Sri Lanka Street Food: 12 Dishes to Try and Where to Find Them

Sri Lankan street food at a glance

1. Kottu roti

Kottu is Sri Lanka's favourite late-night food. The cook chops godamba roti (a thin flatbread) with vegetables, egg, cheese or meat on a hot griddle using two metal blades, making a loud, rhythmic beat you'll hear from down the street. It's served with curry gravy. Try vegetable, egg, chicken or cheese kottu.

2. Hoppers and egg hoppers

Hoppers (appa) are made from fermented rice flour and coconut milk, cooked in small round pans to form a bowl that's soft in the middle and crispy at the edges. An egg hopper has an egg cooked in the centre. Eat them with lunu miris (a spicy onion and chilli relish) or curry.

3. String hoppers

String hoppers (idiyappa) are delicate nests of rice flour noodles, steamed and served with dhal, coconut sambol and curry. They're a common breakfast and dinner.

4. Isso wade

On Galle Face Green and along the coast, vendors sell isso wade: crispy, spicy lentil fritters topped with whole prawns, served with onion and chilli. Ulundu wade (a doughnut-shaped fritter) and parippu wade (lentil fritters) are vegetarian options.

5. Roti

Roti is everywhere: plain, egg, vegetable or pol roti (with coconut and chilli). Sweet versions are filled with banana, chocolate or treacle. Pol roti with lunu miris is a simple, delicious breakfast.

6. Short eats

"Short eats" are snacks displayed in glass cases in bakeries and cafés. Typical ones include: - Fish buns: soft bread filled with spiced fish and potato. - Patties: half-moon pastries with fish, chicken or vegetables. - Cutlets: crumbed balls of spiced fish or vegetables. - Chinese rolls: crumbed pancakes rolled around a spicy filling. - Samosas: crispy triangles with spiced fillings. In some cafés, a plate of short eats is put on your table and you pay for what you eat.

7. Kadala and chickpea snacks

Kadala is boiled chickpeas tempered with onion, chilli, mustard seeds and curry leaves, often sold in paper cones by the beach.

8. Achcharu

Achcharu is spicy pickled fruit, like mango, pineapple or ambarella, mixed with chilli, salt and sugar. Sweet, sour and spicy all at once.

9. Fresh fruit with chilli and salt

Street vendors sell green mango, pineapple and guava with salt and chilli. See Sri Lankan fruits.

10. Corn and peanuts

Grilled corn on the cob and roasted peanuts in paper cones are popular evening snacks by the sea.

11. Sweets

Try kavum (oil cakes), kokis (crispy flower-shaped biscuits), aluwa and watalappan (a jaggery and coconut custard), especially around Sinhala and Tamil New Year in April.

12. Drinks

• King coconut (thambili): the best street drink.
• Faluda: a sweet, rose-flavoured milk drink with jelly and basil seeds.
• Wood apple juice: sour-sweet and refreshing.
• Plain tea (kahata) and milk tea: sold everywhere, very sweet.
• Ginger beer: a local favourite.

Where to eat street food

Colombo

• Galle Face Green: as the sun sets, food stalls serve isso wade, kottu and grilled corn by the ocean. It's a lively, family-friendly scene.
• Pettah: the busy market district has stalls and small eateries serving short eats, roti and sweets.
• Neighbourhood kottu shops: found all over the city, busy late at night.

See Colombo, one day in Colombo and our Colombo city tour.

Kandy

Small cafés and bakeries around the town centre and market serve short eats, hoppers and curd with treacle. See things to do in Kandy.

Galle

Inside and around Galle Fort, you'll find small cafés serving roti, hoppers and short eats. See things to do in Galle.

Jaffna

Jaffna has its own Tamil street food: dosai, vadai, crab curry and Jaffna's famous ice cream. See things to do in Jaffna.

Along the road

Roadside stalls sell king coconut, fruit, corn and roti. Your driver will know the best ones. Look out for curd and treacle stalls on the road between the hill country and the south.

