Location: Dambulla
Top Restaurants in Dambulla
Top Things to do in Dambulla
- 1. The Golden Temple
- 2. Golden Cave Temple
- 3. Popham's Arboretum
- 4. Ibbankatuwa Megalithic Tombs
- 5. Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
- 6. Dambulla Dedicated Economic Centre
- 7. Kaludiya Pokuna
- 8. Menikdena Archaeological Reserve and Arboretum
- 9. Painting Conservation & Research Center, Painting Museum
Dambulla Food Guide: 10 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Dambulla
Dambulla (Sinhalese: දඹුල්ල Dam̆bulla, Tamil: தம்புள்ளை Tampuḷḷai) is a large town, situated in the Matale District, Central Province of Sri Lanka, situated 148 km (92 mi) north-east of Colombo and 72 km (45 mi) north of Kandy. Due to its location at a major junction, it is the centre of vegetable distribution in the country.
Things to do in Dambulla
1. JC's Village
Overall Ratings
4 based on 61 reviews
Please keep an option for Sri Lankan/Sinhalese food!
Reviewed By JonathanvanBilsen01 - Port Perry, Canada
Although this is a guest house and restaurant I did not stay overnight and only had lunch in the restaurant. It was good.
Roadside tourist restaurants all seem to be similar. Menu items are the same and the local buffet has similar dishes.
The place was clean and the grilled cheese with fries and a Fanta came to about $8 US. There was a large TV, which was entertaining, albeit in Singalese.
There were numerous antiques, likely collected by CJ (if in fact he exists), such as a 1950 Morris Minor, a very old Victrola and some colonial furniture. The one thing I did not like was the 'zoo'.
A large Turkey, a few rabbits, some chickens and an owl, all cooped up in small cages. Other than that it's an OK spot to stop for lunch. As I said earlier I
did not spend the night, but the motel-styled rooms looked tired for the outside.
2. Benthota Bake House
Overall Ratings
4 based on 220 reviews
Reviewed By Dec105 - Dublin, Ireland
Despite being a growing tourism destination, Dembulla is not blessed with many (should say any?) restaurants catering for visitors.
Benthota has a restaurant on the ground floor which seems very popular with locals, and is quite cheap. We were advised to go to the more 'upmarket' restaurant on the first floor. Mistake. It was absolutely awful.
Roughly double the price of the downstairs version, and no shortage of waiters and busboys rushing to your attention.
All very fine - except for the food. Dull, disappointing and - in the case of one dish - inedible. How can you commit such grevious sins with standard Asian dishes?
Won't mention the ridiculous soap operas blaring on the TV in the background- they seemed to bring great joy to the wait staff.
3. Athula Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 229 reviews
Reviewed By Basia A
What a scam!
Paying 725 rupees per person for a "buffet" in Sri Lanka I would expect outstanding quality and taste.
How dissapointed we were when the food, or actually the leftovers, were old and everything but tasty. Rice was dry and the selection of curry was in majority not edible (Unless you are a fan of bones). We also ordered some coke and we paid... 250 rupees per one!
We tried to talk with the owner and suggest a discount as we barely eat. The only answer was "I don't see a problem"... So in the end we paid over 2500 rupees for empty plates, rude owner and 20 minutes drive from the center.
4. Kanchana Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 80 reviews
Reviewed By Mochilero22 - Miami, Florida
Lovely restaurant, lovely hotel! Design is world class & interesting how the spaces all work together to create a seamless whole. The modernist, Scandiavian, Sri Lankan vibe permeates and plays off the lovely verdant jungle & lake view! Charming!
Set lunch was very nice, food was very nice - not extraordinary but lovely. Service was a but spotty and the waiter seemed to be running on autopilot - service was good but not extraordinary. Price for the set lunch was $15 per person .. One needs to add tax and service as well. For that price I came away truly satisfied and very well feed, sincerely happy and utterly stuffed!
