Are you bored of sifting through all the Google pins trying to work out where to eat? Just want to know the must-tries, where to get a post-surf feed, or where’s good for a nice evening meal? Don’t worry, we’re here to help, welcome to our guide to the best restaurants in Ahangama, we hope you enjoy it!
We apologise in advance. There are so many must-try restaurants in Ahangama that you might need to extend your stay, or maybe even your entire trip so you don’t miss out – the FOMO is real.
It’s funny actually, when we first visited Ahangama in 2019 there were only a handful of ok restaurants we’d just keep repeating. But how times have changed. In early 2024, at one point, we counted 46 places to eat… well, we didn’t, my good friend who lives in Ahangama keeps an Excel of every restaurant and all of his ratings haha.
Although we often disagree on the top choices, it really goes to show how much Ahangama has blown up over the years to become a real foodie’s heaven. Now, there are more good places to eat per square foot than in London, New York, or Milan, and if you visit the problem isn’t trying to find that one good restaurant, but choosing between too many of them.
Luckily for you, we spend every winter in Ahangama enjoying the waves and trying everywhere to eat. Myself and Beth have deliberated on this article many times over many beers, should we limit the list to 10, or should we really leave that restaurant off, but, we thought it was important that we only recommend the real must-tries. So hopefully you enjoy our painfully thought-through top 15, and an additional 1 more hidden gem 😉.
Ahangama restaurants at a glance
Over the last few years, it seems that every good chef and restaurant owner from the West has shut up shop and started something new in Ahangama. And why wouldn’t they? With beautiful weather, stunning beaches, great surf, and good vibes, there’s nowhere better to escape the city to enjoy the chilled life.
With the influx of new restaurant owners, Ahangama has a great mix of different cuisines, quality, styles, and prices. If you visit, here’s what to expect.
The good
- Variety – Local curries, Asian fusion, pizza, Moroccan, Israeli, and much much more, Ahangama has more choices than any other town on the South Coast.
- Quality – Expect local fresh ingredients cooked with skill and packed with flavours, the quality is a lot higher than in other destinations.
- Hipster surf vibes – Beachfront hangouts, rooftops, swinging chairs, and laidback pillow vibes, everything has surfer essence at its heart.
- Local Curries – There are many high-quality and cheap traditional Sri Lankan restaurants in the town.
The bad
- Expensive – With many foreign owners coming to Ahangama the prices have been climbing and it’s now one of the more expensive towns on the South Coast.
- Fine dining – There are almost no options for fine dining, if that’s your vibe, you’ll need to head to Galle or a bigger city.
15 Best Restaurants in Ahangama
East Falafel
Oh, East Falafel. What can I say, this is our go-to after almost every surf. We’ve been eating their falafel pitas (with extra pickles) for so long that I’ve almost needed to get a second job. So if you visit Ahangama, you have to eat in this restaurant!
We think these guys make the best Israeli-inspired street food in the whole of Sri Lanka. Expect deep-flavoured Shasukas, tasty Shawarma plates, smooth and creamy humous, and better falafels than a Tel Aviv street stall – controversial I know, but we’ll let you decide.
- Cuisine type: Middle Eastern Israeli
- Great for: Lunch & dinner
- Must try: Falafel Pita
- Price: $$ (Medium)
Make sure to ask for their homemade chili sauce, it’s Chef Dilshad’s special blend inspired by his time in Mumbai. We suggest visiting East Falafel for an early 11-12am lunch, nothing beats the smell of their homemade super soft bread straight out of the oven. But you can eat here any time of the day, so if you’re looking for a casual dinner option or even a 4am night out pita, you can’t go wrong with East Falafel.
Location: Welhengoda Road
Hotel de Uncles
Uncles has been around for a while as a swanky city cocktail bar based in Colombo but now they’ve brought those funky vibes, great drinks, and top-quality food to the South Coast. We’re glad, it’s one of our new favourite places to eat and drink in Ahangama.
Hotel de Uncles serves a mix of traditional Sri Lankan dishes with an upmarket feel and some nice handpicked small plates.
The meals are on the smaller side so you might want to order a few dishes – but the quality is high and they are good value so it’s always worth it, we suggest trying the Lamprais which is a spicy curry steamed cooked in a banana leaf.
- Cuisine type: Upmarket Sri Lankan Dishes
- Great for: Late lunch or dinner
- Must try: Lamprais
- Price: $$ (Medium)
Hotel de Uncles is open from 11am and we think it’s best to come for a late lunch or an early dinner when you can sit on their nice outdoor terrace and enjoy the sunshine or sunset. It’s worth staying the evening to try some of their cocktails and enjoy the social vibes, this is one of our favourite places to have a casual party and enjoy their disco music.
