Are there Michelin Star restaurants in Sri Lanka?
Michelin Star restaurants in Sri Lanka.
Given the success of Sri Lankan chefs on Masterchef in the UK and Australia, I was surprised that there are no Michelin Star restaurants in Sri Lanka.Â
Sri Lankan food is a great cuisine that has been promoted by successful chef such as Peter Kurivita in Australia and Cynthia Shamulangan in the UK.
Cynthia’s restaurant, Rambutan located in Borough Market in London, features as a recommended restaurant in the Michelin guide. We had the pleasure of hosting Cynthia at GlenMyu Estate when she was in the process of writing her award winning cookbook, Rambutan.
We hope that the success of Brin Pirathapan in the UK and Savindri (Sav) Perera in Australia that this wonderful cuisine will become available in more restaurants around the world.
We are so proud of our food at GlenMyu Estate
Food is a essential part of the experience for our guests at GlenMyu Estate.
We use the freshest and most local ingredients that we can find. Most of our menu is great for a Plant Based, Vegan or Vegetarian diet. Of course, we also cater for those who want to eat chicken or fish.
We love the positive feedback that our guests say and write about us.
What is a Michelin Star Restaurant?
In the late 19th Century, the Michelin brothers produced a small guide filled with handy information for travellers. It included maps, information on how to change a tyre, where to fill up on petrol. The magazine also provided recommendations for places to eat and stay.
in 1026 the Michelin Guide started awarding stars for fine dining establishments.
Now the Michelin Guide rates over 30,000 establishments in over 30 territories across three continents.
Australia has its own version to rate fine dining restaurants. The Australian God Food Guide Chef Hat Award rates restaurants throughout Australia. Chef Hats’ are awarded for consistent culinary excellence. Â
I could only find one restaurant with a Chef’s Hat in Australia. It is Ella by Minoli which is located in Darwin. Minoli De Silva appeared on Australian Masterchef.
What our guests say
Ru and the team at GlenMyu Estate are very proud of the food that they serve to our guests.Â
Feedback is important to us as it provides guidance and motivation to provide the best we can for our guests.
We are delighted that we have so many complimentary comments in our customer reviews on Booking.com, Google, TripAdvisor and Airbnb.
Please read our reviews so you can see what our customers think.
We believe that the food we serve at GlenMyu Estate is the icing on the cake for your stay with us in the Sri Lankan Hill country.
Here is an excerpt from a review from Ali (Dubai) from a recent booking.com review.
“The food prepared by this lady is better than many food we have tasted in micheline star restaurants around the world”
Other comments about our food
“Some of the best food I’ve had the pleasure of eating ever (special shout to Ru’s coconut cake!)”
Charlotte (UK) – Booking.com -April 2024
Nicola (UK) – Booking.com – February 2024
“The food was something else. I can’t rate this place highly enough. I felt so at home here we’re already planning out next trip!”
“it was like staying with friends and Ru’s cooking was to die for. The smell of fresh baked bread in the morning was enough to get us out of bed, and we looked forward to every evening meal, with ingredients straight from the garden.”
Sharon – Oman – April 2024
We are not aiming for a Michelin Star
Although Ru is competitive (she was National Gymnast champion for 5 years) we are not targeting a Michelin Star.
We just want to provide the best experience for our guests at GlenMyu Estate. The food that we serve is an important part of this recipe for the whole experience in the Sri Lankan Hill Country.
Fresh local ingredients are important
One of the important things for us is to source the best local ingredients that we can find.
We believe that keeping food miles to a minimum is good for the planet and you also get the best tasting seasonal products.Â
Although we grow lots of different fruits, vegetables and spices on the five acres at GlenMyu Estate, we know that we cannot provide the amount of produce we need to feed ourselves and the increasing number of guests.Â
We also believe that we should support good quality local producers.
There are fruits and vegetables that grow well in different parts of the island and therefore we buy and support local Sri Lankan farmers.
We also think that it would not be neighbourly or good for the local community if we were to be self sufficient. Mushrooms, Kitul Treacle and Jaggery, Organic Tea and Sri Lankan Coffee are some of the foodstuffs that we have found locally.
