though guesthouses will ask you to order ahead,
so they can purchase ingredients. Larger hotels
usually offer buffet lunches and dinners with
Western and local food.
‘Hotels’ When is a hotel not a hotel? When it’s in
Sri Lanka. Confusingly, restaurants here are also
called ‘hotels’. Usually these places are in towns
and cities, pretty scruffy, and will consist of a store
at the front selling snacks and drinks and tables
at the rear for sit-down meals. Rice and curry is
the lunchtime staple, for dinner kotthu, rice and
noodle dishes are popular.Restaurants In Colombo, beach resorts and
tourist-geared towns (such as Galle) you’ll find
excellent restaurants offering everything from
Italian to gourmet local cuisine.
Bakeries These sell what locals call ‘short eats’,
essentially an array of meat-stuffed rolls, meat-
and-vegetable patties (called cutlets), pastries
and vadai. At some places, a plate of short eats is
placed on your table, and you’re only charged for
what you eat. Many bakeries (and some restau-
rants) also offer a ‘lunch packet’, which is basically
some rice and a couple of small portions of curry.When to Eat
Sri Lankans generally eat three meals a
day. Interestingly, the type of food con-
sumed at each meal is quite distinct, so
you usually won’t find lunch foods (like
rice and curry) available at dinner time.
Breakfast A typical local breakfast might take
place around sunrise, and consist of hoppers and
some fruit. Milky tea is usually taken with break-
fast; in the cities some favour coffee. In hotels and
guesthouses popular with tourists, Western-style
breakfasts are almost always available.
Lunch Eaten between midday and 2.30pm.
Rice and curry, the definitive Sri Lankan meal,
is an essential experience which simply can’t
be missed – it can be quite a banquet or simple
pitstop depending on the place.
Dinner Usually eaten between 7pm and 9pm. If
you really don’t fancy a hot curry for dinner, you’ll
find seafood and fish usually very lightly spiced,
and fried rice is mild.Drinks
Sri Lanka’s heat means that refreshing
beverages are an important – and vital –
part of the day’s consumption.Tea & Cof fee
Tea with spoonfuls of sugar and hot milk
is the locally preferred way to drink the
indigenous hot drink. If you don’t have a
sweet tooth, be very assertive about low-
ering the sugar dose.
Coffee, while not traditionally favoured,
is now literally a hot commodity in Co-
lombo and areas popular with tourists.
Cafes with full-on espresso machines are
catching on, though are not widespread
as yet. Out in the sticks be prepared for
instant, or something fresh-ish that tastes
like instant.Other Sof t Drinks
Lime juice is excellent. Have it with soda
water, but ask for the salt or sugar to
be separate. If not, you could be in for
another serious sugar hit. Indian restau-
rants and sweet shops are a good spot for
a lassi (yoghurt drink). Ginger beer is an
old school, very British option, offering
refreshment with a zing – look out for
the Elephant or Lion brands. Thambili
(king coconut) juice still in the husk
can be found on sale at roadside stalls
everywhere.Beer
Locally brewed Lion Lager is a crisp and
refreshing brew that is widely sold. Lion
also sells a very good stout, with coffee
and chocolate flavours. Three Coins and
Anchor are less delicious local lagers. The
licensed versions of international brands
like Carlsberg, Heineken and Corona offer
no surprises at all.Other Alcoholic Drinks
Toddy is a drink made from the sap of
palm trees. It has a sharp taste, a bit like
cider. There are three types: toddy made
from coconut palms, toddy from kitul
palms and toddy from palmyra palms.
Toddy shacks are found throughout
the country, but are very much a male
preserve. Arrack is a fermented and
(somewhat) refined toddy. It can have
a powerful kick and give you a belting
hangover. The best mixer for arrack is
the local ginger ale.PLAN YOUR TRIP
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