There’s something particularly appealing about an Italian restaurant at the beach. Perhaps it’s the shared Mediterranean instinct for long lunches, generous plates and lingering conversations. At L’Incontro, the new Italian and Mediterranean restaurant at Cinnamon Bentota Beach – Signature Selection, that sensibility feels surprisingly at home.
The name means “the encounter”, and the restaurant is designed around exactly that: an intimate space for unhurried evenings, conversation and food that rewards taking your time. Cinnamon describes L’Incontro as a space inspired by the warmth of Italian tradition, with quiet elegance rather than theatrical grandeur. There’s also the promise of wood-fired pizzas and handmade pastas, making it a welcome addition to the resort’s dining line-up.
The setting helps. Cinnamon Bentota Beach sits between the Bentota River and Indian Ocean, with its spaces shaped by Geoffrey Bawa’s tropical modernist sensibility. Open courtyards, gardens and framed views give the resort an easy relationship with its surroundings, and L’Incontro carries some of that same unhurried character indoors.
Then there’s the food.
The menu we experienced started with a choice between two carpaccios. The Beef Carpaccio keeps things classic, pairing thinly sliced beef tenderloin with rocket, aged Parmesan, capers and rock salt. The Hamachi Carpaccio takes a lighter route, combining fresh fish with crisp fennel, capers and dill-lemon vinaigrette.
The Cream of Mushroom Soup is decidedly more indulgent, bringing truffle and pickled mushrooms into a velvety, earthy bowl.
Among the more intriguing plates is the Duo of Chicken: chicken ravioli alongside pan-seared chicken, caramelised apple chutney, wilted spinach and thyme jus. It is a dish built around contrast, moving between savoury, sweet and herbal notes.
For the main course, the Herb Crusted Lamb Loin & Butternut Risotto leans into comfort and richness, while the Seafood Linguini feels almost inevitable in Bentota. Reef fish, prawns, cuttlefish, mussels and scallops are tossed through linguini in a rich tomato sauce, bringing Mediterranean coastal cooking firmly into southern Sri Lanka.
And then, inevitably, tiramisu.
L’Incontro’s version layers mascarpone mousse, espresso-soaked savoiardi, dark chocolate crémeux and artisan coffee gelato. Familiar, but dressed for the occasion.
L’Incontro is open daily for dinner from 7pm to 10pm.
Reservations: +94 34 227 5176 / +94 112 161 161