A tendency towards a Plant Based Menu
The longer we have been living in Sri Lanka, the more we have been moving towards a plant based menu.
It makes sense to us as we are able to grow and source great quality, fresh vegetables, spices and fruits.Â
Sri Lanka historically had mainly a diet that was full of fruits vegetable and, of course rice.Â
We are not fully satisfies with the animal husbandry on the island and although we do offer some fish and chicken dishes, a majority of our menu is plant based.
Even the most dedicated carnivores that stay with us can’t help being satisfied with our Sri Lankan sharing platter. We often hear that with the texture of our Jackfruit curry and Mushrooms dishes that they don’t miss meat!
We hope that there will be Michelin Star restaurants in Sri Lanka in the future
It is disappointing that there are no Michelin Star restaurants in Sri Lanka in 2024.
We hope that there will be some in the future!Â
There are restaurants and hotels around the country that serve spectacular tasting food.
We hope that more chefs in Sri Lanka are inspired by the success of Sri Lankan chefs on Masterchef and other cooking programmes.Â
During the off season, we at GlenMyu Estate like to travel around the island and we would love to have the choice to eat in a Michelin Star restaurant in Sri Lanka ourselves.
Sharing how we cook Sri Lankan Food
At GlenMyu Estate, we are happy to share.
Ru’s mother has over 50 years experience of cooking Sri Lankan food.
She delights in providing a complimentary Sri Lankan cooking demonstration when our guests order our Sri Lankan sharing platter.Â
Why stay at GlenMyu?
Two Lounges where you can relax, chat and enjoy the views
GlenMyu Boutique Villa has two comfortable lounges that have views of the southern hills.
The middle floor have ample seating where you can sit together or separately, if you want some space.
Dining is on the lower floor of the house.Â
We also have a snug which is an ideal place to have a pre-dinner drink and chat about your day in the Sri Lankan hills.
Three comfortable Bedrooms
We only have three guest bedrooms at GlenMyu Boutique Villa.
The Mahogany and Mango bedrooms are situated on the middle floor and have a communal lounge.
All the beds in the bedrooms look out over the views to the south of the island through floor to ceiling windows.
Our Cinnamon bedroom is on the ground floor of the property and has direct access to the gardens.
The Swimming Pool
Our Natural Spring-Fed Swimming pool at GlenMyu Boutique Villa is located a short walk from the house.
Guests like that fact that it is private and not overlooked by the house.
Surrounded by nature, it is a wonderful place to relax whilst listening to the soundtrack of bird songs.
Food, glorius food!
Our food offering at GlenMyu Boutique Villa is mainly plant based or vegetarian as we are able to source good quality fresh ingredients.
However, we do offer some fish and chicken dishes for our guests.
Breakfast is quite substantial and guests often skip lunch.
We make our dishes freshly to order from the best ingredients we can find.
What we serve to you is important to us and Ru and the team have a good reputation for cuisine with a hint of Sri Lankan flavours.
Amma shows you how to cook Sri Lankan
We offer a complimentary Sri Lankan cookery demonstration at GlenMyu Boutique Villa when our guests order our Sri Lankan sharing platter.
The platter consists of six or seven vegetarian dishes and is served with rice or flat bread.
It’s a fun and interesting experience. We love it when our guests try making some of the dishes when they get home.
Ruwanthi's garden tour
There are five acres at GlenMyu Boutique Villa and we grow various fruits, vegetables, and spices.
Ruwanthi is happy to provide a garden tour to interested guests.
Often you will pick some of the ingredients that will be used in the meals that you will eat that evening.
Book directly and save
We recommend contacting us directly via WhatsApp for the best rates.
Message us at 00 94 752 999 272.
We reward guests for finding us directly by offering direct booking rates.
Stay at GlenMyu to explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country
GlenMyu is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.
Stay at GlenMyu as you explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country
See sights like Horton Plains National Park is a unique experience.
We only have three bedrooms and you will need to book early during the peak holiday season.
The estate is usually within an hours drive of the major sightseeing locations such as Nine Arch Bridge, Ella Town, Upper Diyaluma Waterfall, Lipton’s Seat, Bambarakanda Waterfall and many more.