Vegan Guide to Mirissa, Sri Lanka
Mirissa is a popular south coast destination with nice beaches and the Instagram-famous Coconut Tree Hill. While visiting this coastal destination, try out a delicious smoothie bowl or one of the yummy vegan curry buffets in town. In this post, we share where to find vegan food in Mirissa, Sri Lanka, as well as some other helpful tips for visiting this coastal destination!
We enjoyed staying in Mirissa because of its beautiful beach, the turtles, and the ease of eating vegan food! Although we aren’t the biggest beach people (I know, I know), we still enjoyed Mirissa and the meals we ate here!
Where to Eat Vegan in Mirissa, Sri Lanka
A mix of local and touristy places, you can find cheap rice and curry or splurge on a dish with a western twist.
Dhana’s Curry Pot
Cheap and tasty rice and curry buffet! All the curries are vegan (minus one or two meat dishes occasionally served). It’s always great to enjoy local prices in a touristy area, especially when traveling on a budget. Dhana’s Curry Pot is not only budget-friendly but vegan-friendly too!
There’s a staff member happy to go over the ingredients of the dishes with you to ensure it’s vegan. We ate an early dinner here and the food hadn’t been warmed up but we peeked in another time and the food had the warmers on so maybe don’t go right at 6. Lunch may be the better option!
Our World Wifi Cafe
Sit on the beach and watch the sunset while enjoying tasty vegetable curry! We were shocked to find this place right on the beach with such cheap prices. Most other places on the beach charge 1,000 rupees a plate if not more.
Our World Wifi Cafe has local prices and local taste. Most of their curry options are vegan-friendly so it’s definitely worth the stop. On top of tasty curries, they also have fresh fruit juices and other local dishes like vegetable kottu (pictured right).It may not look like much from the front (most of the best places don’t) but Our World is definitely worth the stop while eating vegan in Mirissa, Sri Lanka.
Mum’s Kitchen
This place may not look like much but the food was absolutely tasty! Head off the beach for this small family-owned restaurant and you won’t be disappointed.
Although we never met “Mum”, the two guys we interacted with were very kind. The food we were served was so good, Ty even said it might be the best Kottu he had in Sri Lanka (although he says that almost every time haha).
We also tried the vegetable rice and curry and were served one we had never tried before. After almost two months in Sri Lanka, we thought we had had them all. We were so hungry and the food was so good, we forgot to take any pictures before our plates were cleared!
Cafe Extreme – One of our Favorite Vegan Stops in Mirissa!
We found this place and felt like it was not getting as much love as it deserved, compared to other places in town! Cafe Extreme has delicious smoothies, avocado toast, porridge, and iced coffee! It looked like they had smoothie bowls previously too and we hope they bring them back.
The staff was happy to swap coconut milk where needed and the prices were great! If you go, order the Avocado Toast (because YUM!) and the Green Dream Smoothie (hello refreshing!) We also tried the iced americano, chocolate porridge, and avocado smoothie during our two meals here and enjoyed everything we ate!
Kuja Cafe
Did someone say Nice Cream? Head to Kuja Cafe for some DELICIOUS (and budget-friendly) vegan nice cream in multiple flavors. On top of this cool and refreshing treat, Kuja has many other vegan-friendly dishes and a refreshing turmeric lemonade on its menu.
The cafe is beautiful, with the outdoor seating area covered with flowers. They also sometimes host classes or have music playing. While we ate there was someone setting up for a painting class right at the cafe, how fun! Sadly, we only made it here once because we found it on our last day, but we would have been back multiple times if we found it earlier!
Aloha Coffee Gallery
A busy cafe with Nice Cream, Poke Bowls, and fruity lemonade! Aloha Coffee Gallery has a variety of vegan options on its menu, no changes are needed. The smoothie and the nice cream bowls look absolutely delicious.
During our visit, they were out of the required ingredients for the nice cream (around 2 pm) so we had the tofu poke bowl instead. It wasn’t the best bowl and we were a little disappointed. Also, The frappe is just an iced coffee, not a frozen coffee drink (just so you know!)
So skip the poke bowl and go earlier in the day for the Nice Cream or Chia Pudding instead!
The Slow Vegan – The only 100% Vegan Restaurant in Mirissa, Sri Lanka
100% Vegan Restaurant in Mirissa, located right on the beach! The restaurant itself has a beautiful setting on the beach. We loved the decor here and the staff was really friendly.
