Location: Batticaloa
Top Restaurants in Batticaloa
Batticaloa Food Guide: 8 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Batticaloa
Batticaloa (Tamil: மட்டக்களப்பு, Maṭṭakkaḷappu; Sinhalese: මඩකලපුව, Madakalapuwa) is a major city in the Eastern Province, Sri Lanka, and its former capital. It is the administrative capital of the Batticaloa District. The city is the seat of the Eastern University of Sri Lanka and is a major commercial city. It is on the east coast, 69 miles (111 km) south of Trincomalee, and is situated on an island. Pasikudah is popular tourist destinations situated 35 km northwest with beaches and flat year-round warm-water shallow-lagoons.
Things to do in Batticaloa
1. Sunshine
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 88 reviews
As Sri Lanka's foremost baker and caterer with over a century of tradition behind them, Sunshine takes pride in producing every great tasting item of food on its list with care, and with a strong commitment to quality. One of the most revealing insights into how the bakery operates is a remark made by its manager who said, "We have maintained the quality of our products as a tribute to our customers who have always believed in us, and it is this relationship that has been the driving force behind our corporate success."
Reviewed By suzie8food - York, United Kingdom
We visited Tomato last night for dinner and were throughly impressed. The menu was very extensive and we all ordered curries from the Indian section. We have Indian food quite a lot and so can be quite hard to please but we all absolutely loved our curries, they were absolutely fantastic, as well as the naans.
Service was extremely fast and very friendly. Also great value for money! We loved it and would definitely recommend.
2. Sri Kishna Cafe
Overall Ratings
4 based on 41 reviews
Reviewed By slchanna - Reading, United Kingdom
We went there for three continues days for breakfast simply becuase the food was amazing and Super Cheap. 1st day we went early morning and i had String hoppers and wade and few other things. It was not crowded. I went to sleep that night thinking i have to wake up early just to have breakfast there :D. We went next both days bit late and it was really crowded but still didnt give up. If you are ok with vegi meal i doubt you will find a better place in Batticaloa. Its a Must try.
3. Cafe Chill
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 39 reviews
Reviewed By repatto
Cafe Chill is out of the way in Batticaloa but worth it to find. Has good coffee and friendly staff who speak good english. We had banana boats as well and they were a very generous serve. The decor is a nautical theme and very relaxing.
4. RN Buffet
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7 reviews
Reviewed By TGRobbo - Wellington
We stopped by for lunch during a bus stopover in Batticaloa, the spread we served was very impressive and super tasty. Highly recommended. Extremely hospitable hosts with perfect english. Worth the appx 7 min walk from the bus station.
5. Euro Vegetarian Restaurant
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By Hastwokitties - Batticaloa, Sri Lanka
Went here twice times with local friends (myself a foreigner, and two local friends) for rice & curry lunch. As we're all vegetarians, we all ordered the same thing. However, we noticed that, first of all, the price was really high for rice and vegetable curry - like 210 rupees each. Most places charge 150-160. Second, the bill is not itemized, so all we had to go by was to divide the bill evenly. The first time we noted the high price, but went ahead and paid anyway.
The second time we went, about a month later, we ordered the same thing and the bill was different from the first time. When we asked the waitress what the price was, her answer was completely different from what the divided bill said (if we multiplied what she told us by three, the total was different from our bill) as well as the bill on our original visit. When we said that there was a mistake and showed her the bill, she stammered and talked to someone behind the counter. She came back with a response that the price she quoted was the take-away packet price, and that sitting in-restaurant was an additional 40 rupees. She was unable to tell us if that was 40 rupees each, or for the table. It didn't really matter, because either way you added the 40 rupees, it still didn't equal our bill.
Note that the place had no menus printed, so really they can quote any price they want. The conclusion we drew is that since I'm foreign, we got a different price (each time) because this problem does not happen when just locals eat there. This two-tiered pricing happens a lot in shops in Sri Lanka, although not generally in restaurants.
6. Soul Connection
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 12 reviews
Reviewed By Ian S - Australia
Located on the strip of coastline wiped out by the 2004 tsunami When I first arrived after a long bus trip I thought I had made a error. It's a 400 rupee tuk tuk tide from bus station but that is the attraction. A Great beach. Manoj is a good host and food is fantastic. Away from city centre. Recharge your soul and battery. Breakfast 500 rupee, dinner 500-600 but worth it. Has a god restaurant and a hammock!!!
7. Ampaal Vegetarian Restaurant
Overall Ratings
5 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By Lawry1980 - Toulouse
Much to our delight, we found this gem of a place open on a public holiday. The food was fresh and very affordable (20-30 rupees per vada/pan-roll/etc). The food came with free and freshly made sauces/chutneys, and went down well with a nice cup of milk tea. The customer service was good as well, and the owner spoke all three languages (English, Tamil and Sinhalese); the waiters only spoke Tamil though, but that didn't matter much. There was a lot of food that we couldn't try, such as string hoppers, pittu, upma, and other typical Sri Lankan (and South Indian) delights. Everything looked freshly made and clean. Highly recommended if you're passing through Batticaloa city center and want to try some traditional local food!
8. Kiri Bjojan Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 6 reviews
Reviewed By peterh125 - Rugeley, United Kingdom
The restaurant has an extensive menu of Sri Lankan/Indian and Asian dishes and is very good value for money
Popular with families the premises are located in a modern block on the northern outskirts of Batticaloa on the main Trincomalee Highway (A15)
We found the service to be reasonable and friendly. The place is decorated with wild colourful murals depicting flora and fauna. Nice and cool with A/C and facilities very clean
