2 Best Restaurants in Sri Lanka

One of several dining options in the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, this romantic candlelit choice focuses on seafood and consistently receives some of the best reviews in the city. This charming restaurant with an outdoor terrace beside a manmade lagoon places its emphasis on variety, freshness, and quality. You can select from the fresh catch of the day—including huge lobster—then mix and match your own sauce, cooking method (grilled, steamed, curried, etc.), and style (Sri Lankan, Chinese, Indian, Thai, or Continental). Or if that's too confusing, go for one of the more established classics, such as lobster bisque. The prices here may be sky high by Sri Lankan standards, but they would not break the bank most other places.

There can't be many bustling capital cities where you can eat while curling your toes in the sand, with the waves of the balmy tropical Indian Ocean breaking just a few feet away. By taking a short taxi ride south from downtown Colombo, you can do just that at the Mount Lavinia Hotel's beach restaurant. Dine beneath the palm trees by candlelight as a gentle sea breeze cools you. Choose from a range of fresh seafood caught that same day in that same ocean, and cooked to your liking in any style. For the perfect mix of ambience and flavors, have your quarry cooked "Sri Lankan," with plenty of local spices and curry.