Our food and drink

Sri Lankan food

Traditional Sri Lankan food is a wonderful mix of taste, colour and aroma.Because the island’s location made it a popular stopping off point for foreign traders, indigenous spices such as cinnamon and cloves have been enriched by diverse culinary influences from around the world.

For example, the Arabs introduced saffron and rose water, while the Portuguese not only brought chillies to the island but also culinary terms such as “temper”, which is derived from the Portuguese word temperado, meaning to fry and season.

The Dutch introduced recipes rich in eggs and butter, like Breudher, a Dutch Christmas cake. There are also Malay influences, such as the steamed dessert watalappam and the rice dishes pilau and biriyani.

If you’d like to find out more, our Corporate Chef RJ Hassim has written a cookbook, Cook Kandalama Style, which explains more about Sri Lankan ingredients and techniques.

Restaurants and bars

Our buffets in the Kanchana Restaurant will give you the opportunity to try a wide range of Sri Lankan food, as well as the best of international cuisine. With dozens of choices and regular theme nights, you need never eat the same dish twice!

For fine dining in a sophisticated ambience, we also offer a globalà la carte dinner menuin our Kalu Diya Restaurant.

And for special occasions, you must try our Heritance cuisine – an elegant Sri Lankan menu featuring the best local ingredients. Or we have several options for dining in unusual locations, from a cave or a barge to our own vegetable garden or kitchen.

If you’re after something lighter, the Kachan Café and Kachan Bar offer a range of snacks, as well as local and international beers, wine and spirits.

• Heritance cuisine
• Kanchana Restaurant
• Kalu Diya Restaurant
• Other dining options
• Kandalama cookbook
• Kachan café and bars