The best Sri Lankan dishes
The top 3 according to 11 votes from people: Pol sambol · Ceylon tea · Rice and curry. (Updated Aug 10, 2026.)
The Sri Lankan dishes every food guide tells you to try, from rice and curry to kottu, according to Migrationology, LocalHi and Sri Lanka travel guides.
Top 12
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1
Pol sambol
Grated coconut with chilli, onion and lime, on everything.
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2
Ceylon tea
The island's famous black tea, from Nuwara Eliya to Uva.
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3
Rice and curry
Rice with several small curries, sambols and papadum; the everyday national meal.
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4
Kottu roti
Chopped godamba roti stir-fried on a griddle with vegetables, egg and meat, to a clanging rhythm.
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5
Egg hoppers (appa)
Bowl-shaped fermented rice and coconut pancakes with an egg in the middle.
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6
String hoppers (idiyappam)
Steamed nests of rice noodles with curry and pol sambol.
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7
Dhal curry (parippu)
Red lentils in coconut milk, the most common curry.
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8
Kiribath
Milk rice cut into diamonds for New Year and celebrations.
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9
Wambatu moju
Sweet and sour fried aubergine pickle.
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10
Lamprais
Dutch Burgher rice and curry baked in a banana leaf.
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11
Fish ambul thiyal
Sour, peppery dry fish curry with goraka from the south.
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12
Isso vadai
Lentil fritters topped with prawns, Galle Face street food.
Candidates
They don't make it into the top 12… yet. Vote for them to move them up.
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13
Watalappan
Spiced coconut and jaggery custard.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
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Comments (20)
Watalappan is the best dessert, jaggery and coconut.
Dhal curry is the soul of Sri Lankan food.
Great list 👌
Lamprais, the Dutch Burgher dish wrapped in banana leaf, so unique.
Missing the crab curry from Jaffna!
The spice level is no joke, ask for 'less spicy' if you're a tourist 😂
Wambatu moju, the sweet and sour eggplant pickle, addictive.
String hoppers with kiri hodi, my grandma's breakfast.
Kiribath on New Year, tradition.
Love seeing my country's food here 🇱🇰
Kottu roti, the sound of the blades chopping on the griddle is the soundtrack of Sri Lanka 🔪
Isso vadai on Galle Face Green at sunset 🌅
Rice and curry at a local place, ten dishes for a few dollars.
Kottu with cheese is a modern classic.
Fish ambul thiyal from the south, sour and spicy.
Egg hoppers for breakfast, crispy edges and soft middle, perfection.
Sri Lankan food is so underrated globally.
Pol sambol goes with everything.
Saving for my trip next year.
Visited last year and ate rice and curry every single day.