Sri Lankan Restaurants in Dubai: Thushanis, Cinnamon Tree & more

Dubai is home to thousands of Sri Lankan expats, who have also brought their spicy, fresh and delectable cuisine to the city. There are several Sri Lankan restaurants in Dubai that you can try if you want to enjoy the unique flavour and taste of the region.

TOP SRI LANKAN RESTAURANTS IN DUBAI

The concept of Sri Lankan food is similar to that of Indian, Chinese or Thai cuisines, where white rice is the main staple accompanied by a variety of curries and appetisers. However, what sets Sri Lankan food apart is the cooking techniques, ingredients and the blend of spices.

Now that we have introduced you to Sri Lankan foods, let’s take a look at the best places where you can try authentic Sri Lankan food in Dubai.

CINNAMON TREE RESTAURANT

A traditional Sri Lankan plate of food with rice and different curries — Rice served with a tempting mix of curries and poppadums is one way to enjoy Sri Lankan food in Dubai

Cinnamon Tree holds the top spot on our list of the best Sri Lankan restaurants in Dubai. The eatery offers a sophisticated spread of appetisers, main courses, desserts and beverages.

The Cinnamon Tree restaurant menu has an extensive selection of seafood, vegetarian dishes and special koththu. Chicken, fish and beef curries are amongst the best dishes to try out.

Opening hours: 09:00 am – 12:00 midnight
Average cost for two: AED 95
Location: Ground Floor, Voyage Hotel, Behind Al Ghurair Mall, Al Rigga, Dubai
Contact: +971-4-225-2327

THUSHANIS

Residents of Discovery Gardens are in luck, as they won’t have to venture too far to find a good Sri Lankan restaurant in Dubai. Thushanis, a popular Sri Lankan eatery in the vicinity has a range of mains, salads, appetisers and beverages.

Thushani is a popular Sri Lankan restaurant in Discovery Garden that also offers a special executive lunch that includes a choice of curries, sambol and rice or brown rice to go with it. Whether you crave curry or a variety of devilled chicken, seafood or vegetables Thushanis signature dishes are perfect for a unique evening meal.

Opening hours: Sunday to Wednesday 07:00 am – 11:00 midnight | Thursday to Saturday 07:00 am – 12:00 midnight
Average cost for two: AED 90
Location: Shop 7, Ground Floor, Building 6, Zen 3, Street 1, Behind Grand Midwest Hotel, Discovery Gardens, Dubai
Contact: +971-4-452-9502

LAKWIL

The Lakwil restaurant menu offers a delicious amalgamation of flavours. Hot butter cuttlefish and the Sri Lankan mud crab curry is the crowd-favourite here. Pol pitto, pol rotti, mix kottu and string hoppers are not to be missed if you’re dining at Lakwil. Pair the delectable food with live music, a full bar and live entertainment, you’ve got yourself a perfect weekend night out in Dubai.

Opening hours: 12:00 pm – 03:00 am
Average cost for two: AED 160
Location: Donatello Hotel, Al Barsha, Dubai
Contact: +971-55-970-6133

CHEF LANKA

String hoppers with a beef curry and boiled eggs is a popular dish available at Sri Lankan restaurants in Dubai — Try the unique taste of string hoppers with a spicy beef curry

Chef Lanka is a Sri Lankan buffet restaurant in Al Karama, Dubai widely popular among the locals and Sri Lankan expats for their prawn kothu and fish curries with rice or appams.

The Chef Lanka extensive menu has a range of spicy delicacies such as Kuththu paratha, which is the perfect dish to set your taste buds on fire! If the food gets too spicy for you, try watalappan, caramel pudding and banana fritters from the dessert menu.

Opening hours: 08:30 am – 11:30 pm
Average cost for two: AED 80
Location: Ground Floor, Al Khazana Centre, Opposite Karama Park, Al Karama, Dubai
Contact: +971-4-335-3050

RED BOX

Owners and tenants residing in the apartments in Al Qusais can head to Red Box to enjoy a traditional Sri Lankan meal. The restaurant is ranked amongst the most affordable Sri Lankan restaurants in Dubai if you wish to try staples from the country.

Chicken fried rice with devilled meat or vegetables are popular here. So, if you’re looking for spicy food, Red Box has a range of fiery foods such as hoppers, curries and sambols served with rice or rotis.

Opening hours: 08:00 am – 11:30 pm
Average cost for two: AED 70
Location: Ground Floor, City Tower, Beside UAE Exchange, Damascus Street, Qusais, Dubai
Contact: +971-4-258-3318

ARALIYA

Araliya is known as one of the cheap Sri Lankan restaurants in Dubai. This Sri Lankan food hot spot in Dubai is a good option for breakfast. Beef and chicken curries from Araliya stand out in terms of taste and flavours. Refreshing soda sarbath is all you need to have a complete Sri Lankan meal at Araliya.

Opening hours: 09:00 am – 11:30 pm
Average cost for two: AED 60
Location: Near Vasantam Hotel, Meena Bazaar, Dubai
Contact: +971-4-393-1622

KANDY KLUB

Chicken Curry is popular in Sri Lankan cuisine — Sri Lankan chicken curry offers a distinctive and unique flavour

Kandy Klub is a Sri Lankan restaurant and bar in Dubai. Known for its extensive culinary offerings paired with a happy hour deal makes Kandy Klub a perfect place to party.

Sports buffs will be delighted to know that Kandy Klub has a huge screen that comes in handy during major sporting events.

Now you know where to enjoy a cricket match and cheer for your home team. Coming to the Kandy Klub menu, it offers an array of Sri Lankan staples including starters like kadala, wada dall, hadallo fried and soya meat devilled.

Similarly, patrons can enjoy plenty of main courses, such as pol rotti with katta sombal, godamba rotti with 1 egg rotti, 3 plain rottis and seeni sombal, Sri Lankan crab curries and prawns with hot butter sauce that you can try.

Opening hours: 09:00 am – 11:30 pm
Average cost for two: AED 190
Location: Ground Floor, Chelsea Plaza Hotel, Al Satwa, Dubai
Contact: +971-54-401-2710

OTHER POCKET-FRIENDLY SRI LANKAN RESTAURANTS IN DUBAI

Image of Hoppers with eggs — Hoppers are a staple in Sri Lankan cuisine. A hopper with fried eggs makes the perfect Sri Lankan breakfast

Besides these restaurants, there are other locations where you can try Sri Lankan foods on a budget.

BUR DUBAI SRI LANKA RESTAURANT

Opening hours: 08:00 am – 11:00 pm
Average cost for two: AED 50
Location: Near HSBC Bank, Tailor Street, Meena Bazaar, Dubai
Contact: +971-4-353-5182

SERENDIB TOWN

Opening hours: 07:00 am – 11:00 pm
Average cost for two: AED 80
Location: Shop 2, Ground Floor, Abdul Rasool Building, Behind NMC Hospital, Al Nahda, Dubai
Contact: +971-4-223-2685

SPICY CEYLON

Opening hours: 07:00 am – 11:00 pm
Average cost for two: AED 80
Location: Shop 2, Ground Floor, Abdul Rasool Building, Behind NMC Hospital, Al Nahda, Dubai
Contact: +971-56-324-5664

That’s a wrap for our list of the best Sri Lankan restaurants in Dubai. Most of the eateries listed above are budget-friendly, yet authentic. Chinese and Indian food are two other exciting cuisines to try in Dubai if you enjoy spicy goodness. If you are hankering for an authentic curry, try the best Indian restaurants in Dubai. Or pop into the Chinese restaurants in Dubai if you fancy an oriental dining experience.

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