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Hopping from one Negombo eatery to the next, notice how many restaurants share one thing in common: seafood! After all, Sri Lanka is an island. The main source of protein is seafood. And by seafood, I mean all kinds; this country is blessed that way. Crab, lobster, prawns, clams, mussels, you name it.
Of course, you do find meat here, especially mutton (sheep) and chicken.
It’s no surprise that the hero of most of the best restaurants in Negombo Sri Lanka is seafood. No complaints from me; I can eat seafood seven days a week, and never tire of it. Negombo is right along the coastline (above the capital city, Colombo). If you’re not a seafood person, I’d suggest sticking to the local cuisine.
Another popular theme I noticed among Negombo’s restaurant scene is that there are quite a few Italian restaurants around town (more so than many Sri Lankan towns).
From mouth-watering seafood platters to vegetarian options to traditional Sri Lankan dishes, here’s where to eat while you’re in Negombo.
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- 1. Salt: For seafood platters
- 2. Club Ceylon: Great for date night
- 3. The Grand Gastrobar: Your classic bistro
- 4. TukTuk Wine & Dine: An international menu
- 5. Unwind: For the laid-back hippy crowds
- 6. Jude Restaurant: Great for families
- 7. BOHO: Lots of vegetarian options
- 8. Leonardo: A real taste of Italy
- 9. Cafe Zen: On the beach
1. Salt: For seafood platters
I love this restaurant’s name. It’s strong, clean, and also indicative of what to expect…Doesn’t it immediately make you think of the ocean?
As a foodie, I appreciate an open-style kitchen to witness the action happening, and that’s the setup at Salt.
Heavily focused on the seafood side of things, the menu also highlights local Sri Lankan cuisine (which is already seafood-driven), and there are some other international dishes to choose from. If you’ve got a big appetite or like sharing, go for one of the seafood platters. Or try their specialty: lagoon mud crab!
For local cuisine, order dishes such as mutton kotu roti or butter chicken masala biryani — butter chicken and biryani are two of my ultimate Indian comfort foods, so the pairing is a winner, winner chicken dinner.
2. Club Ceylon: Great for date night
If you’ve already dived into my list of the top restaurants in Galle (two hours from Negombo), you’ll know just how mega-popular crab is across Sri Lankan cuisine. At Club Ceylon, it’s their thing, or as they say in the industry, the house speciality.
In most countries, crab is high-priced. But not in Sri Lanka. I’ve lost count of how many times I ate crab during one month in Sri Lanka (and yes, I was there with a daily budget).
This is another one of the best restaurants in Negombo Sri Lanka, where seafood is the star of the menu, and all ingredients come straight off daily fishing boats, meaning it’s as fresh as can be. Prawns are massive, and if you’re a fan, order the fish ceviche.
Interiors are tres classy, and the restaurant is headed up in what appears to be an old colonial building. It’s a wonderful option for a date night, and it’s located in the Old Town.
3. The Grand Gastrobar: Your classic bistro
Whether it’s for breakfast or dinner, The Grand Gastrobar has got the backs of those craving typical bistro-style meals.
Start with a smoked salmon open sandwich, hash browns, and a cappuccino. If here for lunch, go with a light option like a scrumptious and healthy chicken couscous salad or pan-seared fish. When dinner calls, there are dishes like pasta or hearty Coq au Vin to choose from. I also appreciate the touches of local ingredients in every meal, whether it’s vegetables or herbs.
There are also quite a few vegetarian options.
Exposed beams, brick walls, and furniture done up in browns lend a really warm feeling, and a part of the restaurant wall is completely glass, looking out to big trees, providing natural greenery.
I’ll never forget driving a TukTuk for close to two hours to get to Arugam Bay — and yes, it was a taxi! The bus was way overpacked, and so I jumped off and hailed down a tuk-tuk, with a driver who promised it was perfectly fine to drive the distance in the rickshaw on wheels. I’m very used to catching tuktuks, but typically it’s to get around quickly from A to B, never such a far distance. Yet this experience was unparalleled, with the best views in the house. Naturally, I love TukTuk Wine & Dine because I relate it so much to my time in Sri Lanka.
A regular feature among social media influencers, it’s one of the best restaurants in Negombo Sri Lanka, where the cuisine is multicultural.
