The Verdict
The Empire Cafe occupies the ground floor of the Olde Empire Hotel, a UN-conserved colonial building on Temple Street that dates to the 1890s. Manor House Concepts took over and renovated the lower floor in January 2014, turning it into a bright all-day café directly opposite the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, as Ceylon Pages records.
It is a casual stop rather than a fine-dining room: Sri Lankan curries alongside pastas, salads and sandwiches, strong iced coffee, and a terrace looking onto the temple and lake. The Empire classic rice and curry runs about Rs 380, an easy, well-placed lunch on the Kandy sightseeing circuit.
The Kitchen
The kitchen keeps it simple and local-leaning: the Empire classic rice and curry comes with a choice of chicken or fish curry (or three vegetarian curries), rice, pappadums, pol (coconut) sambol, eggplant moju and mango chutney. Around it sit pastas, salads, sandwiches, soups and desserts, plus the café's well-known iced coffee.
The Room
The café fills the lower floor of the 1890s Olde Empire Hotel at 21 Temple Street, a UN-conserved colonial building. Worn tiles, shuttered windows and a small terrace face the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and Kandy Lake. It opens daily from morning to evening and draws a steady mix of pilgrims, tourists and locals.
Best for a Casual Lunch
The Empire Cafe is a sightseeing lunch or coffee stop: come between temple and lake visits for a rice and curry and an iced coffee, with a terrace view straight onto the Temple of the Tooth. It is relaxed, central and inexpensive — an easy break rather than a destination dinner.
Not For
Not for a special-occasion dinner, a named-chef tasting menu, or anyone expecting fine dining: this is a heritage all-day café with simple Sri Lankan and Western plates, busy with temple visitors. Diners after a refined hillside dinner should book Theva Cuisine above Kandy instead.
Reservations
The Empire Cafe is walk-in, open daily from morning through evening on Temple Street, opposite the Temple of the Tooth. No reservation is needed and tables turn over quickly. The Empire classic rice and curry is about Rs 380, with coffee, sandwiches and desserts keeping a casual lunch inexpensive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Empire Cafe in Kandy still open?
Yes. Despite an outdated 2021 closure note on one listings site, The Empire Cafe is operating, with current reviews and delivery listings through 2024 and 2025. It sits on the lower floor of the 1890s Olde Empire Hotel at 21 Temple Street, opposite the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in central Kandy.
Who runs The Empire Cafe?
Manor House Concepts took over and renovated the lower floor of the Olde Empire Hotel in January 2014, creating the present all-day café. The building itself is a UN-conserved colonial structure dating to the 1890s, and the café trades on that heritage and its location directly opposite the Temple of the Tooth.
What should I eat at The Empire Cafe?
The signature is the Empire classic rice and curry — a choice of chicken or fish curry, or three vegetarian curries, with rice, pappadums, pol sambol, eggplant moju and mango chutney. The café also does pastas, salads, sandwiches and desserts, and is known locally for its strong iced coffee.
How much does The Empire Cafe cost?
It is inexpensive: the Empire classic rice and curry runs about Rs 380, with coffees, sandwiches and lighter plates costing less. There is no cover charge and no reservation needed, which makes it an easy, central lunch or coffee stop on the Kandy temple circuit.
Where is The Empire Cafe in Kandy?
The Empire Cafe is at 21 Temple Street in central Kandy, on the ground floor of the historic Olde Empire Hotel and directly opposite the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, beside Kandy Lake. It opens daily from morning to evening and is an easy walk from the city's main sights.
Also in Kandy
Explore the full Kandy dining guide, or compare it with Theva Cuisine and Slightly Chilled Lounge.