Chinese

There is a huge selection of Chinese restaurants in Colombo with most adjusting the level of spices to suit the local palate.  Indeed, there is a distinct "Sri Lankan style" to many of the Chinese restaurants that includes extra chilli. The most popular old-school favourites in this genre include the likes of Flower Drum, Flower Lounge, Xilaton and  Chinese Dragon. Some of the more authentic Chinese restaurants are No. 168 Seafood Palace off the Galle Road, which is popular with the local Chinese community, the Emperors Wok at the Hilton, Loon Tao located on the beach at Mt. Lavinia, and the Long Feng at Cinnamon Lakeside which specialises in Singaporean style Chinese.

• 168 Seafood Palace, 8 Sea View Avenue, Colombo 3. Tel: 2573456
• Emperor’s Wok, Hilton, 2 Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 2. Tel: 254464
• Loon Tao, 43/12 College Avenue, Mt. Lavinia.  Tel: 2722723
• Long Feng, Cinnamon Lakeside, 115 Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 2. Tel: 2491000
• Xilaton, 126 Havelock Road, Colombo 5.  Tel: 2508887
• Flower Drum, 26 Thurstan Road, Colombo 3.  Tel: 2574216
• Flower Lounge, 18 Bagatalle Road, Colombo 3.  Tel: 2593032
• Chinese Dragon, 11 Milagiriya Avenue, Colombo 4.  Tel: 7808080
  
  

Fusion or European-style Cuisine

For those looking for fusion or European-style food, there are some very special treats. For the quality of its food, especially its meats, Chesa Suisse, a Swiss restaurant, is outstanding. The most popular dining-out experience is at the Paradise Road Gallery Cafe, the restaurant with the most seductive ambience in the island. The owner of the Gallery Cafe, Shanth Fernando, also runs a boutique hotel in Colombo 7 named Tintagel that has a more private atmosphere and serves an excellent fine-dining menu. For those wanting to splash out, Spoons at the Hilton and the London Grill at Cinnamon Grand are our two favourite fine-dining restaurants. Bay Leaf and Park Street Mews, both owned by popular restaurateur Harpo, are popular for Italian cuisine with the latter in a more informal setting with a live band and Jazz Sundays.  The latest addition to Colombo’s list of restaurants is `Lemon’ managed by Sri Lanka's larger-than-life celebrity chef Koluu, whose signature dishes include Mediterranean and Asian influences. For those keen to have some hearty, good-value German food then the Bavarian Restaurant & Bar opposite Galle Face Hotel is recommended.

• Chesa Swiss, 3 Deal Place A, Colombo 3. Tel: 2573433
• The Gallery Café, 2 Alfred House Road, Colombo 3. Tel: 2582162
• Tintagel, 65 Rosmead Place, Colombo 7. Tel: 4602060
• London Grill, Cinnamon Grand, Colombo 2. Tel: 2497450
• Spoons, Colombo Hilton, Colombo 1.  Tel: 2437177
• Park Street Mews, 50/1 Part, Street, Colombo 2.  Tel:  2300133
• Poolside Terrace at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, 102 Hotel Road, Mt. Lavinia Tel: 2715221
• Lemon, Rooftop Gymkhana pool complex, 41 Maitland Crescent, Colombo 7.  Tel: 2682122
• The Bavarian Restaurant & Bar, Galle Face Court, Colombo 3: 112421577
  
  

Indian

Colombo is the best place in the island for Indian cuisine and the following are recommended: Mango Tree, Agra, Navaratna and Chutneys.

Mango Tree, 82 Dharmapala Mawatha, Colombo 7. Tel: 5379790
Navaratna, Taj Samudra, 25 Galle Face Centre Road, Colombo 3 Tel: 2446622
Agra, 100/10 Independence Avenue, Colombo 7.  Tel: 4723333
Chutney’s, Cinnamon Grand, 77 Galle Road, Colombo 3.  Tel: 2437437

Italian

Il Ponte at the Hilton poolside serves good quality Italian food and excellent pizzas cooked in a wood-fired oven. The Cinnamon Grand also now has a highly recommended Italian restaurant called Echo. Bay Leaf, housed in a colonial bungalow down a leafy by road in Colombo 7, also has an enormous selection of pasta and pizza dishes, including a great weekly specials menu, all served up at very good value prices.  Regina Margherita is a new and increasingly popular establishment run by a charismatic Italian owner supervising all preparations.

• Il Ponte, Hilton, 2 Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 2. Tel: 2544644
• Bay Leaf, 79 Gregory’s Road, Colombo 7. Tel: 2695920
• Echo, Cinnamon Grand, 77 Galle Road, Colombo 3. Tel: 2497485
• Regina Margherita, 151 Park Road, Colombo 5.  Tel:  7394440
  

Japanese

Japanese cuisine is popular with Sri Lankans and the many expats living in Colombo. Recommended restaurants include Nihonbashi, Ginza Ohsen and the more informal Sakura.

• Nihonbashi, 11 Galle Face Terrace, Colombo 3. Tel:
• Nihonbashi, ODEL, 5 Alexandra Place, Colombo 7. Tel: 4718758
• Ginza Hohsen, Hilton, 2 Sir Chittamplam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 2 Tel: 2544644
• Sakura, 14 Rheinland Place, Colombo 3. Tel: 2573877
  
  

Seafood

The Lagoon at the Cinnamon Grand is a superb seafood restaurant and is highly recommended. They buy high quality fresh fish which you can personally select while choosing your preferred style of cooking. The well-trained staff are invariably helpful when you are planning your meal. The Seafood Cove at Mt. Lavinia Hotel is popular for its informal ambience on the beach, but be careful to avoid big events as the service and ambience suffers. For cheap and cheerful seafood on the beach then you can try the Golden Mile also in Mt Lavinia on the beach.