Keen on eating local? Order the black pork or yellow fish curry. Rather in the mood for global bites? Then go with the likes of Hungarian beef goulash, lobster thermidor, or the TukTuk beef special. There’s also an entire selection dedicated to pizza: Little Rome.
Finish your order with a specialty cocktail, like Kopi Kade, Meter Tuk, or Akkara 50.
5. Unwind: For the laid-back hippy crowds
A tiki-style restaurant means one thing: FUN!
Unwind is the kind of restaurant you think of when dreaming about backpacking in Southeast Asia. The front entrance is this trippy-hippy-esque face resembling a Sri Lankan Raksha/Sanni mask (like you see in folklore dances).
The eatery is set up in a thatched-roof bungalow type situation, made up of two levels. There’s a mix-match of chairs and tables, including low seating and beanbags; spiral sun murals on the clay/sand walls; and an array of hanging pendant lights, varying in shape and design, along with hanging ferns and plants. It’s right up my free-loving soul alley.
Menu is diverse, with local rice dishes, meat platters, burgers, seafood platters, and the likes.
6. Jude Restaurant: Great for families
Hey, Jude Restaurant, you’re pretty cool! Family-run (which is the ultimate place for real authentic cuisine, no matter the country), it’s all about local Sri Lankan meals, so, seafood!
Freshly grilled lobster, premium seafood platters, whole crab, and fresh prawns are menu staples.
Among the best restaurants in Negombo Sri Lanka, this place is ALWAYS packed. As a recent Traveler’s Choice on TA, it’s no surprise to see it always bustling, especially with tourists and families.
Right across from the beach, it’s located on the second level of a bright yellow building, and many tables are on the balcony, with an open-air feel to it. This suits Sri Lanka to a tee, and many restaurants boast this kind of setup, from restaurants in Sigiriya to Hikkaduwa.
7. BOHO: Lots of vegetarian options
Opening up from 8am until midnight and opposite the beach, BOHO is a wonderful option for before or after a beach day, or for when you need a break in between swimming and tanning.
Staff and service are amazing, which makes such a difference, doesn’t it? But honestly, I never met an unfriendly face in Sri Lanka, like, ever.
Gluten-free and vegetarian eaters, there’s a wide selection for you to enjoy, from brinjal pasta to tropical smoothie granola bowls. But if there’s one thing I’m eating, it’s gotta be the Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos. For those who have been in Sri Lanka for a while and want to eat seafood a different way, get the pad Thai with crab and prawns.
Freshly pressed juice, coconuts, matcha lattes, and great coffee go down a treat.
8. Leonardo: A real taste of Italy
Any guesses as to what type of cuisine Leonardo serves? That’s right, Italian!
Weirdly so, there are quite a few Italian-themed restaurants to dine at in town, but this one makes it onto my lineup for the best restaurants in Negombo Sri Lanka, because of its authenticity. I mean, they serve pasta straight out of the cheese wheel, just like they do in Italia!
Speaking of Italy and speaking of pasta, delve into my favorite restaurants in Florence, Italy, for incredible pasta!
Wood-fired pizzas are Naples-style (the best), they do premium meat and cheese antipasti boards, bruschettas, risotto, handmade pasta, tiramisu (using Mascarpone from Italy), and serve Illy coffee.
Order the carbonara!
9. Cafe Zen: On the beach
Alright, I know technically this is a collection of the best restaurants in Negombo Sri Lanka, and Cafe Zen dubs itself more of a cafe type situation, but I just adore the overall vibes here so much that I had to include it!
The name pretty much sums up the ambiance; the type of place where you can hang out, relax, and enjoy some wholesome food. It’s got a bohemian sort of feel to it, little reading nook included.
Right on the beach, I think the sound of the crashing waves adds to this. The setup is also very basic, but doesn’t really matter.
Juices are freshly pressed, and you can find classic Western-style breakfasts at Cafe Zen, as well as many healthy dishes and vegan options.
If you’ve never traveled to Sri Lanka before, I suggest jumping straight onto the bandwagon. The feeling of this country is indescribable, and actually, makes me pretty emotional in the best way possible whenever I think back to it. The memories I made here are irreplaceable, and I can’t praise the hospitality of the locals enough! Sri Lanka, thank you, I love you!
For those that have traveled to places like India, Nepal, or even South Africa before, I can acertain you’ll love this country.
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