is Kaema Sutra. This restaurant is in the newly built Arcade Independence Square. The restaurant is furnished with contemporary Sri Lankan decor – beautiful, stylish and artistic furniture. The common factor between Ministry of Crab and Kaema Sutra is chef Dharshan. It’s co-owned by Bollywood actress Jacquline Fernandez.
Kaema Sutra offers nine types of curries to choose from – but the must try is Boneless Goat Curry. The most famous dish is the Dharshan’s Spicy Roast Chicken. If you go to this restaurant, you have to try it! It is a whole chicken and it can eat by four people. In addition, the breakfast dish – hopper, has been modified into a modern dessert and named as What The Hopper.
What The Hopper at Kaema Sutra
Tsing Tao – Race Course Promenade / Reid Avenue, Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo
The last but not the least is the Tsing Tao, my fourth recommended restaurant and the one I loved the most. It is located in the heart of the city at the Racecourse Promenade. As the name suggest, the cuisine is authentic Chinese, but with a concentration on seafood. This restaurant is one of the most famous Chinese restaurants in Colombo. For those who say that it is too expensive, the answer is that it is worth all the money both for the quality of the service and the quality of the food.
The food prepared in this restaurant is real authentic as for example the vegetable spring roll that is prepared with no additional ingredient or flavor to meet the taste of travelers. For most of the dishes there is a possibility to have a large or small portion, in order to have the right amount of food and avoid any waste. Two must eat dishes are the Fried Crab Meatball and the Sizzling Prawns. A particularity is that the Master Chef Huasheng Mo, comes to you to ask questions regarding your dinner or lunch with them. This restaurant has a second location, more romantic. It is located on Mt. Lavinia’s beach and is called Loon Tao. Go there if you are with your special one!
Fried Crab Meat Balls at Tsing Tao
