Is Sri Lanka Vegan Friendly Introduction

Sri Lanka is a small island with a big personality. Think golden beaches, misty tea hills, ancient temples, and wildlife popping up when you least expect it. All wrapped in warm smiles and incredible vegan food! It’s the kind of place where every day feels a little different, and somehow, a little unforgettable.

We recently spent just over two weeks exploring Sri Lanka together. Enjoying some amazing food to help answer – Is Sri Lanka Vegan Friendly? In this guide we will take you through our Sri Lanka itinerary, including all the places we ate and the incredible vegan dishes Sri Lanka has to offer. We also have included plenty of useful tips to help you travel Sri Lanka as a vegan.

We have lots of further guides from our recent trip to Sri Lanka, please see these below:

Wilpattu National Park Review: Our Honest Mahoora Safari Glamping Experience

How Long Does It Take to Climb Sigiriya Lion Rock? Time, Difficulty & Tips

How to Get From Tangalle to Mirissa by Bus: Easy, Cheap & Local Experience

Top 5 Beaches in Sri Lanka: Top Spots and Hidden Gems on the South Coast

Is Tangalle Worth Visiting? Our Honest Experience and Review

Sri Lanka Vegan Dishes

Lots of Sri Lankan dishes are either naturally vegan, or can very easily be adapted for vegans. We always found restaurants helpful and happy to cater for us. Below are some of the local foods and drinks to make sure you look out for and try while travelling Sri Lanka. There are also plenty of modern cafes serving international classics such as avocado toast, vegan burgers and smoothie bowls. Sri Lanka also grows plenty of tea, so you will be able to enjoy this while travelling.

Curry & Rice

The heart of Sri Lankan food! This usually means a plate of rice served with several small curries made from vegetables, lentils, coconut milk, and spices. It’s often naturally vegan, but it’s worth checking for hidden dried fish or ghee in some curries.

Kottu

Kottu is a loud street-food favourite! Made by chopping flatbread with vegetables, spices, and sauces on a hot griddle. Veg versions are common and delicious, just ask to skip egg and make sure no butter or meat stock is used.

Fried Rice

Sri Lankan fried rice is filling and flavourful, usually mixed with vegetables and soy sauce. Ask for it without egg and watch out for butter or fish sauce, which are sometimes added.

Sambol

Sambols are fresh, punchy side dishes! The most famous being coconut sambol made with grated coconut, chilli, lime, and onion. Many are vegan by default, but some versions include dried fish, so it’s always good to ask.

Desserts: Kavum, Halapa & more

Traditional sweets like kavum (oil cakes) and halapa (steamed coconut parcels) are often made with rice flour and coconut. Most are naturally vegan, though a few recipes may include honey or ghee depending on where you try them.

Coconuts

Coconut is everywhere in Sri Lanka! Used for milk, oil, cream, and fresh flesh in both sweet and savoury dishes. A fresh coconut makes a lovely refreshing drink.

Lion Beer

Lion Beer is Sri Lanka’s iconic local beer! A popular post-beach or post-curry choice. It’s also listed as vegan.

Sri Lanka Animals

One thing we would flag is there is plenty of wildlife in Sri Lanka. A lot of this can be ethical, but there are things you will want to consider and be aware of, especially for vegans. Sri Lanka is famous for Safari, however you should always research these first. Our recommendation is Wilpattu National Park.

There are plenty of street dogs across Sri Lanka, overall these were friendly and often seemed to be in a fairly healthy condition. Some places we visited, you could see the dogs were better looked after and locals advised that they feed the dogs. However, at times it could still be sad seeing these cute dogs and wanting to help them and show them love!

Sri Lanka also has wild monkeys which you should be cautious around. They were definitely calmer than in other countries we have visited, though we recommend keeping your distance.

There are also some beautiful elephants, and we were lucky enough to see a wild elephant. However, there are some places selling elephant experiences and rides which were definitely not ethical and we found frustrating to see, particularly around Sigiriya.

Sri Lanka Vegan Itinerary and Where to Eat

Negombo

We only spent one night in Negombo after landing at Bandaranaike International Airport late afternoon. We therefore didn’t see too much. Negombo does have beaches and plenty going on! However, we had other places higher on our list to explore while in Sri Lanka. We do have two great recommendations for places to eat in Negombo where we enjoyed dinner and breakfast.

