Tangalle’s dining scene is vast and varied, offering something for all tastes and budgets. Seafood, Sri Lankan, Italian and Mediterranean venues are dotted across the city, lining the beach and hidden in the lush tropical greenery. Check out our picks for the best restaurants in Tangalle, Sri Lanka!
1. Oceana Beach Cafe and Seafood Restaurant
Nestled under a thatched roof and housing modern wooden furnishings inside the spacious dining room, Oceana Beach Cafe and Seafood Restaurant is an open-sided venue sitting right on the beach. Serving succulent seafood and contemporary Asian cuisine, there is something for everyone on the restaurant’s attractive and diverse menu.
2. Cactus Lounge Restaurant
Cactus Lounge Restaurant is an absolutely beachfront dining venue set on an elevated concrete platform and featuring a few tables. Depending on the catch of the day, you can savour the daily fish, lobster, prawns, oysters, clams and other seafood delicacies without breaking your wallet.
3. Break Point Cafe and Restaurant
Break Point Cafe and Restaurant is a casual dining venue perched on a hilltop overlooking the mesmerising Indian Ocean. The family-run local restaurant offers amazing homemade Sri Lankan cuisine and the freshest grilled seafood, treating your tastes buds and appeasing all palates.
4. Kura Place
Kura Place is a tiny beach hut offering a choice of seating: inside the dining pavilion sheltered under the thatched roof or right on the beach where you can relish a toes-in-the-sand dining experience. Kura Place’s elaborate menu includes Western favourites along with a few local dishes to choose from.
5. Shasha Seafood
A miniature shack-style seafront venue sitting on a deserted beach, Shasha Seafood is an awesome local eatery featuring a couple of tables sitting out on the cool veranda and stunning natural surroundings to complete your romantic beachfront dining experience.
6. Dream Family
Dream Family is a simple open-sided dining venue tucked away inland and specialising in authentic Sri Lankan cuisine. Satisfy your craving for authentic kottu roti and seafood curry at this friendly family-run eatery. Served in huge portions with traditional chilli sambal sauce and steamed rice, you can be sure, you won’t leave Dream Family with an empty stomach.
7. Little Pumpkin Cabanas
Little Pumpkin Cabanas features quaint furnishings, modern decor and a spacious open-sided dining lounge that overlooks the Indian Ocean. Serving a wide selection of local and Western dishes as well as mouth-watering desserts, Little Pumpkin provides a fresh respite from Sri Lankan cuisine.
8. Turtle Landing Restaurant
Turtle Landing Restaurant serves amazing bargain-priced Sri Lankan cuisine and a good range of seafood. Treat your taste buds to succulent garlic butter prawns, lobster or delicious calamari served with fried rice and fresh salad, and relish the charming setting and romantic ambience the venue provides.
9. Il Mare
Chic and elegant, Il Mare is an exquisite fine-dining venue perched on top of a small hill, providing panoramic views of the island. Il Mare specialises in eclectic Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, with the menu highlights including seafood risotto, thin crust pizza, juicy steaks cooked to perfection and, of course, an ample selection of delicious desserts to complete your sophisticated dining experience.
10. Dilena Beach Inn Seafood Restaurant
Dilena Beach Inn Seafood Restaurant is an unpretentious dining venue featuring a simple decor and unbeatable ocean vistas. Offering an ample range of dishes both local and international, the restaurant’s speciality is seafood. Choose your method of preference – grilled, steamed or fried – and within a half an hour, a flavoursome, mouth-watering seafood platter will appear on your table. Bon appétit!
