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Finding genuinely halal food in Colombo is rarely a problem. The city’s Muslim community has been part of its fabric for centuries, and halal kitchens are woven into nearly every neighbourhood. The real difficulty for a traveller is knowing which ones are worth your time, which are certified, and what they actually serve. This guide covers nine restaurants across the city, from long-standing institutions serving traditional Beruwala rice to Middle Eastern grills, Chinese-halal kitchens, and Indian biryani houses. Each entry covers the cuisine, the halal status, what to order, and the practical details you need to get there.
Marine Grill
Marine Grill occupies a stretch of Station Avenue along Marine Drive in Colombo 03, a location that reflects what the restaurant does best: grilled meats, seafood, and hearty rice dishes in a family-friendly setting. The menu runs from Hyderabadi dum biryani and butter chicken curry to burgers, submarines, and peri-peri chicken shawarma. Guests frequently mention the biryani and the grilled items, though service can be slow during peak hours. The restaurant is halal, accepts card payments, and operates from 11:30 AM to 11:00 PM, with Friday hours starting later at 1:00 PM due to Jummah prayers.
What distinguishes Marine Grill from the many grills along the coast is its range. You can order a full Chinese-style seafood platter, an Indian curry with butter naan, or a burger and milkshake without leaving the table. The mixed platter, which runs around Rs 5,590 for the full portion, is the most expensive item on the menu; plain naan starts at Rs 300. For a family dinner or a group evening along the coast, it offers more variety than most of its neighbours.
- Cuisine: Grills, seafood, Indian, Chinese, burgers
- Halal status: Halal restaurant
- Location: No 25, Station Avenue, Marine Drive, Colombo 10350
- Hours: 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM (Friday from 1:00 PM)
- Contact: 0112 364 727
- Payment: Cards accepted
Ibrahim Eating House (Beruwala Kade)
Ibrahim Eating House, commonly called Beruwala Kade, sits on Ven Baddegama Wimalawansa Mawatha in Maradana, Colombo 10. It is not a restaurant in the conventional sense. The rice and curries are laid out on a table, and you eat as much as you like from a single serving, paying a fixed amount for the rice and then buying your chicken separately. The speciality is kidu rice, a Beruwala-style preparation served on a banana leaf with aubergine, fried green banana, mango curry, and parippu. The food is halal, and the restaurant accepts card payments.
This is the kind of place that rewards curiosity more than convenience. It is a takeaway-focused operation, though there is space to eat in. The normal lunch pack starts from around Rs 300, and larger coconut-leaf boxes for six to ten people start around Rs 1,200. Fridays bring beef biryani alongside the regular kidu menu. For travellers staying in central Colombo, Maradana is a short tuk-tuk ride from Fort or Pettah, and the experience of eating Beruwala food in the city where the community settled is difficult to replicate elsewhere.
- Cuisine: Beruwala rice and curry, kidu rice, biryani
- Halal status: Halal food; halal confirmed by the establishment
- Location: 25 Ven Baddegama Wimalawansa Mawatha, Colombo 01000
- Hours: 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM
- Contact: 0112 696 930
- Payment: Cash and cards
Fazly’s Halal Refreshments
Fazly’s opened on Malay Street in 2000 and has been serving burgers, submarines, and rice dishes to Colombo ever since. It is a family-owned operation, and that ownership still shows in the consistency of the food and the way the menu has evolved without abandoning what made it popular in the first place. The Chicken Cordon Bleu burger and the classic chicken burger are the items most frequently recommended, and the shawarma and grilled items have their own following. The restaurant is halal throughout.
The kitchen runs from 4:30 PM to 1:30 AM, which makes it one of the few halal options in central Colombo for a late dinner. Prices are moderate: a beef kebab runs around Rs 2,060, and burgers sit in a similar range. The location on Malay Street, just off the main Pettah arteries, puts it within walking distance of the Fort railway station and the central bus stands. For travellers arriving late or staying in the Pettah area, it fills a gap that most halal restaurants in the city do not.
