An Insider’s Guide To Sri Lanka

For a relatively small island, Sri Lanka has it all – Buddhist temples, ancient cities, colonial tea plantations, lush rainforest, cool hill stations, miles of palm-fringed beaches and extraordinary wildlife. But many visit the island solely for the food. So who better to show us around than Dom Fernando? The Sri Lankan chef is the man behind Soho’s Michelin-starred Paradise, which leans into his homeland’s tropical modernism movement – and serves some of London’s most spectacular cooking. Here, Dom shares his top places for hoppers, curry, sundowners and sleepovers…

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Pexels/Kanishka Ranasinghe

EAT

Local Favourite Food Hubs

After work in towns and villages, crowds huddle around street-food stalls known as roti-shops, making demands about hoppers, breads and kothu and what they want with their meals. Double egg, extra spicy sambol, vegetable gravy on the side. I went to a few near Thimbiligasaya Road in Colombo recently. The Asoka Hotel in particular had fresh hand-stretched parathas made right in front of your eyes, served with a vegetable gravy that was genuinely finger-licking good.

Great Casual Spots

I always try and pop by Stache in Colombo when I want brunch or a late lunch. It’s off the tourist path and offers some unique flavour combinations that I take inspiration from back in the kitchen at Paradise. If I’ve had a long day of meetings and want a slice of something European, then I call in Giovanni’s. It’s by far my favourite pizza in Sri Lanka and has got rave reviews from the local community. Gut-busting gratification at its best.

Paradise, Soho

A Restaurant Worth Travelling To

I wholeheartedly recommend Club Ceylon in Negombo. It’s housed in a beautifully restored colonial mansion with a BYOB policy. Elizabeth, who owns and runs the restaurant, has also worked in London and is bringing something really different and charming to the market.

The Fine-Dining Option

Last May, we launched Open Door Policy (our new 11-seater chef’s table) at our pals’ restaurant GINI Outdoor Kitchen. It’s a super interesting menu which combines locally sourced ingredients and open-fire cooking. Attentive service, brilliant cocktails – GINI has set the new benchmark in world-class hospitality for the island.

Pexels/Anton Polyakov

The Traditional Places To Know

When I’m in Colombo, I always go to Nuga Gama at the Cinnamon Grand hotel. It’s got the biggest range of dishes – from fresh hoppers and kothu roti to pickles and aromatic curries, all served outside under one of the oldest trees in the country. I also love The Pledge Scape in Negombo, right along the coast – they do a fantastic Negombo-style crab curry with yellow tempered rice and wing-bean curry. If you’re looking for somewhere to get over your jet lag that’s beachside and relaxed, you can’t go wrong with The Station in Colombo.

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DRINK

For Pre-Dinner Drinks

These are best for after dinner – or even for dinner. Sri Lanka has got such a vibrant drinking scene that has progressed over the last five years. In Colombo, I always go to Uncles on Park Street Mews. When down south, my new favourite for sundowners is Raa – a toddy bar with cocktails centred around this. It was opened recently by the team behind Smoke and Bitters (recently on the World’s 50 Best Bars list), and it feeds off the island’s natural larder. Both these places are serious about what goes in their glasses, but don’t miss out on the food from them either. From spicy drinking snacks that we call ‘short eats’ to podi plates and island fare, you’re guaranteed a hella good time.

For Nightcaps

For a nightcap down in Galle, I always call in at Ropewalk, which is the bar inside the Galle Fort Hotel. This bar has got the largest selection of arracks in the country (our national spirit – its fermented coconut sap and tastes like a cross between rum and whisky). Try the Rockland VX on the rocks – gentle woody notes with coconut and malt. It’s the perfect drink to round off the evening.

PALM, Ahangama

Amangalle

SHOP

Fresh ingredients are abundant in Sri Lanka – we literally find vegetables like breadfruit and jackfruit falling from our trees in the garden when we wake up in the morning. If you’re looking to buy some spices to remind you of the flavours of the island when you’re back at home, then visit Good Market in Independence Arcade in Colombo before your flight. They stock spices from small-batch farmers which are grown organically and with love – and you can find anything from cinnamon to cashew nuts here. Whip out your favourite Sri Lankan cookbook (mine is Madhur Jeffries’ At Home), pick a recipe at random and enjoy the act of cooking like a South Asian.

SLEEP

In Colombo, I usually stay at the Galle Face, which is the oldest hotel east of the Suez Canal. It’s got a great view over the Indian Ocean to enjoy a traditional hopper breakfast. Down South, my favourites are PALM in Ahangama and the Amangalle in Galle Fort. PALM is a bold concept hotel that brings a slice of modernism to the jungle, right between rice fields and palm trees around 5km from the sea. Amangalle on the other hand is a luxury white-washed maze of high-ceilinged suites, colonial furniture and lush gardens, with a nod to its Dutch heritage. They’re both really worth a visit.

To try the best Sri Lankan food in London, book a table at ParadiseSoho.com.

Pexels/Roman odintsov; Amangalle, Ben Richards

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