Randoli Restaurant & Take Away

A cheerful, no-frills local haunt on Kirula Road in Colombo, equal parts budget pub and Sri Lankan kitchen. It’s the kind of place friends pile into for cold beers and sharing plates — hot butter cuttlefish, seafood chop suey rice, fried fish slicked with fiery kochchi paste. There’s air-conditioned seating and a private room upstairs if you want it. Come for cheap eats and a relaxed, unpolished night out rather than fine dining.

While you’re in the city, pair it with a Colombo tuk-tuk street-food tour.