- Cuisine: Burgers, submarines, shawarma, grilled items, rice dishes
- Halal status: Halal restaurant
- Location: 135 Malay Street, Colombo 00200
- Hours: 4:30 PM – 1:30 AM daily
- Payment: Cards accepted
Eastern Wok
Eastern Wok on Walukarama Road in Colombo 03 is the city’s most established halal Chinese restaurant. It opened in 1992, making it the first halal-certified Chinese restaurant in Sri Lanka, and it has maintained that certification through the All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ulama. The kitchen serves Chinese, North Indian, and Middle Eastern dishes, all halal, with no alcohol on the premises. The mixed meat chopsuey rice and the nasi goreng are the most ordered items, and the seafood preparations, particularly the cuttlefish and prawns, receive consistent praise.
For travellers who want a proper sit-down Chinese meal without compromising on halal requirements, Eastern Wok is the most straightforward choice in the city. The dining room is comfortable, the portions are generous, and the price per person typically falls between Rs 2,000 and Rs 3,000. The restaurant sits in Bambalapitiya, within easy reach of the Galle Road corridor and the guesthouses of Colombo 03 and 04. It is also one of the few halal restaurants in Colombo with a genuine fine-dining atmosphere, which makes it suitable for a special occasion.
- Cuisine: Chinese, North Indian, Middle Eastern
- Halal status: Certified halal by the All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ulama; no alcohol
- Location: 38 Walukarama Road, Colombo 00300
- Hours: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM daily
- Contact: 0112 576 276
- Payment: Cards accepted
Arabian Knights
Arabian Knights on Galle Road in Kollupitiya serves Syrian-style shawarma, falafel, hummus, kebabs, and mixed grills in a Moroccan-themed dining room. The owners are Muslim and have confirmed the restaurant’s halal status, and the establishment is listed as fully halal with no alcohol. The mixed grill, which includes sheesh tawouk, chicken kebab, and orfali kebab with saj bread, dips, and fries, is priced at Rs 3,740 and is designed for sharing. The mixed shawarma platter at Rs 8,240 serves groups of four or more.
Arabian Knights is one of the more expensive halal options in this guide, with dinner typically running Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000 per person before service charge and taxes. What justifies the price for many diners is the portion size and the quality of the grilled meats, which have earned the restaurant a strong reputation among Middle Eastern visitors and resident families. The Friday hours begin at 1:30 PM rather than the usual 12:00 PM, reflecting the Jummah prayer schedule. It is a reliable choice for a group dinner or a family meal where sharing platters make sense.
- Cuisine: Syrian, Lebanese, Middle Eastern
- Halal status: Halal confirmed by owners; fully halal; no alcohol
- Location: 377 Galle Road, Colombo 00300
- Hours: Sunday–Thursday 12:00 PM – 10:50 PM; Friday 1:30 PM – 10:50 PM; Saturday 12:00 PM – 10:50 PM
- Contact: 0112 301 031 / 0112 301 032
- Payment: Visa, American Express, cards accepted
Elite Indian Restaurant
Elite Indian Restaurant has two locations relevant to travellers: the original on Bauddhaloka Mawatha in Bambalapitiya and a branch in Pettah on Sea Street. The Bambalapitiya restaurant is the larger and more established of the two, with over 30,000 Uber Eats ratings and a 4.6 average. The menu covers North Indian and South Indian cooking, with biryani, dosa, rice and curry, tandoori dishes, and a range of vegetarian and vegan options. The owners are Muslim and have confirmed the restaurant’s halal status.
The chicken biryani is the dish most often mentioned in reviews, though some diners find the price of Rs 890 for the Pettah branch a little high. The Chicken Masala Curry with naan is the other consistent recommendation. Service at the Pettah branch can be slow during lunch, and the Bambalapitiya location is generally the better bet for a relaxed meal. For travellers staying along Galle Road between Kollupitiya and Dehiwala, the Bambalapitiya branch is convenient and reliably halal.
- Cuisine: North Indian, South Indian, biryani, vegetarian and vegan options
- Halal status: Halal confirmed by owners
- Location (Bambalapitiya): 124 Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 00400
- Location (Pettah): Sea Street, Colombo 01300
- Hours: Vary by branch; Bambalapitiya typically 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM
- Payment: Cards accepted
Thejan Hotel & Restaurant
Thejan Hotel & Restaurant sits on Galle Road in Colombo 05 and serves a blend of Sri Lankan and Middle Eastern food. The menu covers biryani, kottu roti, grilled dishes, and rice and curry. The biryani receives positive mentions in reviews, as does the fruit salad, though some diners have reported inconsistencies in the kitchen, including undercooked rice and variable service. The restaurant is listed as halal.