Hibiscus

Hibiscus was one of our favourite spots in Sri Lanka. To be honest we have a lot of favourite spots, but this was a real hidden gem! The team was lovely, and clearly understood veganism. The garden setting was beautiful to sit in and there were loads of great options. We enjoyed avocado on toast with tofu scramble and smoothie bowls, and also a coffee. The cost was around £5 per person.

Yaaga Backyard Dining

We enjoyed a great dinner here and it was our first meal in Sri Lanka. While it didn’t blow us away, it was a decent spot with a large separate vegan menu costing around £5 per person. We enjoyed a vegetable curry, and vegan fritters.

Wilpattu National Park

Wilpattu is an absolute must on your Sri Lanka itinerary. We already mentioned briefly, but we felt this was one of the better areas to explore Sri Lanka’s incredible wildlife. Depending on your time, one or two nights would work well.

We stayed with Mahoora and have a full post about our experience of Wilpattu National Park. They provided incredible vegan food throughout, including a lovely 4 course vegan meal in the evening, breakfast, and plenty of snacks and treats.

Sigiriya

Sigiriya is another place you must spend a couple of nights while travelling Sri Lanka. The landscape is absolutely stunning, and the hike up Sigiriya Lion Rock was an unforgettable experience. We also enjoyed several smaller hikes, which were great for sunset!

There’s a good mix of local and international vegan food to enjoy while in Sigiriya, with many spots offering beautiful views across Sigiriya.

Chill Hut Sigiriya

This was a great place to try affordable dishes from a local family. You have classic Sri Lanka dishes such as Kottu and Fried Rice. We ordered the Vegetable Rice & Curry, which can easily be made vegan. The meal cost £3 per person, and was one of our favourite Rice & Curries during our Sri Lanka trip.

Sigiri Hostel & Cafe

Sigiri Hostel & Cafe also serves many local dishes at a great price. We both tried Vegetable Kottu for the first time here and it was great. There is also a nice setting in the garden to sit, and we also had some live music while enjoying dinner.

Soul Food

Soul Food is another great spot for vegans travelling Sri Lanka. They also have a branch in Kandy which we visited too. They serve burgers, wraps, avocado toast, smoothie bowls and more! The mushroom soya wrap was delicious. Meals cost around £5 and the Sigiriya branch has a stunning view of Lion Rock.

SmoothieBun

SmoothieBun has plenty of vegan options, and they were also happy to make other smoothies and bowls vegan. We enjoyed several smoothies here while in Sigiriya and would definitely recommend it for a breakfast or sweet treat. Prices were reasonable and the portions very generous.

Kandy

We only spent one night in Kandy, and this is probably all you need. We enjoyed Kandy and seeing a different side of Sri Lanka, experiencing a small busy city with local life. However, if there was a place to skip from our itinerary, it would have to be here.

While in Kandy, Sri Dalada Maligawa is a must see temple. We really enjoyed experiencing this temple and walking around the nearby Kandy Lake. Entry cost around £5 per adult. As we only had one night, we just have the two recommendations, one being the already mentioned Soul Food where we enjoyed dinner.

Roots ‘n’ Beans

Roots ‘n’ Beans was another great place showing very well is Sri Lanka Vegan Friendly. Located near the lake and Sri Dalada Maligawa it was the perfect spot for lunch. They are a plant based cafe serving a range of dishes. We enjoyed the avocado pasta!

Ella

Ella is well known, and for good reason. Stunning waterfalls and nature, a vibrant charming town, and the famous Ella train along the Nine Arches Bridge. We spent 3 nights exploring Ella and the surrounding area which was the perfect time. We enjoyed the Nine Arches Bridge Trail, Little Adam’s Peak, Pallewela Waterfall which also had stunning rice fields on the way, Ravana Waterfall and Mahamevnawa Buddhist Monastery.

There are plenty of restaurants in Ella, and you won’t struggle to find vegan dishes. Here are some of the places we enjoyed the most.

Rainbow Cafe

Rainbow Cafe served a mix of local and international dishes, and pretty much everything could be made vegan. It’s a cool spot to sit and relax and we spent quite a bit of time here over our time in Ella. We enjoyed curries, tacos, avocado on toast and even vegan shakshuka. They also had fantastic coffee and tea. Make sure to visit while in Ella!

360 Ella

360 Ella we are mainly recommending as we had such a good time enjoying a beer and some music. They seem to have live music on every night, which is something we like to listen to in the evenings. Even though we didn’t eat here, the food did look great and there were options on the menu for vegans.

PS Cafe Ella

This is a charming little cafe which we are recommending due to the chilled out vibe and incredible view. We spent a couple of hours here enjoying some tea, admiring the view and speaking with the owner. It’s a small place, but they do serve some food which can be made vegan.

