No Need For A Food Scavenger Hunt In Galle. We've Found Them All!

places to eat in galle
Sue Anne
Sue Anne 
Updated
| 5 min read

I am a foodie who just explored Sri Lanka. So this is my absolute favourite topic to talk about! Brace yourselves, you’re in for a ride. Galle is situated at the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka and is about a two hour drive from Colombo. One of its famous landmarks is the Galle Fort, built in 1588 by the Portuguese, then extensively fortified by the Dutch during the 17th century. Facing the sea and filled with quaint shops and restaurants, this historical, archaeological and architectural heritage monument (recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site) is definitely worth a visit while you’re in Galle. Besides this fort, there are so many other foodscapades around Galle. Here are ten that you should definitely try out.

1. Spoons

Coconut Flan
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user norwichnuts used under CC BY 2.0

For a place that is number one on the list, you’d never expect it to be a place with just 6 tables. But that’s what Spoons is. A cosy restaurant that serves a mixture of Sri Lankan and Western cooking, it fills up at an incredible rate (especially since there are very limited tables) so try to get there before 6pm. Even if you don’t make it in time, you should still wait in line because what you’re going to eat will blow your mind!

Order the shrimp wrap and a shrimp taco, both extremely flavourful, and the curries here are a must try! The fish kebabs are also amazing and all of this you can order in varying amounts of spicy. So it’s up to you if you want to bump up the sweat and satisfaction during your meal. For dessert, there are so many great items to choose from! You can get the ‘Silk Route Toffee’ or Coconut Flan, both are absolutely amazing. Or you can try a local Sri Lankan sweet treat, the Wattalapam, which is made from Jaggery (natural coconut sap sugar), eggs, coconut milk and slices of banana. So good…

There is no alcohol served here, but you’ll still have fun with ginger beer! Not to mention the great service. Despite the hustle and bustle, the friendly staff and the affordable price of your meal is sure to leave you with a smile.

Spoons

Address: 100 Pedlar St Galle, Sri Lanka

Price: from 3 USD

Opening Hours: 11am - 9pm. Closed on public holidays.

Contact: +94 77 102 0063

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2. Mama's Galle Fort

This is the best breakfast in Sri Lanka !! Sweet, mild, hot and fresh ! I strongly recommend this restaurant, Mama's Rooftop Cafe.

Posted by Masaya Yano on Saturday, 22 March 2014

Malini Perera serves delicious and fresh home cooked food at her restaurant. But that’s not all! If you want to learn how to prepare Sri Lankan cuisine yourself, she will guide you through it during one of her cooking classes she offers to the public for 30 USD, which even includes a trip to the new town market.

Mama's Galle Fort

Address: Small Cross St, Galle 80000, Sri Lanka

Price: from 6 USD

Contact: +94 91 2 226415

Website: Mama’s Galle Fort

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3. Lucky Fort Restaurant

斯里蘭卡的10道咖哩

Posted by Alberto Coloane on Monday, 8 February 2016

This is the place to go for authentic Sri Lankan cuisine. Just amazing food and service, this family owned restaurant could very well be one of the best in Galle. Homemade food cooked by the mum of the family, the menu differs every day, depending on the availability of ingredients at the fresh market. That’s how fresh the food is there. Which is why the really friendly staff will talk you through your order to advise you on what the best dishes are for the day!

When you are here, do not leave without trying the Rice with 10 different curries. This is the reason people flock to Lucky Fort Restaurant. It is divine, authentic Sri Lankan cuisine. You would not have truly experienced Sri Lanka until you’ve tasted all 10 curries they serve you. The assortment of curries are usually fish, green beans, jackfruit, pineapple, lentils, beetroot, potato, brinjal, ash plantain, pumpkin, served with a side of rice. Incredibly appetizing, it is enough for 2 people and only costs about 1000 rupees (6.50 USD)! How’s that for your money’s worth.

Lucky Fort Restaurant

Address: 7, Prarawa street Galle, Galle 80000, Sri Lanka

Price: from 6.50 USD

Opening Hours: 9am - 10pm. Closed on public holidays.

Contact: +94 91 2 242922

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4. Crepe-ology

Top off your Christmas dinner at Crepe-ology with our Chocolate Crepe Tower!

Posted by Crêpe-ology on Tuesday, 23 December 2014

A beautiful rooftop restaurant, very popular in Galle Fort, this place serves very yummy crepes. You can also enjoy the best Shisha with the highest quality of tobacco there is after you’ve eaten your crepe.

Crepe-ology

Address: Layn Baan St, Galle 80000, Sri Lanka

Opening Hours: 9am - 11pm. Closed on public holidays.

Contact: +94 91 2 234777

Website: Crepe-ology

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Galle Tour Guide

K E Suneth Jayasinghe

K E Suneth Jayasinghe

AYUBOWAN! I was born and raised in Colombo, like to travel and meet new people around the world. I am very social and like spending out of the home most time. I have chosen to be a tour guide because I know then I can meet new people all the time. It is a wonderful profession that helps me a lot to improve my knowledge about my country and the get to know many different cultured people around the world. I have been a tour guide since 1998 and have completed over 500 tours or more and met people from many countries. I like this job very much and I am looking forward to meeting you on my next tour. My registered license No - NTGL 0701

Tours by K e suneth

5. Fortazela

Await details coming soon......

