Rice and Curry
~$4Vegetarian option
Rice and curry here leans on the lagoon and coast: a fish or prawn curry alongside the usual vegetable and dhal sides.
Food & Dining in Chilaw
Local dishes to try
Kottu Roti
~$4Vegetarian option
Chopped flatbread stir-fried with vegetables, egg or meat — a filling dinner-time staple sold at roadside kades around town.
Hoppers
~$3Vegetarian option
Fermented rice-flour pancakes, usually eaten at breakfast with a spicy lunu miris sambol or a coconut-milk curry.
String Hoppers
~$3Vegetarian option
Steamed rice-noodle nests served with curry and coconut sambol — a lighter alternative to hoppers, common at breakfast.
Lagoon Crab and Prawns
~$8Vegetarian option
Chilaw's lagoon and fishing harbour supply crab and prawns to kitchens along the coast road — the town's most distinctive dish, usually served in a dark, chilli-heavy Sri Lankan-style curry.
Where to eat
Lagoon-Side Seafood Spots
Sri Lankan, SeafoodBudget to midrangeVegetarianVeganFamily friendly
Crab curryPrawn curryRice and curry
Rice-and-Curry Canteens near the Clock Tower
Sri LankanBudget to midrangeVegetarianVeganFamily friendly
Rice and curryShort eats
Family Restaurants on the Colombo Road
Sri Lankan and ChineseBudget to midrangeVegetarianVeganFamily friendly
Rice and curryFried rice
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