Walk through the cobbled streets of Fort Galle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built by the Portuguese and fortified by the Dutch, stumbling upon fashionable boutiques, old houses with porticos and antique shops.
Stop at one of the many hip restaurants usually housed within old structures and open courtyards to relish the local traditional fare or your Western favourite dishes! We at Myoki are happy to walk with you through some of the best this coastal fort town in Sri Lanka has to offer!
- Barefoot, Galle Fort
Address: 41 Peddlar Street, Galle Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka
If you have a taste for all things artsy, you must stop at Barefoot- a boutique gift shop founded in 1964 and curated by the talented Barbara Sansoni who is famous for her eclectic designs. Choose from a colourful variety of hand-woven sarongs and mats, cute hand bags, cloth toys, draped garments, ethnic jewelry and stunning home décor pieces.
Bring home the vagabond Barefoot mouse toy for your kid while you pick up and some interesting collection of local tea from Sri Lanka for family and friends back home.
If you’re there over a weekend, stop by for dinner of black pork curry and red wine or beer to live jazz music, played just on Fridays evenings and Sunday afternoons.
2. Crepe-ology, Galle Fort
Address: 53 Leyn Baan Street, Galle Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka
Indulge your love for crepes in this charming restaurant ideal for rooftop romantic meals. Order any of their savoury crepes, scrumptious starters or healthy salads along with a refreshing iced drink served with love. End your meal with a delicious sweet crepe and a flavoured water-pipe.
3. Pedlar’s Inn Café, Galle Fort
Address: 92 Pedlar Street, Galle Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka
A delightful café and coffee shop, Pedlar’s Inn is where you stop to take a short break while walking on the cobbled streets of Fort Galle, ushered in by the melodious music that fills the air around. Order a day’s special sea-food platter if you’re there for a timely meal or sip on a warm cappuccino at other times in the day.
Walk inside stumbling your way into quaint alcoves for private family dinners while admiring the art, jewelry galleries and old musical instruments on the way. Family-owned, Pedlar’s Inn promises warm ambience and great food and is a must visit place in Galle. If you’re headed there for dinner, go early to get a table. Pedlar’s Inn is one of those places you’ll end up dining at more than once during your stay in Galle.
4. Exotic Roots, Galle Fort
Address: 36 Church Stree, Galle Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka
Exotic Roots has everything an art lover would want from stunning acrylic on cotton paintings to hand designed plates and bold artsy kitschy household objects ranging from tiles to vases. You could also take back a quartz ring for your beloved or a ruby red scarf for winter.
5. Spa Ceylon, Galle Fort
Combining elegant luxury with ancient Ayurvedic techniques, Spa Ceylon is the magic haven where you go to rejuvenate yourself and emerge healed, beautiful and tranquil.
If you’ve got the luxury of time, go for a full body ritual or pick up a collection of nail and body creams, exfoliating bars or wellness oils and balms from one of their many stores across Sri Lanka.
6. The Three by TPV
Address: 43 Leyn Baan Street, Galle Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka
The boutique store of Three by TPV will call you out from a distance. Bathed in white, this stunning corner store in the heart of Galle fort, has an eclectic collection of home decor items, exquisite jewelry, paintings and fashionable clothes. Each item on display has been carefully handpicked and designed by a team that’s passionate about design.
Give your own home a make over mini make over or spruce it up with one of the many collectibles from here. The boutique is also the perfect place to pick up a little something for friends and family back home. Even if you don’t end up buying anything at all, which by the way will be tough to do, just browsing through the store is such a lovely experience!
7. Lucky Fort Restaurant, Galle Fort
Address: No. 7, Prarawa Street Galle, Galle Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka
A gem of a local find in Galle, Lucky Fort Restaurant is your go to restaurant for a taste of authentic Sri Lankan cuisine.
Work up an appetite and go for their special rice with ten curries on offer for two people or their chicken curry with gunner juice and pumpkin curry with rice.
8. Tea Zone, Galle Fort
Address: 53, Leyn Baan Street, Galle Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka
Tickle your taste buds and spoil yourself at the delightful ‘Tea Zone’ that stocks almost every variety of tea available. Visit the tea factory in the plantation and learn the secrets of tea making and brewing from the friendly locals. We loved their vanilla and jasmine flavoured tea.
9. Stick No Bills, Galle Fort
Address: 35 Church Street, Galle Fort, Galle, Sri Lanka
Originally built to showcase the rich culture and beauty of Sri Lanka, the flagship gallery is situated in a Dutch colonial townhouse and stocks a lovely variety of vintage and retro themed travel and film posters.
While the travel posters showcase a quirky side of ‘Ceylon’ often ignored by mainstream media, the film section that stocks premium classic Bollywood and Hollywood posters is a haven for cinephiles. Splurge to your heart’s content and bring a whiff of Sri Lanka back home.
If you’re an artist, you could send in your works as well, and who knows, if liked, it could be up on the walls, available for sale to the many tourists who set afoot on this fort town of Sri Lanka!
To plan a vacation to the fort town of Galle or Sri Lanka’s other coastal beauties, check out a curated collection of the best places to stay at on http:/myoki.in/sri-lanka.
Stay in charming boutique hotels, stunning luxurious villas and restored heritage properties that serve as the perfect place to explore the fortified town of Galle.
Reach us on team@myoki.in to discover the best of Galle Fort and plan where to dine, wine and shop.
