BOOK
  1. Home
  2. Blog
  3. A Guide to Eating Your Way Through Colombo with Samantha de Silva
CHECK RATES AND AVAILABILITY

Your island escape, just a few clicks away.

Check in | Check out
Select Hotel
Adults
Children
Nationality
Promo Code

A Guide to Eating Your Way Through Colombo with
Samantha de Silva

05 November 2025
By Teardrop Hotels
With its fiery curries, street-side snacks, and a dining culture that blends tradition with a modern twist, Colombo is a city that keeps your taste buds on edge. In this interview, we catch up with internationally acclaimed Ayurvedic and sensory chef Samantha de Silva, who shares her insider picks and pro tips for eating your way through Sri Lanka’s capital city – from the best rice and curry to street food stalls you can’t miss, seafood spots that shine, and the must-try classics that locals swear by.
Colombo's best of the best rice and curry
Any Sri Lankan local knows the best rice and curry is at some auntie’s house but if you didn't make the invite list, the black pork curry at Barefoot is a knockout. The Jaffna crab curry at Hotel Renuka is iconic. Ambula, Ceylon Curry Club and Nelum Kole Maharagama serve rice-and-curry spreads that will ruin you (in the best way) for anything else.
The best of Colombo street food
For the most satisfying kothu, Cinnamon Lakeside has my heart. Galle Face Green is where you go for sheer variety – isso wade and all kinds of savoury snacks under the stars.
Embrace your inner pescatarian
Start with oysters, then dive into seer fish simmered in a Thai red curry, at Lagoon. At Seafish, the crab is a must, while Hotel Renuka’s Jaffna-style crab curry is non-negotiable. Pair prawn curry with mini roast paan for the real deal, and don’t skip the sea bass at Monsoon. Feeling fancy? The dressed oysters at Gini are perfection, the salmon belly sashimi at Kingsbury melts in your mouth, and the crispy prawn red rice roll at Sapphire Dragon is addictive.
Sample more tea than there are tea country villages
Sri Lanka runs on tea, and Colombo takes it to another level. Mount Lavinia Hotel serves teatime with a view that’s hard to top. Barefoot’s café keeps it soulful, Seed Café makes the best latte in town, and the Dilmah t-Lounge at One Galle Face is tea geek heaven.
Where arrack turns into an art form
Arrack is Sri Lanka in a glass. Escobar, Shoulders, and Capital Bar each turn it into something unforgettable – think cocktails that are bold, balanced, and way too easy to sip.
It's not a Sri Lankan meal without pol sambol
If you want to taste fiery, fresh pol sambol done right, head to Stache. One spoonful on anything – rice, roti, even toast – and you’ll understand why no table is complete without it.
Keeping vegetarians and vegans happy (and fed) in Colombo
Sri Lankan food was plant-based long before it was trendy. Think polos (young jackfruit) curry, pol roti with egg curry, crunchy okra, creamy cashew curry, and crisp vadai straight from the fryer. For modern twists, try the crispy cauliflower at Monsoon or mushroom truffle risotto at Lagos. And for a proper indulgence?
Delicious dishes you can't miss
There are classics that every visitor should hunt down: string hoppers with dhal, egg hoppers hot off the pan, ulundu vadai for your tea, prawn curry rich with spice, black pork curry, cucumber curry to cool things off, cashew curry for indulgence, lamprais for a feast in a packet, and hot butter cuttlefish. These curries can be found across Colombo from upscale restaurants to rustic roadside eateries. Don’t leave without trying mung kavum; dessert doesn’t get more Sri Lankan.