Quick answer
The best food in Sigiriya is village rice and curry: red or white rice with several vegetable curries, dhal, a sambol and often tank fish, served in small family-run restaurants in the village or in village homes. Eat a light breakfast before an opening-time climb, drink a king coconut afterwards, and try seasonal dishes such as jackfruit curry and lotus-root curry. Vegetarians eat especially well, since most curries are vegetable-based.
Key takeaways
- Village rice and curry, with several vegetable curries, dhal and a sambol, is the signature meal around Sigiriya.
- Freshwater fish from the tanks, such as tilapia, often appears in local curries.
- Small family-run restaurants in Sigiriya village usually serve better local food than hotel buffets.
- A light breakfast before an opening-time climb and a king coconut afterwards are practical and traditional.
- Vegetarians eat well in Sigiriya, since most dishes in a rice and curry spread are vegetable-based.
What to eat around Sigiriya
Rice and curry is the everyday meal of the Sigiriya area and the one to seek out. A spread typically includes rice, often red rice, with four to eight small curries: dhal, vegetables such as pumpkin, beans, jackfruit or aubergine, a leafy mallung, a sambol and sometimes fish or chicken.
Dry-zone cooking uses roasted curry powders, coconut milk and plenty of local vegetables. Seasonal specialities include young jackfruit curry, lotus-root curry and dishes made from wild greens gathered around the tanks.
- →Rice and curry: the everyday meal, best at lunchtime.
- →Red rice from local paddies.
- →Jackfruit, pumpkin and lotus-root curries.
- →Mallung: shredded greens with coconut.
- →Tank fish curry, often tilapia.
- →Pol sambol: coconut, chilli and lime.
Breakfast before the climb
An opening-time climb at Sigiriya means leaving your hotel before 7am, when many breakfast rooms are only just opening. Ask the night before for an early breakfast or a packed breakfast to take with you.
A light meal is best before a climb in the heat: bread, fruit and eggs, or a small plate of string hoppers with dhal. Save the heavier traditional breakfast, such as kiribath or a full hopper spread, for the second morning.
After the climb
Stalls near the Sigiriya exit sell king coconut, the orange coconut whose water is naturally rich in electrolytes, and it is exactly what you need after the climb. Fresh fruit, such as pineapple, papaya and mango in season, is also sold nearby.
For lunch, the small restaurants in Sigiriya village serve rice and curry at lunchtime, usually freshly cooked. Arrive around noon to 1pm, when the spread is freshest.
- →King coconut: electrolytes and cool water.
- →Fresh fruit from the stalls.
- →Rice and curry in the village from around noon.
- →Avoid heavy meals before a safari in the afternoon heat.
Where to eat in Sigiriya
Sigiriya village has a range of small, mostly family-run restaurants along the main road and in the lanes around it, alongside guesthouse kitchens and hotel restaurants. Places change hands and quality varies, so ask your guesthouse or driver where locals eat.
Signs of a good place are simple: freshly cooked rice and curry at lunchtime, several curries rather than one, and local customers. A village tour lunch, cooked in a village home, is often the best meal of a Sigiriya stay.
Vegetarian, vegan and spice levels
Vegetarians eat very well in Sigiriya, since most dishes in a rice and curry spread are vegetable or pulse based. Vegans should ask about ghee and fish flakes, which can appear in some dishes.
Spice levels vary, and many cooks reduce chilli for visitors. If you like heat, ask for it to be cooked as locals would eat it. Mention any allergies clearly, especially to nuts or seafood.
- →Vegetarians: most dishes are vegetable-based.
- →Vegans: ask about ghee and fish flakes.
- →Ask for local spice levels if you like heat.
- →State allergies clearly.
Eating safely
Freshly cooked, hot food is generally safe. Drink bottled or filtered water, peel fruit or have it washed in safe water, and be cautious with salads and anything that has sat for a long time in the heat.
Lankan Stays & Trails recommends a village cooking lunch on the second day of a Sigiriya stay, when travellers have recovered from the climb and have time to sit, eat and talk with the family who cooked.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best food to eat in Sigiriya?
Village rice and curry is the best food in Sigiriya: rice with several vegetable curries, dhal, a sambol and often tank fish. Look for jackfruit, pumpkin and lotus-root curries, and eat at lunchtime, when the spread is freshest.
Where can I eat in Sigiriya village?
Sigiriya village has small family-run restaurants along the main road and in nearby lanes, as well as guesthouse kitchens and hotel restaurants. Ask your guesthouse or driver where locals eat, since places change.
Should I eat before climbing Sigiriya?
Yes, but lightly. A small breakfast of bread, fruit and eggs, or string hoppers with dhal, gives energy without weighing you down in the heat. Ask your hotel for an early or packed breakfast if you start at opening.
Is there food at the Sigiriya site?
There are no restaurants on the rock. Stalls near the exit sell king coconut, fruit, drinks and snacks. For a proper meal, go to the village restaurants, a short tuk-tuk ride away.
Is Sigiriya good for vegetarians?
Very good. Most dishes in a rice and curry spread are vegetable or pulse based. Vegans should ask about ghee and fish flakes, which appear in some dishes. A spread of dhal, jackfruit, pumpkin and greens makes a full and satisfying meal.
What is king coconut?
King coconut is an orange variety of coconut native to Sri Lanka, drunk fresh from the shell. Its water is naturally rich in electrolytes, which makes it ideal after climbing Sigiriya in the heat.
Is the food spicy in Sigiriya?
It can be, but many cooks reduce chilli for visitors. If you prefer mild food, say so, and if you enjoy heat, ask for it cooked as locals eat it. Pol sambol and some curries are hotter than others.