Location: Ahangama Town
Veda Cafe
There is nowhere better in town to get a traditional rice and curry buffet than Veda Cafe. Located close to Kabalana Beach, this restaurant changes its dishes daily and they’re always something a little different.
For $2 you can fill your plate full of BBQ okra, bean dahls, spicy chickpeas, and coconut sambal, and when you’re finished, you can go back for as many refills as you want. It’s one of our favourite places for a big feed.
- Cuisine type: Traditional Sri Lankan
- Great for: Lunch
- Must try: Rice and curry buffet
- Price: $ (Cheap)
Veda Cafe is open all day but we think it’s best to go for lunch when it’s a little quieter and the food is fresh out of the pans and into the clay pots. Make sure to try their juices, they sweeten them with a local treacle and they’re really tasty.
Location: Kabalana Beach
Hakuna Matata
Hakuna Matata has a special place in our hearts. We’ve been eating their jackfruit burgers and burritos for years and think they might be the best in Sri Lanka.
This locally-owned restaurant combines traditional ingredients and flavours in modern dishes. Order a few meals, sit on their beachfront pillows, and watch the surfers in front of you do their thing. It’s fun vibes.
- Cuisine type: Sri Lanka & Western Fusion
- Great for: Lunch & dinner
- Must try: Jackfruit burger or borritto
- Price: $$ (Medium)
Hakuna Matata is located around the corner from Ahangama Beach, so it’s always a nice place to come for a quiet lunch and forget all those worries.
On Thursdays, they throw the afterparty to Lamana where you can dance until sunrise… might be worth skipping this restaurant on a Friday 😉.
Location: Ahangama Bus Station
Carrie
Carrie’s brings a taste of Morocco to Ahangama with its aromatic tangines and perfectly cooked pasta. We know that’s more Italian in practice, but this place has North Africa written all over it, the restaurant is full of low tables, coral shades, flowing drapes, and pastel doors.
It’s the perfect spot for a nice evening when you crave something a little fancy.
- Cuisine type: Moroccan & pasta
- Great for: Evening dinner
- Must try: Tangine
- Price: $$$ (Expensive)
The food at Carrie’s is some of the best quality and highest standard in Ahangama, and if you visit you have to try their frozen cocktails, each one is named after a Sex and the City character, all good fun in the sun!
Location: Ahangama Beach
Big Mighty
If you’re looking for some comfort food, maybe to cure one of those late nights after a few too many beers, then there’s nowhere better to eat than Big Mighty.
This restaurant is all about getting a partial food coma with great burgers or sandwiches and big sides of mac & cheese or poutine. Make sure to ask for their hot sauce collection, they’ve got more options than anywhere else I’ve ever eaten.
- Cuisine type: Burgers and sandwiches
- Great for: Lunch and dinner
- Must try: Mac & cheese and poutine
- Price: $$ (Medium)
The vibes at Big Mighty are chilled and laid back. Located in the garden of an old coffee shop, it’s the perfect place to come for a heavy lunch and lounge around for an hour – then roll yourself to Kabalana afterward to take a nap.
Location: Kabalana Beach
Trax
Trax is an awesome little restaurant tucked away in the jungle by the train tracks. Their garden is perfect for a nice chilled-out lunch where you can sit in low wicker chairs surrounded by ruins, mirrors, cool artwork, and giant jungle potted plants.
Trax has a creative Asian Fusion menu with bimibabs, gyozas, udon noodles, as well as the classic avo on toasts. If you’re looking for a tasty meal that’s a little different this is always a great option.
- Cuisine type: Asian fusion
- Great for: Lunch
- Must try: Bimibab
- Price: $$$ (Expensive)
We like the lunch vibes at Trax when it’s chilled with some quiet funky music playing in the background. But if you fancy a bit more upbeat vibe, then once a week Trax throws a disco party to the sounds of Roy Ayers, Crystal Waters, and Sweet Female Attitude. It’s definitely one of the better parties in town.
Location: Matara Road Jungle
Crust
Crust is one of the OGs of Ahangama and has been serving the best pizzas in town long before we first visited. They’ve got a cool setup with a pool table, many benches and beanbags to lounge around, and a quieter area upstairs to hide away.
If you eat at Crust, you obviously have to get a pizza, but their sides are also great and we highly recommend their mini pizza rolls or battered potato wedges.
