michelin star

We are receiving more Australian visitors to Sri Lanka

Hatted Restaurants in Sri Lanka

Are there any Hatted Restaurants in Sri Lanka?

Are there any Hatted or Michelin Star Restaurants on the paradise island of Sri Lanka?

There are some great restaurants and places to eat when you are on holiday on this paradise island.

What is a Hatted Restaurant?

Hatted Restaurants are a recognition by the Australian Good Food Guide.  

A chef hat is a high honour in a chef’s career and a notable achievement in a restaurant’s history. The prestigious ‘hats’ are presented by the Australian Good Food Guide, who use precise award criteria on ingredients, taste, presentation, technique, value and consistency, on food alone

The association limits its reach to Australia and therefore restaurants in Sri Lanka do not qualify for the award.

There are Hatted restaurants in Australia

Michelin Stars and Bib Gourmand

A Michelin Star is awarded to restaurants offering outstanding cooking. We take into account five universal criteria: the quality of the ingredients, the harmony of flavours, the mastery of techniques, the personality of the chef as expressed through their cuisine and, just as importantly, consistency both across the entire menu and over time.

Bib Gourmand
Not quite a star, but most definitely not a consolation prize, the Bib Gourmand – named after Bibendum, the friendly Michelin Man and the official company mascot for the Michelin Group – is a just-as-esteemed rating that recognizes friendly establishments that serve good food at moderate prices.

We are awaiting the first Michelin Star restaurant in Sri Lanka

At present there are no Michelin Star rated restaurants in Sri Lanka.

We hope that with the highlighting of Sri Lankan cuisine from Masterchef contestant Brin Pirathapan (winner in UK Masterchef 2024) and Sav Perera (third place in Australian Masterchef) that more Sri Lankan restaurants open and share this wonderful fare.

The number of Sri Lankan cookbooks such as Rambutan (Cynthia Shamalugan) and Serendip (Peter Kuruvita) will enable cooks to try dishes at home.

Hopefully, the first Sri Lankan based Michelin Star restaurant is not that far away.

Amazing Sri Lankan food

At GlenMyu Estate we are always delighted when guests arrive from different parts of the the island and tell us how much they love Sri Lankan food.

It’s a great cuisine, especially if you follow a Plant Based, Vegan or vegetarian diet. The food lends itself to these diets.

Of course, being an island there are also some delicious fish dishes and curries for your to sample.

Flying the flag for Sri Lankan food

We endorse the cuisine by encouraging our guests at GlenMyu Estate to try our fusion dishes or our Sri Lankan sharing platter.

Ru’s mother, who has over 50 years experience cooking, delights in showing Sri Lankan cooking when guests order the sharing platter. An entertaining and informal time in front of our traditional kitchen is a memorable experience for our guests.

It is heartwarming when our guests send picture of the Sri Lankan food they have cooked when they returned home. 

Find out more about the GlenMyu Estate Sri Lankan cookery demonstration

When our guests order our Sri Lankan sharing platter there is an opportunity to see how the dishes are made.

Ru’s mum, who has over 50 years experience cooking Sri Lankan food leads the entertaining experience. If the weather is good we hold this event in our outside kitchen. 

It’s great learning about how to create these dishes and getting to eat the results afterwards.

The session normally starts around 4 p.m. and therefore is suitable if you are staying at GlenMyu Estate two nights or more.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate experience great food and explore the Sri Lankan Hill Country

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate 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.

Hatted Restaurants in Sri Lanka Read More »

Cashew sauce recipes

Are there Michelin Star restaurants in Sri Lanka?

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. 

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.

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.  

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.

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 our guests say

Ru and the team at GlenMyu Estate are very proud of the food that they serve to our guests. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Sri Lanka historically had mainly a diet that was full of fruits vegetable and, of course rice. 

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! 

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. 

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. 

Stay at GlenMyu Estate and experience great Sri Lankan food.

GlenMyu Estate is listed on Booking.com and Airbnb.
Contact us by the WhatsApp button on our website for direct booking rates.

Stay at GlenMyu Estate 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.

Are there Michelin Star restaurants in Sri Lanka? Read More »

GlenMyu Estate Luxury Bed and Breakfast
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