Ah, the Holy Month of Ramadan is upon us – with its hallmark values of prayer, reflection and self-discipline. The most obvious feature of Ramadan is abstention from food and drink from sunrise to sunset, but this in no way means that it takes a backseat! If there’s one thing the blessed month is synonymous with worldwide – it’s Iftar. That’s right, Iftar- the evening meal with which Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset – is a time when restaurants and other eateries serve up some fantastic seasonal menus with a wide variety of foods.
Fun fact: Muslims worldwide have a Ramadan tradition of breaking their fast with dates. Dates are high in sugar, fibre, minerals, and vitamins; and are easily digested. These attributes make them a quick source of energy and nutrients – ideal to replenish the body’s resources and help the body’s blood glucose levels quickly return to normal. Sri Lankan Muslims and those in Southern India have another staple for breaking their fast – ‘congee’ or, as more commonly known, ‘kanji’. This is a lightly spiced porridge consisting of slow-cooked rice and other lentils, and sometimes with pieces of meat. This too is both nutritious and easy to digest. Both of these are widely featured in Iftar menus across Colombo.
Iftars can be enjoyed by one and all – so here’s our roundup of places with some delicious feasting for after the fasting, or even just because!
Ramada Hotel Colombo
Ramadan at Ramada this year consists of Iftar packs featuring classic items such as dates, kanji and short eats (samosas, rolls, chocolate éclairs, etc.) as well as additional portions of Muslim/Arabic delicacies such as adukku roti and baklava. The Iftar packs come in two options, and each pack serves two people, making this ideal for couples of any kind – be it, friends or partners. Orders are required and packs are available from 11 am – 9 pm.
Price: LKR 3,950 (Iftar pack)
LKR 4,300 (Buffet pp)
Time: 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Instagram: @ramadacolombo
Contact: 0112 422 001
Address: 30, Sir Mohamed Macan Markar Mawatha, Colombo 03
Mitsi’s Delicacies
Mitsi’s Iftar packs for 2022 consist of 5 varieties. Each pack consists of dates, kanji and Mitsi’s infamous BBQ platter by default, along with growing additions to each pack.
Price: Package 1 (2 pax) – LKR 5,500
Package 2 (2 pax) – LKR 6,000
Package 3 (4 pax) – LKR 9,000
Package 4 (6 pax) – LKR 12,000
Package 5 (8 Pax) – LKR 9,000 onwards (Preorder before 24hrs)
Package 4 (12 pax) – LKR 17,000 (Preorder before 24hrs)
Contact: 0777 163 090
Instagram: @mitsisdelicacies
Website – www.mitsis.lk
Address: 34A, Bagatalle Rd, Colombo 03
Arabian Knights
Known for its Middle Eastern cuisine, Arabian Knights’ Iftar menu comes as no surprise. Beef sambosek, falafels, hummus, mini shawarmas, grills and the dessert Muhalabiya (a sweet milk pudding usually flavoured with rose or orange water) are some of the items on this traditional Middle Eastern/Moroccan menu that is available for pickup or delivery daily from 5.30 pm – 7.30 pm.
Price: LKR 2,915 per person
Contact: 0112 301 031
Instagram: @arabianknights_lk
Address: 377, Galle Road, Colombo 03
Street Burger
Street Burger’s three dates, choice of beverage, cheese up beef or nitrous chicken, 2 pieces of crispy chicken ripple strips, mini toasted bun, fries and 500ml bottle of water are truly an all-in-one package. Talk about doing Iftar right! Now you have no need to worry when the hunger for a fast food craving strikes – because this super deal has got you covered.
Note: Valid from 3 pm – 11 pm daily.
Price: LKR 1,500 per person for takeaway
LKR 1,900 per person on Ubereats
Contact: 0112 595 559 / 0777 887 777 / 0777 179 179
Instagram: @streetburgersl
Address: 34, Ramya Road, Colombo 04
899, Kotte Road, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte
293, Galle Road, Mount Lavinia
Platter Me
Platter Me’s unorthodox take on Iftar is a fresh and vibrant sharing platter for 2-3 persons, packed to the brim with quite an unusual assortment comprising of strawberries, grapes, dates, nuts, 4 tuna sandwiches, 4 chicken wraps, 4 vegetable samosas, 4 egg boats and 500ml mixed fruit juice. This platter undoubtedly combines healthy choices and deliciousness. However, orders are required to be placed one day prior.
Price: LKR 3,900 for 2-3 people
Contact: 0759 304 812
Instagram: @platterme23
Indian Summer
This restaurant is offering an Indian-themed Iftar meal you can enjoy whether you’re at home, at work or on the go.
The packs are available at their outlets in both Colombo and Kandy, and includes food items such as chicken koliwada, bajiya, veg samosa, chicken lollipop, chicken kathi roll and the usual dates and porridge.