- Cuisine type: Pizza
- Great for: Dinner
- Must try: Mini pizza rolls and potato wedges
- Price: $$ (Medium)
Crust is open from lunchtime but we think the best time to visit is in the evening where the bar has a buzz and you can get some of the cheapest beachfront beers in town. On Monday nights they have acoustic bands playing if you want to eat with a free show and sometimes they throw some big parties that spill out onto the beach, it’s not to be missed!
Location: Ahangama Beach
Bravo
If you’re looking for the best Italian food in town then you have to try Bravo. This restaurant has fresh homemade focaccia, pasta, and fine Italian wines. When you’re finished eating you have to try their gelato, it’s some of the best ice cream on the South Coast.
- Cuisine type: Italian
- Great for: Brunch & lunch
- Must try: Focacce & gelato
- Price: $$$ (Expensive)
Located on Matara Road, Bravo has created a little Italy on the streets with deep green director chairs, a beautifully put-together terrace, and some of the best coffee in town. It’s great for a chilled brunch or lunch.
Location: Matara Road
Little Bang Kitchen / Kaffi
Overlooking the stunning cove beach on the east side of Ahangama is Kaffi, a nice little coffee shop with a beautiful garden and beachfront access.
Kaffi is home to Little Bang Kitchen, the name of the restaurant that serves food at lunchtime from the same kitchen. Their menu is a Japanese and Asian fusion offering sushi, ramen, dumplings, katsu curries, and rice bowls. Don’t expect New York or London quality, but it’s a nice change when you’re on the road.
- Cuisine type: Japanese & Asian
- Great for: Lunch & Dinner
- Must try: Ramen
- Price: $$$ (Expensive)
Prices are more expensive than most other restaurants in Ahangama. But, it is a nice vibe to grab an iced coffee and a ramen, chill in their garden for a bit, then enjoy a good day on the beach – the cove is one of our favourite must-visit beaches in Ahangama.
Location: The cove
Nuga House
Up the road from Kabalana Beach in the jungle is Nuga House, a great Middle Eastern Israeli restaurant that serves the best shakshuka in town and a nice creamy humous.
This part restaurant, part yoga studio has a cool space full of hanging swings and low seats built around a stunning old tree that sticks through the roof.
Nuga House always feels like a bit of luxury in the jungle. The food is high quality and the garden is surrounded by thick overgrowth and palm trees – expect to eat while families of long-tailed black monkeys watch and jump between the trees. It’s super cool.
- Cuisine type: Middle Eastern Israeli
- Great for: Brunch & lunch
- Must try: Shakshuka & hummous
- Price: $$$ (Expensive)
Nuga House is only open for lunch so it’s great for a post-surf brunch or to bring some friends to escape the midday heat. If you like Yoga this is one of the best places to do it in town so why not combine a morning session with a few coffees and some food afterward?
Location: Kabalana Jungle
Mermaids Kitchen
If you’re looking for the cheapest beachfront restaurant in town then you have to try Mermaids Kitchen. This local rice and curry place cooks fresh meals served in clay pots with the best view out to the ocean.
- Cuisine type: Traditional Sri Lankan
- Great for: Lunch & dinner
- Must try: Rice and curry
- Price: $ (Cheap)
The food is great quality and they add awesome little touches like these amazing handmade fried onion balls, it’s the little things that make this a must-try restaurant. Mermaids Kitchen is open all day so you can turn up whenever you’re hungry.
Location: Matara Road
Ceylon Sliders
One of the newest additions to Ahangama’s restaurant scene is Ceylon Sliders. These guys have been running a great hotel and rooftop restaurant in Weligama for years but in February 2024 they decided to bring those good vibes to Ahangama Beach.
We’re glad, they’ve brought some fun upbeat energy to the beachfront with sunset DJ sessions, good cocktails, and some great food options. Their menu is full of burgers, avo on toasts, granola, and more – basically the classic surfer town food.
- Cuisine type: Western surf cafe fusion
- Great for: Late lunch or dinner
- Must try: Burgers and fries
- Price: $$ (Medium)
Ceylon Sliders is open from the morning until late. We think it’s best to come for a late lunch or an early dinner when you can enjoy the sunset and the chilled vibes. If they have a DJ playing expect this restaurant to get busy with travellers from all over the South Coast, it’s a must-attend event.
Location: Ahangama Beach
Black Honey
1km back from Kabalana Beach, past the jungle and overlooking the rice paddies is one of the coolest spots in town, Black Honey.
This new hotel, coworking space, and swanky restaurant has amazing aesthetics with pastel colours, marble table tops, and black-rimmed curved windows. It’s the perfect place to come for a nice breakfast or lunch.
