Upali's by Nawaloka

The Verdict

Upali's by Nawaloka is an institution. The family-run restaurant (under the Nawaloka commercial family) has operated on C.W.W. Kannangara Mawatha in Colombo 7 since the late 1990s and is the default Sri Lankan-cuisine recommendation for anyone local-introduction. The dining room is mid-size — about 100 covers across two floors — with a traditional Sri Lankan aesthetic of wood, brass fittings, and understated Buddhist iconography.

The menu is extensive on the Sri Lankan side: the rice-and-curry platter (the defining dish — rice surrounded by ten to fifteen accompaniments: dhal, fish ambul thiyal, black pork curry, aubergine moju, beetroot curry, pineapple curry, coconut sambol, pol sambol, papadum), lamprais (the Dutch burgher-Sri Lankan rice-and-curry banana-leaf parcel), kottu (chopped godamba roti stir-fried with vegetables or meat), string hoppers, hoppers, and the traditional Sri Lankan desserts (watalappan, wattalappan-style kiri pani, kiri kos).

Pricing runs LKR 3,500–6,000 per person (USD 11–20) — among the best value in central Colombo. The drinks list is limited to Lion Lager, Three Coins, and Sri Lankan arrack (Rockland, Old Reserve, Ceylon Arrack); cocktails are minimal. Reservations are recommended for dinner; walk-in works at lunch.

Why It Works for Team Dinner

Upali's is where most Sri Lankans would tell you to eat if you wanted to understand the national kitchen without the tourist-hotel compromises. The rice-and-curry platter — ten to fifteen accompaniments around a bed of rice — is the clearest introduction to Sri Lankan home cooking the city offers.

Signature Dishes

Rice and curry platter; lamprais (Dutch burgher-Sri Lankan); black pork curry; kottu roti; watalappan.

Also in Colombo

For the broader Colombo picture, see our full Colombo dining guide. Related rooms at this level: Ministry of Crab (Sri Lankan Seafood) and Nihonbashi (Japanese). For the team dinner cross-city picture, see our Team Dinner directory. Travelling on? Consider New Delhi, Mumbai, or Bangalore for your next leg.