Price: LKR 1,499 per person
Contact: 011 266 2112
Instagram: @indiansummerlk
Address: 42, Horton Place, Colombo 07
Paan Paan
Paan Paan’s all about simplifying Iftar this year with their 3 freshly made break-fast boxes: A, B and C. Each set menu pack will have three savouries, one sweet, one portion of kanji and dates. The items will vary between veg and non-veg Chinese rolls, puffs, patties, pies, samosas, eclairs and profiteroles, depending on the day as each pack is available on alternating days. They’re available for pickup/delivery from any Paan Paan outlet after 4 pm daily and you can call your nearest outlet to reserve.
Price: LKR 570 per box (Delivery prices via UberEats and Pickme Food vary)
Contact: 0117 500 226
Instagram: @paanpaanlk
Address: 84, Lorenz Road, Colombo 04
Website: www.paanpaan.com
Chana’s
Chana’s is a renowned North Indian restaurant, and they’re pulling out all the stops this Ramadan with their Iftar selection. You can opt from a wide variety of savouries such as chicken satay sticks, kebabs, samosas and tandoori chicken; and can even choose between fried and unfried. All items will no doubt be jam-packed with the exotic Indian flavours they are famous for.
Price: LKR 85 upwards
Contact: 0117 939 788
Instagram: @chanas.lk
Address: 54, W. A. Silva Mawatha, Colombo 06
Flip Burgers
Have a hankering for burgers for Iftar but don’t know where to look? Look no further, Flip Burgers has you covered. Their packs include single, double and family options. Customers can choose between a variety of burgers, fries and beverages to go with a bowl of kanji and a couple of dates. Orders can be placed between 3 pm to 7 pm.
Price: LKR 2,797 (Single pack)
LKR 5,594 (Double pack)
LKR 11,188 (Family pack)
Contact: 0779 074 686
Instagram: @flipburgerslk
Address: 31, Perahera Mawatha, Colombo 03
360 by Coco Veranda
Coco covers a myriad of flavours from virtually all corners of the world, albeit with a unique Sri Lankan twist. For Ramadan though, they pull out a completely different serving of food in comparison to their usual. Their Iftar packs consist of 3 chicken or mutton samosas and kanji along with a bottle of water and dates.
Price: LKR 1,000 (Chicken Samosa pack)
LKR 1,300 (Mutton Samosa pack)
Contact: 0112 662 678
Instagram: @360bycocoveranda
Address: 32, Ward Place, Colombo 07
Marine Grill
Marine Grill pulls together a mouthwatering Iftar buffet consisting of an unimaginable number of juicy treats. The buffet is spread over a variety of festive dishes between 6 pm – 8 pm.
Price: LKR 2,999 (Monday to Thursday)
LKR 3,799 (Friday to Sunday, Poya holidays)
Contact : 0112 364 727 / 0777 300 686
Instagram: @marinegrill
Address: 25, Station Road, Colombo 06
Mandarina Colombo
This Ramadan, Mandarina goes the extra mile to bring forward both an Iftar pack and buffet. Their Iftar packs consist of a generous serving of dates, chicken kanji, a mini fish bun, a beef samosa, a fish cutlet, a prawn spring roll and watalappan. The buffet on the other hand stirs up dishes from almost every corner of the Arab world.
Price: LKR 1,900 (Iftar pack)
LKR 3,500 (Iftar buffet)
Contact : 0703 367 119 / 0702 583 523 / 0703 367 122
(For reservations)
Instagram: @mandarinacolombo
Address: 453, Marine Drive, Colombo 03
Movenpick Hotel Colombo
Movenpick dishes out a plethora of delicious cuisines on a daily basis, and they definitely take this up a notch during the Ramadan season. Their Iftar buffet is a real crowd pleaser and is definitely something for the entire family to indulge in. The buffet opens from 6 pm onwards daily.
Price: LKR 5,500 (Weekdays & Sundays)
LKR 5,900 (Saturdays)
Time: 6:00 onwards
Contact : 0117 450 450
Instagram: @movenpickcmb
Address: 24, Anagarika Dharmapala Mawatha, Colombo 03
Cinnamon Grand Colombo
Cinnamon Grand Colombo unpacks a massive buffet along with a special Iftar menu consisting of the staple dates, snacks and juices. This extravagant feast is truly one of a kind. The buffet is open from 6.30 pm to 11 pm.
Price: LKR 5,200 per person
Contact : 0112 497 377
Instagram: @cinnamongrandcolombo
Address: 77, Galle Road, Colombo 03
So there you have it- our list of Iftar options in Colombo this Ramadan 2022. We hope it’ll be the basis of many happy meals you’ll enjoy this festive season. Have you tried any of these places? Which one’s your favourite? Are there any we’ve missed out on? Do let us know in the comments section below!