Is street food safe?

Yes, if you follow a few simple rules: - Choose busy stalls with a high turnover. - Eat food cooked fresh and hot in front of you. - Avoid food that's been sitting out in the sun. - Drink bottled water or king coconut. - Carry hand sanitiser and wet wipes. - Start slowly with spicy food.

See things to know before visiting Sri Lanka.

Spice levels

Sri Lankan food can be very spicy. Ask for "less spicy" ("sera aduwen" in Sinhala) or "no chilli". Kottu and short eats can usually be made milder.

Vegetarian and vegan street food

There's plenty of vegetarian street food: vegetable kottu, parippu wade, ulundu wade, pol roti, kadala and fruit. Note that some dishes contain Maldive fish (dried fish flakes), so ask if you're strictly vegetarian. See vegetarian food in Sri Lanka.

Eating etiquette

• Many Sri Lankans eat with their right hand. Try it; it's part of the experience.
• Use your right hand to eat and pass food.
• Wash your hands before and after eating.
• It's fine to ask for a spoon if you prefer.

Street food prices

Street food is very cheap compared with restaurant food. Carry small notes and coins. See money in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lanka trip cost guide.

A street food evening in Colombo

• 5:00 pm: walk to Galle Face Green.
• 5:30 pm: isso wade and king coconut by the ocean at sunset.
• 7:00 pm: kottu at a busy local shop.
• 8:00 pm: faluda or ice cream for dessert.

Learn to cook street food

Join a cooking class to learn hoppers, roti, sambol and curries. See food and cooking.

Food tours

On a food tour, a local guide takes you to the best stalls, explains each dish and helps you order. It's the easiest and safest way to try street food. See our Sri Lanka food tour.

Street food for families

Children often love plain roti, sweet roti, corn, short eats and king coconut. Ask for mild versions. See Sri Lanka with kids.

Street food during festivals

During Vesak, many communities set up free food stalls called dansal, offering rice and curry, drinks and snacks to everyone as an act of generosity. During the Sinhala and Tamil New Year, homes are full of sweets. See Vesak in Sri Lanka and Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

Street food and the rest of Sri Lankan cuisine

Street food is just the start. Don't miss a full rice and curry, crab curry, lamprais (a Dutch Burgher dish baked in a banana leaf) and fresh seafood on the coast. See Sri Lankan food to try.

Street food on your tour

With a private driver, you can stop at roadside stalls, bakeries and kottu shops along the way. Just tell your driver you'd like to try local food. See our private driver page and our Sri Lanka itinerary.

Street food by time of day

Street food words to know

• Kottu: chopped roti dish.
• Appa: hoppers.
• Idiyappa: string hoppers.
• Wade: fritters.
• Sambol: a spicy relish, such as pol sambol (coconut).
• Thambili: king coconut.
• Sera aduwen: less spicy.

Regional street food

Street food and hygiene: what to look for

Look for stalls with clean surfaces, fresh oil, food cooked to order and plenty of local customers. Avoid salads and raw garnishes at small stalls if you have a sensitive stomach, and stick to cooked, hot dishes.

Street food for first-timers

If you're new to Sri Lankan food, start with plain roti, egg hoppers, vegetable kottu, short eats and king coconut. Once you're comfortable, try isso wade, kadala and achcharu. Eat a little at a time, and drink plenty of water.

Street food with a guide

A local guide can take you to the best stalls, explain what you're eating and help you order in Sinhala or Tamil. It's a great first evening activity in Colombo. See one day in Colombo.

Bringing the flavours home

Buy curry powder, roasted spice mixes and a small hopper pan to cook Sri Lankan food at home. A cooking class during your trip is the best way to learn the recipes before you go. See souvenirs from Sri Lanka.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Eating at quiet stalls where food has been sitting out.
• Ordering the spiciest option on your first day.
• Drinking tap water.
• Missing kottu at night, when it's freshest and the shops are busiest.
• Only eating in hotels; street food is the real taste of Sri Lanka.