Trying local food is a big part of travel for me. I like having a list of dishes and snacks so I don’t miss any classics. If you’re the same way, this guide will help. I’m sharing the essential Sri Lankan foods to try along with a few of my local favourites.
1. Rice and Curry
I have a confession: growing up, this was the most boring meal because I ate it so often. Now, as an adult without daily access to my parents’ cooking, I miss it. This is the classic Sri Lankan meal, and it’s a must if you want to eat like the locals. “Rice and curry” usually means a plate of rice (white, yellow cooked with ghee, or purple for a healthier grain) served with a few curries. You might get dhal, a potato curry, a green bean stir-fry, a spicy fish or chicken curry, and a sambol or two. Each part is cooked on its own, so every bite has a different flavour. My favourite curry, one I nearly listed on its own, is eggplant curry (locally also known as eggplant moju). I’ve easily eaten it by itself.
2. Hoppers
It’s basically a crepe shaped like a bowl, crisp around the edges with a soft center. It’s usually served with curries and some kind of spicy onions. There’s also the egg hopper, which has an egg cooked right in the middle.
You may also see string hoppers on menus, this dish is made in a totally different way and looks like a small nest of thin steamed noodles.
3. Kottu Roti
This is one of Dylan’s favourite meals and a popular street food dish. As a traveller, it’s worth stopping to watch it being made as they chop together roti, vegetables, eggs, and meat on a flat grill. “Cheese kottu” is becoming more popular too, adding a creamy, indulgent twist.
4. Lamprais
This dish a distinctive Sri Lankan dish and you won’t find it everywhere so definitely give it a try if you stumble on it.
A proper lamprais comes wrapped in a banana leaf. Inside, you’ll find:
- A small portion of rice cooked in stock
- A meat curry, you may get two e.g. chicken and pork
- A spicy sambol.
- Eggplant curry
The whole parcel is steamed, which lets the flavors settle into the rice.
5. Short Eats
I’m listing this as one dish, but plenty of foods fall under the short-eats banner. They’re small, savoury pastries and snacks, and they’re a tasty, budget-friendly option when you want something quick. Common picks include:
- Fish buns: triangle-shaped buns filled with spicy fish.
- Pan rolls: deep-fried and packed with fish, chicken or beef, plus potato.
- Cutlets: round fried balls of spiced fish or veg.
- Pastries: filled with spiced fish or curried chicken.
They’re the kind of snacks you can grab anywhere, and once you start trying them, it’s hard to stop at just one. You can easily find these at bakeries including Perera & Sons and Fab
6. Chocolate Eclairs
Ok, this is where I shift from Sri Lankan classics to my own local favourites, the dishes I have to eat every time I’m in Sri Lanka, even though you probably won’t find them on the usual “foods to try” lists. Think of this as your insider POV.
I’m obsessed with chocolate eclairs in Sri Lanka. For years I was loyal to the Perera & Sons version but I have no expanded my horizons (but still will always get one from P&S). They’re filled with chocolate buttercream instead of cream or custard like in Australia, which in my opinion makes them better
7. Spicy Winglets from KFC
I haven’t found this outside Sri Lankan KFCs, and I’m obsessed. They’re spicy, salty, and so moreish. That is all.
8. Dinemore Subs
Dinemore is a Sri Lankan chain restaurant that sells a range of dishes, but their submarine sandwiches are always on our hit list when we visit. They’re oversized and packed with flavour. It’s the kind of dish where we would order one “to share” and then regret offering to share.
9. Yogurt
I have two recommendations under the yogurt banner. The first is the small individual tubs you’ll find in any grocery store. I usually go for the Highland brand. Yogurt tastes different in Sri Lanka, and there’s something about the flavour of these little tubs that I love.
The second is a more traditional option: buffalo yogurt (mee kiri). It’s a thick, tangy curd served with kithul palm treacle, and the combination is simple but so good. If you want a local dessert that feels truly Sri Lankan, this is it.
10. Hot Butter Cuttlefish
I saved my favourite for last. Hot butter cuttlefish is a crunchy, moreish dish that never tastes quite the same when I try it at Sri Lankan restaurants in Australia. My love for it is well known, and my aunt in Colombo always makes it a priority to take me back to the place where I first tried it, Chinese Dragon, every time I visit. I’ve been eating it since I was a teenager, and somehow it’s just as good every single time. Its popularity seems to be spreading too, because it’s now popping up on menus at other restaurants and bars. If you see it on the menu, order it and thank me later (by tagging us on socials).
The Wrap Up
So there you have my ten recommendations for food to try in Sri Lanka. It’s not a complete list by any means, but it gives you a solid starting point with the classics along with a few local gems I think are worth seeking out. If you’re planning a trip, let this be your first guide to eating your way around the island. And make sure to check out everything (else) you need to know before going to Sri Lanka. Also, follow us on Tik Tok or Instagram at @srilankaunpacked and join our community of travellers planning future Sri Lanka adventures.
