Rich in color and bursting with flavor, Sri Lankan cuisine is a trip for your taste buds!

As traders from various regions came and settled on this gorgeous island, they bought along with them their native cuisines. The British bought tea, the Portuguese bought lamprais and the Indians introduced different types of curries - all of which influenced the dishes that can be found in Sri Lanka today. Some of the island's native dishes are rice and curry, hoppers, string hoppers, kotthu, pittu, roti and coconut sambol.

The staple dish, rice and curry, can be found in almost any and every restaurant, and is eaten by the locals during breakfast, lunch or dinner. A typical rice and curry dish includes but is not limited to boiled or steamed rice, a curry made of beef, chicken, fish or seafood, a vegetable curry, lentils and papadum. Side dishes could include sambols, pickles and chutneys.

Coconuts play a very important part in Sri Lankan cuisine; the meat of a coconut is grated and squeezed with water to produce coconut milk, which is added to curries to include a unique and distinct flavor. The meat of a coconut is also grated and used to create "sambol" which is a mix of grated coconut meat, chillies, Maldive fish and lime juice. Travelers visiting the island are sure to run into coconut sambol whether they're having breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Halal restaurants can be found throughout the island - though it may be a bit easier to find in Colombo. Read our Guide to Halal food in Sri Lanka for a better idea on how to get the most out of dining out. Most of the restaurants listed are certified Halal by the All Ceylon Jamiyyathul Ulama, which is the local Halal certifying body.

Muslim travelers should not leave Sri Lanka without indulging in its cuisine at least once but for those not too keen on trying new cuisine, most major fast food outlets such as McDonalds and Pizza Hut can be found as well. If you would like to leave a review on one of the restaurants listed, please do so at the bottom of the restaurant's page.

Want to try and cook some of these dishes at home? Browse our Sri Lankan Cuisine & Recipes section!