The food here is amazing, maybe the best in Ahangama. We had the fanciest beans on toast we’ve ever eaten and a zesty cauliflower tabooli. With all of their dishes, expect fresh flavours, subtle spices, and popping pomegranates surrounding these stunningly and carefully put-together small plates. It’s not to be missed if you’re in Ahangama.
- Cuisine type: Small plates
- Great for: Brunch & lunch
- Must try: Beans on toast
- Price: $$ (Medium)
Black Honey is open all day but we like to come for an early breakfast or brunch when the light is soft and the reflections off the rice paddies are stunning, it’s a great place to come for a super chilled morning.
Location: Ahangama Rice Paddies
Maria Bonita
Last but not least is Maria Bonita, a cool little cafe run by our good friend Christina. This place has boho chic written all over it with tassel rope drapes hanging above a beautifully put-together garden, nice placemats, chilled music, and friendly staff. It’s a great place to come for a quiet morning, grab a nice coffee, and have a small bite.
- Cuisine type: Western surf cafe fusion
- Great for: Breakfast & lunch
- Must try: Smoothie Bowls
- Price: $$ (Medium)
Maria Bonita serves a range of smoothie bowls, toasts, and tacos – we think it’s the best place to get a smoothie bowl in Ahangama. The cafe is open between 9am and 4pm daily and we always prefer to come earlier in the day, this place has breakfast vibes written all over it.
Location: Kabalana Road
1 Hidden Gem
We hope you enjoyed our top 15 places to eat in Ahangama. If we’re being honest, there are so many good restaurants we could have easily doubled this list and a number of them could have been called hidden gems.
But a hidden gem to us is something a little hard to find, completely unexpected, maybe a bit inaccessible, and easy to gloss over. There are a few restaurants in Ahangama that might fit this bill, but one always stands out – so if you visit, you have to try the Turkish Breakfast at Sisters Away, you won’t regret it.
Sisters Away
1km back from Kabalana Beach, the two sisters who own this B&B have created a little hidden oasis in Ahangama. Their garden is absolutely stunning with silk drapes hanging from the jungle trees and many mahogany tables topped with funky cermaics and surrounded by low wicker chairs. The aesthetics are beautiful, and their food is even better.
There is not a lot of choice at Sisters Away. But you don’t need it. The only option to come for is the set menu breakfast which is inspired by the street stalls of Istanbul. Handmade breads, jams from the local fruits, simit donuts, menemen eggs, and even homemade cheese that’s pasteurised at the B&B.
What makes this place so special is the combination of local ingredients with Turkish cooking craft, it makes for some unique flavours and dishes that can’t be found anywhere else – if someone tells me where else I can find wood apple jam, I’ll buy you a beer!
- Cuisine type: Turkish
- Great for: Breakfast & brunch
- Must try: Turkish Breakfast
- Price: $$$ (Expensive)
Sisters Away is only open in the morning until the early afternoon and it’s a great place to come as a couple or with a small group of friends to enjoy the sharing nature of this breakfast. If the swell is small, or you just fancy a chilled morning there is nowhere better than Sisters away – it’s a real hidden gem!
Location: Welhengoda Road
FAQs
What’s the best time to visit?
Ahangama’s restaurants are open year-round, but the vibes peak from November to April when the weather is just right for beachside dining and the surf is more consistent. January to March are the peak months with the most amount of sunshine hours and the least chance of rain.
Each restaurant has different opening hours and vibes throughout the day, check our quick summaries for each recommendation to find out when we think it’s best to eat in each place.
Are there vegetarian or vegan options available?
Absolutely! Sri Lanka is one of the best countries in the world for travelling vegetarians or vegans. We’re vegetarians and we’ve never had any issues in Ahangama, and all our recommendations are suitable for both.
Most restaurants label their menus correctly so you shouldn’t need to ask often. As a general watchout just be careful with the chili flakes you get in local restaurants. There are two types – one is vegan and the other contains shrimp. It’s hard to tell which is which and the locals don’t understand the term fish in this context. Make sure to ask if it doesn’t contain “shrimp” or you might be in for a little surprise.
Can I eat on a budget?
Ahangama caters to all wallets. While the influx of foreign-owned restaurants has caused general prices to increase you can still expect maximum prices to be $15-20 per person for the full works – drinks, mains, starters.
If you are on a budget, you can eat cheaply by opting for locally-owned restaurants. Typically a rice and curry all-you-can-eat buffet will cost $2 per person and rotis are less than a dollar even on the beach.
Can you get delivery?
Yes, several restaurants deliver in Ahangama. You can use the pickme app to order but it is inconsistent and the prices are much higher than direct. It’s best to order with the restaurants over WhatsApp. Our favourite places to get delivery are Crust, Big Mighty, and Hakuna.