A bit pricier than most local places but some of the products are hard to get on the island (like soy). But we wanted to eat there at least once to help out one of the few 100% vegan restaurants in Sri Lanka!
We ordered the mushroom pasta and mezze plate. The pasta was pretty good, the creamy sauce made with soy milk. But we made a little creation, taking the dish to the next level by adding the hummus and baba ganoush from the Mezze Plate appetizer for more flavor. We enjoyed this dish combo so much!
The Shady Lane
Popular restaurant perfect for breakfast, brunch, or lunch! We had to wait for a seat for a bit when we ate here.
The Shady Lane serves western food mixed with local ingredients. However, the food has western prices and was one of our more expensive meals in Mirissa. We only mention the price because we travel on a budget and want to warn others who might be too!
We had a tasty smoothie bowl and the banana flower burger.
Surfing Wombat
Not one, but TWO different vegan pizza options + including vegan cheese! The Surfing Wombat is a great place to enjoy a woodfire pizza right on the beach in Mirissa.
They open around 1:30 pm but the oven isn’t always ready right away. Our advice is to arrive at least an hour after opening or you might have to wait. Perfect for dinner, head to the Surfing Wombat for a break from rice and curry!
Vegan Cooking Class in Mirissa, Sri Lanka
Looking for something more than a meal? We LOVE getting to know local cuisine through cooking classes and weren’t disappointed with the one we found in Mirissa.
We booked this cooking class through Airbnb Experiences and really enjoyed our class with Enoka. Not only was the price extremely affordable but the meal we made was absolutely delicious! Our class was held in an outdoor kitchen at a family-owned guest house.
In the class, you get to make Dhal, Coconut Sambal, and choose 2 vegetable curries from a list she messages you a couple of days beforehand. She’s happy to adjust the spice level if you aren’t able to handle the Sri Lankan heat too (like us).
Tips for Ordering Vegan Food in Sri Lanka
- Always double-check ingredients: Unless specifically stated on the menu, always double-check that the meal is vegan and does not contain shrimp sauce, butter/ghee, or egg. Sometimes there is a misunderstanding between vegetarian and vegan.
- Read recent reviews: In popular places like Mirissa, most eateries have reviews. Google maps is our favorite tool for finding places to eat. We search around for vegan options on menus AND search through reviews. Did you know there’s a search bar in Google Maps reviews to easily check if anyone has mentioned vegan/vegetarian in their review?
- There are SO many kinds of vegetable curry to try: Vegetable Rice and Curry is normally 100% safe to order and there are so many kinds to try. We were still finding new ones after two months of traveling in Sri Lanka. Although we haven’t had any issues ordering rice and curry on a vegan diet, as we said above, always double-check.
Where to stay in Mirissa, Sri Lanka
This is where we stayed for almost a week in Mirissa! The room is simple but clean, has great AC, amazing wifi, and tasty breakfasts each day! It’s also a quick walk to the beach (right across the street) and close to most of the restaurants on this list. The family that runs it is very kind. We highly recommend staying here in Mirissa!
A welcoming and clean hostel that’s highly rated. The staff here are super helpful and the location is great! At Hangover Hostel you can meet other travelers and enjoy the location close to the beach for relaxing or surfing.
Another highly rated hostel, located 2 minutes from the beach in Mirissa. This hostel has a relaxed atmosphere, a great location, and a FREE breakfast (one of our requirements when looking for budget accommodation). You can book a dorm room or private room here at Hostel First!
What to do in Mirissa, Sri Lanka (Besides Eat!)
- Relax on the beach
- Swim with sea turtles at Turtle Point
- Climb Parrot Rock or Coconut Tree Hill
- Visit neighboring towns like Weligama
- Take a day trip to Galle
- Learn something new in a cooking class
Eating Vegan in Mirissa
From fresh fruit smoothies and vegan burgers to traditional Sri Lankan Curry buffets, Mirissa has a great mix of vegan options. We enjoyed our stay in this coastal town and highly recommend adding it to your itinerary. Mirissa is a vegan-friendly town with a ton of things to do. Make sure to book a cooking class because this is still one of our favorite memories!
Google Map of Vegan Eats and Things to Do
Heading to Ella, Sri Lanka? Check out this post for the best vegan options in town!