Jade Green

Serving delicious local food and very affordable with dishes under £3. We actually ate here twice, having the vegetable rice and curries both times as it was so good! It was a nice quiet spot to sit with a good view over the town.

Tangalle

Our next spot for a couple of nights was Tangalle. It was a complete change from the scenery we had already seen in Sri Lanka on this trip and had a small island feel to it. There were stunning beaches, our favourites being Goyambokka Beach and Silent Beach. It was the perfect spot to relax for a few days! On the drive from Ella to Tangalle we went through the edge of Yala National Park and were lucky enough to see wild elephants. Here are the vegan spots we recommend around Tangalle.

Jasmine Cafe

Located just off the beach, Jasmine Cafe had a separate vegan menu with lots of local options, and they even had tofu. We enjoyed lunch here the day we arrived and it cost £3-5 depending on the dish. We had quite a long wait, but the food was delicious!

Chill Hut Cafe & Restaurent

Chill Hut was our regular spot in Tangalle for dinner. There are plenty of local options and it’s very affordable with dishes around £3. We enjoyed curries, noodles and kottu from here over a couple of days. Chill Hut is a great spot to sit in a well maintained garden, and the staff were lovely. They provided mosquito spray, incense sticks, and playing cards which was a nice touch.

is-sri-lanka-vegan-friendly-chill-hut-tangalle

EasyLife Campus

Located near Silent Beach this was a very cool spot, offering a yoga retreat, co-working space, and plenty of vegan food options! There’s a mix of local dishes and also smoothie bowls, buddha bowls and sandwiches & wraps. We enjoyed a lunch here of dhal, coconut sambol and rotis. Prices were around £5 per meal.

Mirissa

Our final main stop in Sri Lanka was Mirissa. We spent 4 nights here, allowing us to see some of the surrounding places, and to have some time to relax at the end of our trip. Mirissa has a lot going on, including stunning beaches, and fantastic vegan food!

In Mirissa we really enjoyed Mirissa Beach, Turtle Beach and particularly Secret Beach. Secret Beach was great for snorkeling. We also took day trips on the local bus to Galle and Unawatuna. Galle is a great day trip from Mirissa to learn about its unique history and see the fortress. Here are the vegan spots we enjoyed while in Mirissa.

Dhana’s Curry Pot

This was another favourite spot, and one you have to try as a vegan in Mirissa! For around £3 you can have an all you can eat Sri Lankan buffet. Both the selection and quality of food was amazing and we ate here 3 times in total. Nearly all the dishes are vegan, and include great options such as chickpeas, lentils and jackfruit.

Hungry Hub

Hungry Hub is a great affordable spot, serving delicious local food. It’s relaxing to sit in the garden and enjoy traditional food, made by a local family. It was a regular spot for us and we enjoyed Rice & Curry, Hoppers and Kottu. Prices for meals were around £3.

Akesh Juice Bar and Restaurant

A short walk up from Secret Beach is Akesh Juice Bar and Restaurant. A fantastic spot for affordable and local food. We had lunch here twice when visiting Secret Beach and enjoyed Kottu, Noodles and Curry. Meals cost around £3 and the portions were very generous.

Shady Lane

Shady Lane is a vegetarian cafe located about 5 minutes walk from Mirissa Beach. Nearly everything can be made vegan and they have a fantastic menu of classic vegan dishes such as burgers, poke bowls, toasts, and smoothie bowls. It’s a great place to sit, and we really enjoyed it. Prices are fairly reasonable with dishes around £5.

Hey Mama

Hey Mama is located near Shady Lane, and has a similar vibe. They are also a vegan and vegetarian cafe, where most dishes can be made fully vegan. They serve burgers, toasts, smoothie bowls and also some local options. Their burger was absolutely delicious! Prices are also similar at around £5 per meal.

N Ice Cream & Coffee

Lastly, N Ice Cream & Coffee was a lovely spot serving cakes, ice cream and coffees. They had plenty of vegan options and we would recommend it for coffee lovers, or if you need a sweet treat!

Is Sri Lanka Vegan Friendly Final Thoughts

Sri Lanka is very vegan friendly, and you should add it onto your bucket list right away. We really enjoyed exploring Sri Lanka, especially the wildlife, nature, and beaches. The best part though, was definitely the food. We really hope our guide has helped you plan where to go, and dishes to enjoy while travelling Sri Lanka.

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