Food & Drink

Rice and curry, hoppers, fresh seafood and king coconut: what to eat, how spicy it gets and how to eat safely.

Rice and curry

The classic meal is rice served with several curries, usually dhal, a vegetable or fish curry and sambols made from fresh coconut and chilli. It is served at lunch and dinner and is easy to enjoy as a vegetarian. If you prefer it milder, say so; kitchens adjust the spice for visitors without fuss.

Breakfast and street food

• Hoppers (appa): crisp, bowl-shaped pancakes, often with an egg cooked in the middle.
• String hoppers: steamed rice-flour noodles eaten with curry and sambol.
• Kottu roti: chopped flatbread stir-fried with vegetables, egg or meat, made noisily on a hot griddle.
• Short eats: small savoury snacks such as cutlets, rolls and patties.
• Lamprais: rice and curry baked in a banana leaf, a dish of the island's Dutch Burgher community.

Seafood and fruit

Coastal restaurants serve prawns, crab, cuttlefish and the day's catch grilled or curried. Fruit is excellent and seasonal: mango, papaya, pineapple, watermelon and bananas through much of the year, with rambutan and mangosteen in season.

Drinks

King coconut (thambili) is a sweet orange coconut sold at roadside stalls and is a good way to stay hydrated. Ceylon tea is served everywhere, often with milk and sugar already added unless you ask. Local beer and coconut arrack are available, but alcohol is not sold on Poya (full-moon) days.

Eating and drinking safely

• Drink bottled or filtered water and use it to brush your teeth if you have a sensitive stomach.
• Choose busy places where the food is cooked fresh and served hot.
• Peel fruit yourself, and take care with salads and ice in very basic places.
• Tell us about allergies and dietary needs early so we can pass them on to hotels and restaurants.

This guide is general advice and is not medical, legal or financial advice. Entry rules, health recommendations and prices change, so please check official sources and ask us if you are unsure.