Quick answer
Breakfast in Ella is best eaten after a sunrise walk, from roughly 7 to 9 am, when cafes and guesthouses are serving. Choose a Sri Lankan breakfast of hoppers, string hoppers, dhal, coconut sambol and fruit at a guesthouse; a Western breakfast or smoothie bowl at a main street cafe; or roti, buns and tea from a local bakery for a fraction of the price. For pre-dawn starts, carry a snack and eat properly on your return.
Key takeaways
- Most Ella cafes and guesthouses serve breakfast from roughly 7 am.
- A Sri Lankan breakfast includes hoppers, string hoppers, dhal, coconut sambol and fruit.
- Main street cafes serve Western breakfasts, eggs and smoothie bowls.
- Local bakeries sell roti, buns and tea for a fraction of cafe prices.
- For sunrise walks, a snack before and a full breakfast after works best.
A Sri Lankan breakfast
A Sri Lankan breakfast in Ella is one of the best ways to start the day. Guesthouses often serve hoppers, bowl-shaped rice flour pancakes, sometimes with an egg; string hoppers, nests of steamed rice noodles; dhal curry; coconut sambol, a fresh relish of grated coconut, chilli and lime; and fruit.
Some guesthouses also serve milk rice, kiribath, cut into diamonds and eaten with spicy lunu miris, especially on special days. Ask your host the evening before, as Sri Lankan breakfasts take time to prepare.
The combination is filling and suits a day of walking.
A Sri Lankan breakfast in Ella may also include pol roti, a coconut flatbread, or kola kenda, a herbal porridge made from green leaves, rice and coconut milk, said to be good for health. Both are worth trying if your guesthouse offers them.
- →Hoppers and egg hoppers.
- →String hoppers with dhal and coconut sambol.
- →Kiribath with lunu miris.
Cafe breakfasts on the main street
Cafes on Ella's main road serve Western breakfasts: eggs any style, toast, pancakes, granola, fruit plates and smoothie bowls topped with local fruit. Espresso drinks and fresh juices complete the picture.
Main street cafe breakfasts suit travellers who want familiar food after a long trip, and the atmosphere is lively, with walkers returning from Little Adam's Peak and the Nine Arch Bridge.
Many cafes also serve Sri Lankan breakfast dishes, so you can mix both.
Breakfast at a main street cafe in Ella is also the easiest place to meet other travellers, swap tips on the walks and find a companion for Ella Rock. Many solo travellers plan their hikes over breakfast, which makes the main street cafes something of an informal noticeboard.
- →Eggs, toast and pancakes.
- →Smoothie bowls and fruit plates.
- →Espresso and fresh juice.
Bakery breakfasts
Local bakeries and short eats shops in Ella serve breakfast at local prices: roti, fish or vegetable buns, rolls, patties and sweet buns, with tea. They open early, often before tourist cafes, which suits early starts.
A bakery breakfast costs a fraction of a cafe breakfast and is a good way to eat like a local. Pick what looks fresh from the counter.
Lankan Stays & Trails guides often stop at a bakery with guests before an early hike, for a quick, cheap and filling snack.
Timing breakfast around walks
Breakfast in Ella revolves around the sunrise walks. Most cafes and guesthouses serve from roughly 7 am, which is too late for a sunrise on Little Adam's Peak or Ella Rock. The best approach is a snack before, such as a banana or a bun, and a full breakfast on your return.
Many guesthouses will pack a breakfast box or prepare a flask of tea the night before if asked. Cafes are busiest from roughly 7 to 9 am, as walkers return, so a late breakfast at around 9.30 am is quieter.
Breakfast in Ella can also be taken with a view. Several hillside cafes and guesthouses face Ella Rock or the Ella Gap, and eating outdoors as the morning mist lifts is one of the quiet pleasures of a stay. Ask for an outdoor table when you arrive.
- →Before sunrise: snack and water.
- →After the walk: full breakfast from roughly 7 am.
- →Quieter: late breakfast around 9.30 am.
Dietary needs at breakfast
Vegetarians are well served at breakfast in Ella, with dhal, coconut sambol, hoppers and fruit. Vegans should ask about eggs and milk in hoppers and about ghee. Gluten-free travellers do well with rice-based hoppers and string hoppers.
Spice levels at breakfast can be high; ask for mild sambol if needed.
Breakfast in Ella is also a good time for fruit. Papaya, pineapple, bananas, passion fruit and, in season, mangosteen and rambutan appear on fruit plates. Local markets and stalls on the main road sell fruit cheaply, and many travellers buy a supply for the walks.
- →Vegetarian: easy.
- →Vegan: ask about eggs, milk and ghee.
- →Gluten-free: rice-based hoppers.
Frequently asked questions
What is a typical breakfast in Ella?
A typical Sri Lankan breakfast in Ella includes hoppers or string hoppers, dhal curry, coconut sambol and fruit, often served at guesthouses. Cafes on the main street also serve Western breakfasts, eggs and smoothie bowls, and bakeries sell roti and buns with tea.
What time do cafes open for breakfast in Ella?
Most cafes and guesthouses in Ella serve breakfast from roughly 7 am, though hours vary. Local bakeries often open earlier. For a sunrise walk, eat a snack before and a full breakfast on your return, or ask your guesthouse for a breakfast box.
Where can I get a Sri Lankan breakfast in Ella?
Guesthouses are the best places for a Sri Lankan breakfast in Ella, as hosts often cook hoppers, string hoppers, dhal and coconut sambol to order. Ask the evening before. Some main street cafes also serve Sri Lankan breakfast dishes.
Can I get breakfast before hiking Little Adam's Peak?
Most cafes in Ella open too late for breakfast before a sunrise walk on Little Adam's Peak. Eat a snack before, such as a banana or bun from a bakery, and have a full breakfast on your return, or ask your guesthouse to pack a breakfast box.
Is breakfast in Ella expensive?
A main street cafe breakfast in Ella costs closer to international prices than local food, though still modest by many visitors' standards. A bakery breakfast of roti and tea costs a fraction. Guesthouse breakfasts are often included in the room rate.
What are hoppers?
Hoppers are bowl-shaped pancakes made from fermented rice flour and coconut milk, crisp at the edges and soft in the middle, often cooked with an egg in the centre. They are a classic Sri Lankan breakfast, eaten with dhal, coconut sambol or curry.