What to eat in Sri Lanka: rice and curry, lamprais, kottu and more
- The basis is rice and curry with pol sambol, spicy and bold.
- I ate lamprais in Kandy, and the price on the sign was 350 rupees (about 23 CZK, roughly EUR 1).
- Kottu roti is the best-known street food, and the spiciness can be softened with cheese.
- In Hiriketiya the bar Smoke & Bitters is worth a visit.
Food was one of the best parts of the trip. Below are the things I ate and photographed, and next to that a short list of classics I didn't eat but which are worth trying.
What I ate
Lamprais in Kandy
Lamprais is rice, meat curry, sambol and aubergine wrapped in a banana leaf and baked. It comes from the Dutch Burgher community. I ate it at Midland Deli in Kandy, where the sign said 350 rupees, so about EUR 0.90.
Breakfast and fruit in the south
In the south I had pancakes with fruit and bowls of fresh fruit, nuts and coconut for breakfast. The fruit there is great: pineapple, papaya, bananas, watermelon and limes.
Lunches and curries
Vegan rice and curry on a lotus leaf
For me this is one of the best things in Sri Lanka: rice and curry, vegan, served on a lotus leaf. In one place there is red lentil dhal, young jackfruit curry, spicy fried lotus root, green mallung with coconut, a bean salad, rice and dark string hoppers. Every bite is different and it all works together. If you are going to have one meal in Sri Lanka, try this. And how do you eat it? With your hand, mixing everything together.
Kottu roti
Kottu roti is chopped roti fried on a griddle with vegetables, often with egg or meat too, and the spices give it just the right kick. The vegetarian version is full of cabbage, carrot and spring onion. It is a popular evening meal and you recognise it by the rhythmic clanging of knives on the griddle.
Can I cook kottu roti at home?
You can, and it isn't complicated. The basis is roti chopped into pieces, fried in a pan with coconut oil, ginger and garlic, onion, mustard and fennel seeds, chilli, turmeric, carrot, cabbage and leek. It is seasoned with dark soy sauce, salt and pepper. It all goes in one pan and is ready in half an hour. The main trick is to chop the roti up in the pan with a spatula while it fries.
Smoke & Bitters in Hiriketiya
An open-air cocktail bar and smokehouse on Pehebiya beach. According to Time Out it is open daily from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and they recommend booking in advance. Drinks are made from local ingredients, such as arrack or pineapple. According to a press release from June 2026 it is among the best bars in Asia.
What I didn't eat, but is worth trying
These are classics of Sri Lankan cuisine that I didn't eat on the trip, but they are worth trying.
- Rice and curry - an everyday meal: rice with several curries, sambol and pickles. Pol sambol (coconut) is a must.
- Hoppers (appa) - bowl-shaped pancakes made from rice flour, crisp at the edge. The most popular is the egg hopper, with an egg.
- Short eats - patties, isso wade (prawn fritters) and fish croquettes. Good snacks for the road.
- King coconut - orange coconuts that you drink straight from the shell.
Hoppers are best in the morning or evening.
The whole trip is in the main article about Sri Lanka.
Cooking classes and tastings
If you want to taste Sri Lankan food with a local guide or learn to cook it.
Lukáš Dobrovolný
Over 17 years on the road, but still with one foot in Czechia. I write about road trips, mountain hikes, cycling trips, Amazing Places and my favourite food.