Drunken Monkey is a popular restaurant and bar in Hikkaduwa, and one of the couple of places that still function during off-season. The food is average but it’s a great place to hang out by the beach.
The Food
We got ‘grilled Spanish prawns’ with rice (Rs. 990), mixed seafood rice (Rs. 650), spaghetti carbonara (Rs. 650), and a plate of fried calamari (Rs. 890). The prices are actually not that bad considering the usual rates in tourist-ridden Hikka.
The mixed rice, spaghetti and calamari were pretty average. The calamari was unimpressive, the spaghetti tasted alright, and the mixed rice got points for coming in such a large portion. The only thing that made an impression were the grilled prawns – there was plenty of it, slathered in loads of spicy sauce, and they were crunchy and delicious (though the rice that came with it was ridiculously disproportionate). We downed it all with some fresh glasses of orange juice (Rs. 350).
Ambience
The beach does most of the work at Drunken Monkey where ambience is concerned. There’s quite a bit of nice clean shore to chill out on.
The restaurant is a typical down South set-up where you’ve got tables between columns where you have your meal, before heading out to the waves. There’s even surfing classes available here courtesy of Reef End surf classes.
Conclusion
Drunken Monkey is a very cool place to chill out at and though it’s pricey, it isn’t as pricey as some of the other places that provide as large portions and have as much beach shore. Their beach is awesome, and the food is okay – go for the prawns and fruit juices.
