If you're unwelcome in your village and have to fend for yourself in Colombo, this avurudu, here are some restaurants that are open.
Isso
Should you crave for some delicious sea roaches cooked in different ways, and pair it with the BEST Milo Dino (yep! we are very serious about that) in town, Isso is where you should go. Their Colpetty branch is open throughout the holidays, serving up all the aforementioned delicacies, along with the super spicy Lobster Biriyani and Sweet Potato Fries.
The Sizzle
Colombo doesn't have many themed restaurants, but The Sizzle is an exception. The catch here is that everything sizzles, and by that, we mean everything -whether it be food, dessert or even the drinks. The latter of which is achieved by adding a bit of dry ice. The menu is quite extensive, with a good selection of seafood and pretty much all the usual meats, sans pork. However, the prices are pretty high, but the food is quite good and the service is exceptional.
Paan Paan (Lorenz Road and Rajagiriya)
Paan Paan is a bakery which rapidly expanded to three outlets. Their sandwich bar makes excellent, healthy sandwiches, melts and submarines, alongside the offering of different breads, pastries and sweets.
Chana's
Chana's on W.A. Silva Mawatha is a small North Indian restaurant that has found its way into two of our Top-5 lists (biriyani and samosas). They also do a range of good curries, if you are in the mood for some chapati or naan.
Nihonbashi Honten
Nihonbashi Honten – not just the city's best Japanese restaurant, but one of the city's most seminal eateries, period. Where else can you get a Wagyuu burger? Or diamond-priced cuts of Kobe beef? Four-person portioned bowls of tsukune nabe? Darshan's Munidasa's gift to Colombo doesn't just offer slices of Japan plonked on a plate in the form of hasty sushi or donburi. Sometimes this baffling menu stretches to include the most aspirational, exotic offerings of Japanese cuisine.
Kyung Bok Kung
Kyung Bok Kung at Hotel Juliana does a pretty authentic take on Korean cuisine. The setting might be slightly dubious, and the DIY style might not be for everyone, but if you order the right dishes, you'll be glad you dropped in. All the dishes come in a single portion size which is usually enough for 2-3 people. The style here is that you can BBQ your own food on the table – there's a heating element provided. It can get a bit messy if you aren't careful, but it's definitely a unique experience.
Zen
Zen is somewhat hidden away at The Zylan Luxury Hotel on Rosmead Place. Being a boutique hotel, the interior decor and overall look of the space is quite tasteful with polished cement floors, large paintings, a beautiful grand piano and a tiny, well-maintained bamboo garden. This is honestly a great place for a private meal considering the fact that it's rarely over-crowded. Despite being quite underrated, Zen remains one of the better Japanese restaurants in Colombo, if you're a fan of Japanese cuisine and you prefer a private meal in a peaceful setting.
Noodles
Noodles at Cinnamon Grand offers one the most complete dining experiences around the city. Despite a menu that offers varying Asian cuisines, they manage to do all of it quite well. It’s a stress-free, well-executed dining experience which won’t leave a dent in your wallet. Despite the name, Noodles does offer a few rice dishes, too. The Spicy Thai Noodle with Pork comes with thin, light rice noodles is one of the best rice-based picks here.
Royal Thai
Royal Thai remains the reigning king of Thai food in Colombo. Although the original chef has left the establishment, the food and ambience here are still top notch. It's one of those rare places where almost everything you order is going to be delicious, whether you have a thing for Thai food or not.
Ambiance-wise, it's a very soothing, well-thought-out space, with wood carved and woven partitions and a classy touch of Thai decor. The flavours you expect from authentic Thai – lemongrass, kaffir lime, ginger, and cilantro – all come out well in their dishes. The food is clearly cooked with restraint. They don't give in to the temptation of Sri Lankanising their curries to appease the local palate. So you really get that poignant hit of Thai flavour that you're looking for.
&Co
Serving up possibly the best deal on ribs in the city, &Co is pretty good. It's part of The Steuart, a hotel housed in a beautiful old colonial building just between Dutch Hospital and Chatham Street. &Co is their pub and restaurant. It's a big, handsome space, built on the old, solid bones of a venerable building. There are brick walls, hardwood floors and hardwood beams.
Il Ponte
Il Ponte at Hilton is one of the older Italian restaurants in Colombo. It may not be as popular as it was back in the day, but their food is still pretty solid all-around. Their pizzas are really good and considering the flavour and quality of the ingredients used, we'd say it's good value for money.
Manhattan Fish Market
The Manhattan Fish Market has delicious seafood and ridiculously friendly staff. It's an awesome place to dine at if you can handle the bill. We highly recommend their Sexy Hot Whole Fish, which is sexy as hell. It's huge and comes wrapped in aluminium foil, and as your waiter unwraps it carefully, the mouth-watering fragrance of steaming whole fish will waft out of it.
Barracuda
Barracuda has grown into one of the best beachside hangouts in Colombo. They do a good take on Sri Lankan Chinese, and their HBC is one of the best around. This one is as good as it gets with a light, flavoursome and crunchy batter on top of perfectly cooked cuttlefish. Colombo doesn't actually have many options when it comes to great places to chill by the beach, so Barracuda is a welcome spot.
rare
Residence By Uga tries to push Sri Lankan ingredients further than they've ever gone before. For the most part, it works. It's an expensive restaurant, but there's a really high level of creativity and attention to detail going on here, and you'd get your money's worth. If for nothing else, go for the cocktails and ice cream. They verge on mind-blowing.
The Sandwich Factory
Despite the name, however, TSF doesn't deal purely with sandwiches. They also offer a range of burgers, wraps, fries and drinks. They're a little bit pricey for the quality of food you're getting, but they do have a nice diner-like ambience to cheer you up. They're also offering free delivery from the 12th to the 14th of April 2019.
Peppermint Cafe
Peppermint Cafe, one of the only 24/7 cafes in Colombo has been a tad rocky in terms of being consistent. Nonetheless, we managed to catch them on a good day. Their food might be a bit expensive, but, it's slim pickings this holiday. So, why not take your dog on a date out while you're at it.
Coi at dè Bungalow
Coi at de Bungalow is at the same place Havelock Place Bungalow used to be. Under the expert eye of one of the best young chefs in Colombo, Coi at de Bungalow has 3 separate menus. We tried their breakfast menu and we loved it.
Next Innings
Lastly, we have Darshan Munidasa's and the Sanga-Mahela duo's newest venture – Next Innings. Filling the void of Colombo's sports lounges, or lack thereof, this place blew us away. We suggest getting their Pizza, which is made from the world's only leather ball mosaic tiled pizza oven.
Also, keep in mind that all the hotels and fast food restaurants (Subway, McD's, Burger King, KFC etc..)will be open too.