Posted by Fortaleza on Thursday, 1 December 2016

A restaurant with a gorgeous interior and an open courtyard, this is one elegant place to dine for an evening. Surrounded by beautiful colonnaded porches, this quiet and classy atmosphere is complete with a bar where you can get wine, beer or whatever your heart wishes for. Galle is well known for its seafood what with it being right next to the sea and all. So you must try the seafood here, especially the tuna. Take a bite out of it and you’ll instantly know how fresh it is. Beautifully cooked, seared with a pepper crust, it was easily the best there, in my opinion. If you need your meat fix, the lamb chop is also a great option. Besides this delicious delicacy, also try the Thai red curry with rice. Enhanced with Sri Lankan flavour, this dish should not be passed.

Fortazela

Address: Church Cross St, Galle 80000, Sri Lanka

Price: from 13 USD

Opening Hours: 8.30am - 10pm. Closed on public holidays.

Contact: +94 91 2 233415

Website: Fortazela

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6. Pedlar’s Inn Café

Posted by Pedlar's Inn Cafe on Wednesday, 6 April 2016

Inside an old colonial house, with splendid interiors, this popular café has an ambience that you’d want to immerse yourself in. Inside the beautiful Galle Fort itself, this quaint café has long tables perfect for lounging the day away. You can have milk shakes, coffee and sandwiches while relaxing here with a good book. For something heavier, try their rice and curry, basil chicken and any seafood in the menu. It’s hard to go wrong with seafood in Galle. If you’re craving something sweet and cold in the Sri Lankan heat, the brownie with ice cream is the perfect dessert to have here.

Pedlar’s Inn Café

Address: Pedlar St, Galle 80000, Sri Lanka

Price: from 7 USD

Opening Hours: 9am - 10pm. Closed on public holidays.

Contact: +94 91 2 225333

Website: Pedlar’s Inn Café

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7. Hopper Cart/Stand

Sri Lanka-Egg hoppers
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Ji-Elle used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Taking a break from restaurants, however amazing they are, and going into the streets, Galle has no shortage of tasty street food! One of my favourite snacks in Sri Lanka, the String Hopper is one versatile treat. It can be served at the most elegant of buffets with a chef in a toque blanche delicately creating a work of art hopper, or, deftly tossed together with great coordination by booth owner on the side of the road. The hopper, is I daresay, the most popular street food in Sri Lanka. It is essentially thin crispy dough made of rice flour, crafted with care into a shape of a basket. You could have it for any meal, breakfast, lunch, or dinner. And you can eat it with katta sambol (chilli paste), cooked with an egg in the middle of it, as a dessert stuffed with Jaggery, or even on its own!

Galle Fort

Address: 59 Church St, Galle 80000, Sri Lanka

Price: from 1 USD

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8. Elita Restaurant

Posted by Elita Restaurant on Monday, 6 March 2017

Krishantha Suranjith who has worked as a chef in Belgium for thirteen years has set up a two-level restaurant with a view overlooking the light house and harbour in Galle. Who wouldn’t want to try his cooking out? Doesn’t hurt that the restaurant ambience is delightful, the food amazing, the portions generous, and a bill that does not burn through your wallet. A must try is the snapper pan fried with lime cream and the grilled tuna with garlic sauce. Alcohol is served here, so enjoy the mouth-watering seafood at the Elita with a glass of Chilean Chardonnay, or whatever it is you fancy.

Elita Restaurant

Address: 34 Middle St, Galle 80000, Sri Lanka

Price: from 10 USD

Opening Hours: 8am - 11pm. Closed on public holidays.

Contact: +94 77 242 3442

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9. The Original Rocket Burger

Posted by The Original Rocket Burger on Thursday, 23 October 2014

For something more Western after you’ve had your fill of Sri Lankan curry, The Original Rocket Burger inside the Galle Fort is worth a visit. Humungous portions of beautifully cooked meat wrapped cosily between two pieces of bread, the burgers here are the best I’ve had in Galle. Delectable meat, perfectly crisp fries and cold drinks to complete the meal, I highly recommend this place when you drop by Galle.

The Original Rocket Burger

Address: 24 Pedlar St, Galle 80000, Sri Lanka

Price: from 4 USD

Opening Hours: 11am - 10pm. Closed on public holidays.

Contact: +94 76 637 4864

Website: The Original Rocket Burger

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A Sri Lankan foodscapade

Hope I made you hungry! Go to as many of these restaurants as you can. Each destination has its own allure. Sri Lankan food is unique and diverse, due to its rich history and culture, which is why food in Sri Lanka is so interesting to explore. Dishes often have elements from different countries yet at the same time there is harmony in the flavour. It will be a long time before you get bored of Sri Lanka’s scrumptious food. Happy eating in Galle!

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Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

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Malaysian, fun loving and always eager for a new experience, Sue Anne loves travel as much as she loves food. And they happen to go hand in hand, which is why exploring new places around the world...Read more

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