• Seafood Cove, Mt. Lavinia Hotel, 102 Hotel Road, Mt. Lavinia Tel: 2715221
• The Lagoon, Cinnamon Grand, 77 Galle Road, Colombo 3. Tel: 2437437
• Golden Mile, 43/14, Off College Avenue, Mt. Lavinia.  Tel: 2733997
  

Sri Lankan

If you are searching for authentic Sri Lankan food then choose from the iconic Green Cabin Restaurant on Galle Road, Palmyrah Restaurant at Renuka Hotel, Hilton’s Curry Leaf, or the authentic Nuga Gama restaurant at Cinnamon Grand set in a traditional village setting in the heart of Colombo.

• Green Cabin Terrace, 453 Galle Road, Colombo 3. Tel: 2588811
• Palmyrah, Renuka Hotel, 328 Galle Road, Colombo 3. Tel: 2573598
• Curry Leaf, Hilton, 2 Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 2 Tel: 2544644
• Nuga Gama, Cinnamon Grand, Colombo 1. Tel: 2497370
  

Thai

The Royal Thai at Trans Asia hotel serves sumptuous Thai dishes in a more formal setting. Siam House in Dehiwela off the Galle Road is an old favourite offered great value for money. The more contemporary Jack Tree opened in 2009 and is getting good initial reviews.

• Royal Thai, Cinnamon Lakeside, 115 Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 2. Tel: 2491000
• Siam House, 17 Melbourne Avenue, Colombo 4. Tel: 4720249
• Jack Tree, No.200, Park Road, Colombo 5, Sri Lanka. Tel:  5747788

For a more informal open-air dining experience, the Barefoot Garden Café is ideal especially after a bit of shopping at the Barefoot Gallery which is at the same location.  The Commons and Café Che, two more establishments managed by Harpo,  are popular and serve a range of light meal, including a Koththu Roti cart that serves sumptuous savoury as well as sweet rotis.  Two local favourites are Fab and Chariot for their cheap short eats and pastries. They have outlets all around the town. The Urban Kitchen in Colombo 2, adjoining the Arpico supermarket, bustles with activity and is the closest Sri Lanka has to a proper Asian-style food court. They have an extensive menu of Middle Eastern, Chinese, Sri Lankan, and western dishes as well as a Pizza counter run by the popular Italian restaurant, Regina Margherita. Cricket Club Cafe is an old favourite serving up  a reliable and consistent range of dishes all named after famous cricketers. It is also Sri Lanka's best sports bar.

• Barefoot Garden Café, 704 Galle Road, Colombo 3. Tel: 2553075
• Cricket Club Café, 34 Queen’s Road, Colombo 3.  Tel:  2501384
• Delifrance, ODEL Unlimited, 10 Alexandra Place, Colombo 7.  Tel:  2676860
• The Commons, 39A Sir Ernest De Silva Mawatha, Colombo 7.  Tel: 2694435
• Urban Kitchen, 69 Dr. Colvin R. de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 2.  Tel: 4734709
• Fab, 474 Galle Road, Colombo 3.  Tel:  2573348 and several outlets across Colombo.
• Chariot, 308 Galle Road, Colombo 4.  Tel: 2580569
• Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, 2 Maitland Crescent, Colombo 7.  Tel: 4734980
• Coco Veranda, 32 Ward Place, Colombo 7.  Tel: 7635635

Colombo by night can be fun with a scattering of pubs and nightclubs that come alive especially on Friday and Saturday nights and features live bands or DJ music. Rhythm & Blues, Library and 7 degrees North at Cinnamon Lakeside, and the Breeze Bar at Cinnamon Grand are popular night clubs with Club Mojo, Amuseum and the White Horse usually frequented by the younger lot including students. Characterful pubs in Colombo include the Cheers Pub at Cinnamon Grand, Cricket Club Café, and Inn on the Green at Galle Face Hotel in Colombo 1.

• Cheers, Cinnamon Grand, Colombo 1. Tel: 2497450
• Breeze Bar, Cinnamon Grand, Colombo 1. Tel: 2497370
• Inn on the Green, Galle Face Hotel, Galle Road, Colombo 1. Tel: 2394440
• Rhythm & Blues, 119/1 Daisy Villa Avenue, Duplication Road, Colombo 4. Tel: 5363859
• Cricket Club Café, 34 Queens Road, Colombo 3. Tel: 2501384
• Library, Cinnamon Lakeside, 155 Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 2. Tel: 2544200
• 7 degrees North, Cinnamon Lakeside, 155 Sir Chittampalam A. Gardiner Mawatha, Colombo 2. Tel: 2544200
• White Horse, 46/42 Nawam Mawatha, Colombo 2. 2304922
• Club Mojo, Taj Samudra, Galle Road, Colombo 1. Tel: 077 3111113
• Amuseum, Gall Face Regency, Colombo 1. Tel: 0777 377789 - Amuseum
• Silk, 41-2/1 Maitland Crescent, Colombo 7. Tel: 2682122
• Clancy’s, 29 Maitland Crescent, Colombo 7. Tel: 2682945
• D’s, Horton Place, Colombo 7.
• Aphrodisiac, 29 Maitland Crescent, Colombo 7

• Bellagio, 430 R.A. De Mel Mawatha, Colombo 3. Tel: 2575271
• Bally’s, 14 Dharmapala Mawatha, Colombo 3. Tel: 2573497
• Sopranos, 29 Maitland Crescent, Colombo 7. Tel: 2676752