Thejan’s main draw is its hours. It operates from 6:00 AM to midnight on most days, with Saturday extending to 2:00 AM. That makes it one of the few halal kitchens in Colombo open for an early breakfast as well as a late dinner. It is a value-oriented option: rice and curry dishes are affordable, and the location on Galle Road puts it on the main transport corridor between the city centre and the southern suburbs. Travellers staying in Colombo 05 or passing through on the way to Mount Lavinia may find it useful for a quick meal at an unusual hour.
- Cuisine: Sri Lankan, Middle Eastern, biryani, kottu
- Halal status: Listed as halal
- Location: 201 Galle Road, Colombo 00500
- Hours: 6:00 AM – 12:00 AM (Saturday until 2:00 AM)
- Contact: +94 76 928 7931
Kandoori
Kandoori is a family-run Indian restaurant on Charlemont Road in Wellawatte, Colombo 06. The original branch is in Beruwala, and the Colombo branch opened in 2013. The menu spans Indian, Chinese, Western, and Sri Lankan dishes, with biryani, nasi goreng, butter chicken, tandoori items, and a range of vegetarian options. The restaurant is halal and also offers vegan and vegetarian choices. The butter naan with chicken masala, mutton biryani, and chicken 65 are the most frequently recommended dishes.
Dinner at Kandoori typically costs Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 per person, which makes it one of the more affordable options in this guide for the quality and quantity of food. The atmosphere is family-friendly, and the staff are generally described as efficient and helpful. The location in Wellawatte puts it within walking distance of the Savoy Theatre and the Galle Road bus routes, and the area itself has a strong concentration of Muslim-owned businesses and eateries. Some reviewers have noted inconsistent service during busy periods, but the food itself draws repeat visits.
- Cuisine: Indian, Chinese, Western, Sri Lankan; vegan and vegetarian options
- Halal status: Halal restaurant
- Location: 17 Charlemont Road, Colombo 00600
- Hours: 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM daily
- Contact: +94 77 751 1911
- Payment: Mastercard, mobile payment, cards accepted
Acropol Restaurant
Acropol on Schofield Place in Kollupitiya serves Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese food in a setting that leans toward the Mediterranean rather than the Middle East. The menu includes hummus, souvlaki, moussaka, shawarma, butter prawns, and a range of burgers and sandwiches. The restaurant is family-run and halal throughout, with no alcohol. A halal sign is clearly displayed on the premises, and the owners have confirmed the certification.
Prices are moderate: sandwiches run around Rs 1,000 and rice and curry dishes around Rs 1,800. A meal for two with hummus, shawarma, butter prawns, and dessert has been reported at around Rs 6,000. The location on Schofield Place, just off RA De Mel Mawatha in Kollupitiya, places it within walking distance of the Galle Face Green promenade and the Colombo Fort area. It offers something different from the Chinese and Indian options that dominate Colombo’s halal dining scene, which makes it a useful addition to a traveller’s rotation.
- Cuisine: Turkish, Greek, Lebanese, Mediterranean
- Halal status: Halal sign displayed; certified halal; no alcohol
- Location: 1 Schofield Place, Kollupitiya, Colombo 00300
- Hours: 12:00 PM – 11:00 PM (hours vary by day)
- Contact: 0114 710 990
- Payment: Visa, UnionPay, cards accepted
Who Manages Halal Dining in Colombo?
Halal certification in Sri Lanka is overseen by the All Ceylon Jamiyathul Ulama, and restaurants that carry its certification are the most reliable. Many establishments, including several in this guide, are halal by virtue of Muslim ownership and confirm their status directly rather than holding a formal certificate. In practice, this means the food is halal, but if certification is essential for your requirements, it is worth calling ahead to confirm.
The restaurants listed here operate across a range of price points, from under Rs 500 for a rice and curry pack at Ibrahim Eating House to Rs 3,000 or more per person at Arabian Knights, so there is a halal option for nearly any budget. Most accept cards, though it is always useful to carry some cash as a backup.
Colombo’s halal dining landscape is concentrated in several areas: Pettah and Maradana in the north, where the city’s Muslim commercial history runs deepest; Kollupitiya and Bambalapitiya along the Galle Road corridor; and Wellawatte, which has a dense cluster of Muslim-owned restaurants and shops. If you are staying in one of these areas, you will rarely be more than a short tuk-tuk ride from a good halal meal.