After the meal we spent some 2 wonderful hrs lazily strolling the interior and exterior spaces - great fun for modernist architecture lovers such as ourselves. Unfortunately the price point of having the privelage to spend the night was a bit dear for us - but we were more than happy to enjoy a good meal and tour the lovely property! Goes without saying ... We won't soon forget our visit!
5. Cafe Kachchan, Hotel Heritance kandalama
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 37 reviews
Reviewed By Traveltubbies - Colombo, Sri Lanka
A beautifully decorated restaurant, huge buffet spread for dinner. Food were all delicious, interesting and nicely presented. The service was prompt and attentive. We enjoyed our time here and coffee/tea served at the lounge just outside listening to live music was a great way to wind down after a great meal.
6. Gimanhala
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 163 reviews
Best Stopover for Traveler's to refresh, relax and for a snack. It served snacks, beverages and meals. Easy parking, wash rooms and also dinning facility.
Reviewed By shalitha s
The food was very expensive and was of low quality was given at very small portions. We ordered small rice portions which were priced at 700 and per person and at any hotel/high end restaurant for that price we could have had a large serving for at least 3 people. With its hefty tax and service charges the tale got even more dreadful after the 'so little for so much' outing with the food. Would not recommend anyone unless you want to pay around 8-10k LKR to have a mediocre meal with very bad service (long time to even serve their horrible food). The pool also looked dirty (no one was in it maybe because of that reason as well)
HORRIBLE food BAD service and management trying to get big profit margins.
7. hotel tinaya
Overall Ratings
4 based on 19 reviews
Reviewed By Barcak - Prague, Czech Republic
Rooms are huge, clean and connect wiht bathroom, definitelly comfortable place to stay. Breakfest are in Europian style(toast, margarine, jam, eggs, fruit, Coffee with milk, tee). There are insect - repelents in plugs in the garden restaurant. The owener is very nice and friendly person.
8. Tropical Village
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 58 reviews
Reviewed By Q M - Byron, Georgia
Tropical Village is quite honestly the only restaurant the reputable tour companies will recommend in and around the Sigiriya tour route. Crowds depend on the day and time you choose to visit, just keep in mind that almost all Sigiriya tours, bus loads included, end up here. We were fortunate enough to step in after 2 buses full of tourists were leaving (around 1pm), so there was plenty of space. Food quality and taste is on par with your average buffet, there is nothing special here. It is your common mix of traditional Sri Lankan dishes along with Indian and Southeast Asian fare. Even though they were displayed atop a hot plate, some of the selections were cold, and a few of the dishes didn't seem fresh. There was a dessert section that prepared some tasty banana fritters hot out of the oil, though! The restaurant and bathrooms are clean, and service is... serviceable. We didn't really have an attendant floating around, but no one was rude. It's pretty easy to flag someone down to meet your needs. The restaurant isn't bad by any means, just you know, okay. If you're hungry, you can certainly fill your palette. Recommended for hungry tourists looking for a decent stop on a long journey.
9. saman's restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 83 reviews
Reviewed By PeteCaerdydd - Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Ate here twice on a recent trip to Sri Lanka. What a great meal with a wide selection of Curries (mostly vegetarian). The curry consisted of a huge plate of rice and about 12 accompanying curries. For £4 enough food for 2 people. The Real taste of Sri Lankan cooking. Absolutely fantastic!!
10. Sakura
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 423 reviews
Reviewed By profjoypc - Alnwick, United Kingdom
This place is a little way out of the centre of Dambulla but is exceedingly popular with tourists and local people. The Sri Lankan buffet is very extensive so there is plenty for all tastes and preferences. The food is quite mild by Sri Lankan buffet standards but that will be a bonus for many. One of the reasons it is so busy is that prices are very reasonable indeed and one can eat a huge meal for a fraction of the cost of similar in a tourist hotel. It is a friendly place with a good overall atmosphere.
