Rianne Shlebak , Jake Missing & Heidi Lauth Beasley
Sri Lanka isn’t referred to as Spice Island for no reason. This cuisine leads with the spices, whether that’s cardamom in biryani, chilli in the devilled prawns, or curry leaf in sauces, each dish packs a punch. After plenty of parathas and potentially discovering the world’s most addictive snack at a restaurant in Tooting, we’ve put together a list of nine excellent spots serving Sri Lankan food in London.
Unrated : Restaurants we want to re-visit before assigning a rating. We only rate spots where you can eat a full meal. We won’t rate a coffee shop, bar that only serves peanuts, or dessert shop.
10 Stoney St, London, United Kingdom SE1 9AD
Sometimes all you need is a warming open-fire kitchen, clay-coloured walls, and course after course of well-balanced, deeply satisfying small plates to remind you why London is so great. Rambutan in Borough Market has all that, and so much more. Prawns cooked in a silky curry sauce over the fiery aduppu are a must-order, as are flaky rotis for mopping up every last drop of said sauce. The counter is the sought-after spot for a front-row seat to the kitchen action. And however many rounds of gundu dosas you get, don’t skip the excellent soft serve.
36 Maiden Lane, London, England WC2E 7LJ
Adoh! is the kind of restaurant we’d love to stumble into as a confused tourist, a weary Londoner, or anyone wandering around Covent Garden looking for the hum of chilli. The sibling to Kolamba has a canteen-ish feel with plastic chairs, colourful murals, and a menu that focuses on Sri Lankan street food. The traditional dishes, like moreish mutton rolls or the tingly crab kothu are best, and although bits like fried chicken and waffles underwhelm, there’s still enough punch in the sambol to show off that Adoh! knows its stuff.
This family-run neighbourhood restaurant on Worcester Park’s Central Road is home to some of the city's finest mutton rolls, a ceylon chicken curry that will give any spice enthusiast a run for their money, and plenty of vegetarian options including a cashew curry we’re convinced is 80% cream. But our favourite dishes at Colombo Kitchen have one thing in common: prawns. From the beer-battered hot butter prawns, to the king prawn curry, Colombo is a place that knows its way around seafood. Spacious and comfortable, this is a great spot for groups, low-key birthday celebrations, or the kind of weeknight dinner you’ll think about until the weekend.
90 Tooting High St, London , SW17 0RN
One of London’s most reliable Sri Lankan spots, Jaffna has been around since 1991. And after taking a seat in the homely dining room, you’ll pick up on the fact that this is a place people return to. Takeaway orders fly out the door and Tooting locals drop by to pick up a cardamom-heavy kothu here and a bag of mutton rolls there. The curries are great, in particular the Jaffna special chicken curry—a rich and spicy tomato-based sauce with tender pieces of boneless chicken. Paired with the egg hopper, it’s a winning combination. The spot is perfect for a cosy catch-up with a few friends over mutton biriyani and fried string hoppers.
There are restaurants we like. And then there are restaurants that make us want to bulk order megaphones and walk the streets of London guiding unsuspecting hungry people towards some bone marrow varuval. Hoppers in King’s Cross falls into the latter category. As well as the signature egg hoppers, bone marrow varuval, and lamb shank buriani, there’s the World’s Buffest Prawns, that from here on out we’ll refer to as BBQ Zeus. Outside of the excellent dosas, hoppers, and Sri Lankan bites, you’ll definitely want to get involved in the karis and realistically, as many dishes as you can fit on your table.
114 Tooting High St, London, SW17 0RR
Another must-try Tooting spot, Kothu unsurprisingly serves some really amazing mutton kothu roti. Finely shredded roti, meaty, flavourful chunks of mutton, all generously topped with a layer of spring onion, this hefty portion of kothu arrives with a thick curry sauce on the side. And the best part? You get to choose the spice level. Come with a group and take one of the booths at the back, or head in for a quick solo meal—we suggest a string hopper set meal while listening to a nice podcast. Just make sure you get the cheesy mutton rolls—they’re deep-fried, and filled with slow-cooked lamb and cheese.
188-190 Tooting High St, Tooting, Greater London SW17 9RT
Walk past this Sri Lankan spot at the quieter end of Tooting High Street any night of the week and you’ll catch a glimpse of tables filled with mutton kothu rotis and ceylon chicken curries being scooped onto plates midway through a story being told. Apollo Banana Leaf is as much for a laid-back catch-up with friends as it is a practical solo meal after work. In both cases, the comforting Sri Lankan classics are consistently good. Sit in the casual dining room that feels like an old-school community centre function room, nearly burn your tongue on the golden mutton rolls, and order more than you can eat.
156-158 Forest Rd, London, England E17 6JQ
Once you work your way to the back of this Walthamstow corner shop, you’ll reach Best Food Supermarket’s hidden Sri Lankan and South Indian food counter. There are inviting trays piled high with smoky aubergine and rich mutton curries. Our repeat order is: the spicy chicken samosas, crispy mutton rolls, and the sweet paneer curry. It’s a grab-and-go spot, but the curries make for a tasty takeaway feast and the handheld items are elite bus snacks.
If you work in Soho and you’re the kind of person who likes to discuss strategy over sambol, then you’re going to love Kolamba. This Sri Lankan sharing plates restaurant is smack bang in the middle of things in Kingly Street and some of its flavours hit you smack bang in the face. Things like dry-fried beef chatti roast and crispy chilli cuttlefish are ideal chatting and chewing food, while parripu—red lentil with coconut milk and turmeric—is something we could eat every day. Space-wise it’s deceptively big with an upstairs best suited for lunch catch-ups and a moodier downstairs that screams date night and dessert.
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Paradise, a tiny Sri Lankan spot in Soho, serves a six-course set menu that can be hit and miss.
Rianne has been searching for London's best sweet treats and eating every thin-crust pizza in sight since 2019.
Jake has always been in London but still makes a wrong turn in Soho. When he isn’t in a restaurant, you’ll find him eating Taytos in a pub.
Heidi has been excessively eating cacio e pepe and writing about it since 2018 and accidentally over-sharing since birth.
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