The short answer
Hotel Bankshall: what visitors should know first
Choose this if you want a local lunch in Pettah and eat meat or fish. It is a poor fit for vegetarians, since its signature dishes are quail and fish curries. Expect crowds at lunch and check hours.
Useful facts
Hotel Bankshall facts at a glance
- Location
- 57 Bankshall Street, Colombo 11
- Dining style
- Casual local rice-and-curry restaurant
- Price signal
- Budget
- Signature order
- Try: quail curry with rice, faluda
- Good for
- Non-vegetarian local lunch
Why it matters
Why Hotel Bankshall is worth your time
Bankshall shows how Pettah actually eats: fast plates of rice and curry served to people who work in the surrounding shops and warehouses. It is a more honest introduction to everyday Colombo than a hotel buffet.
For a non-vegetarian family it gives a practical lunch near the market lanes. For a vegetarian one it is mostly a place to avoid, which is also useful to know before you arrive hungry in Pettah.
Highlights
What not to miss
- 01
Quail curry
Named by the guide as the restaurant's speciality.
- 02
Rice and fish curry
The everyday plates that fill the room at lunchtime.
- 03
Faluda
A sweet rose-flavoured drink to end the meal.
Plan your visit
How to experience it
Order rice and curry. The walking guide describes it as authentic and names quail curry as the speciality, with fish curry plates also on the menu. Faluda, a rose-flavoured cold drink with ice cream and sherbet, is recommended to finish.
The room is popular with local traders and workers in Pettah, and it gets crowded at lunch and dinner. The guide says staff can seem gruff, which is normal in this part of town and not unfriendliness. Go outside peak hours if you want to take your time.
The prominent dishes are meat and fish, so this is a restaurant for non-vegetarian families. If anyone in your group is vegetarian, ask what vegetable curries are cooked that day, and whether they are made with dried fish, before you order.
Plan with confidence
Small checks that make a better meal.
- Go outside peak meal times
- Vegetarians should ask before sitting
- Check current opening hours
- Keep cash for a small bill
Know before you go
Timing, access and comfort
- Area
- 57 Bankshall Street, Pettah, Colombo 11
- Time needed
- 45 to 60 minutes
- Best time
- Mid-morning or mid-afternoon to avoid the lunch and dinner crush
- Walking level
- Easy
- Senior comfort
- The restaurant was recently renovated at the time of the guide and is described as clean for the area, but it fills up at meal times. We could not verify step-free access, so go off-peak with older relatives.
- Tickets and access
- No booking is mentioned. The walking guide lists daily hours of about 7am to 11pm; confirm them before going. Vegetarians should ask what is available before sitting down.
Best for
Plan it with
Plan the practical part
Hotels near Hotel Bankshall
Staying close keeps journeys short — useful for early starts and for anyone who tires quickly.
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Travelling with parents?
The restaurant was recently renovated at the time of the guide and is described as clean for the area, but it fills up at meal times. We could not verify step-free access, so go off-peak with older relatives.
Raahzo can arrange an arrival or day companion who handles tickets, queues and pacing, and keeps the family updated.
See concierge supportFAQs
Is Hotel Bankshall vegetarian?
No. Its best-known dishes are quail and fish curries, so vegetarians should look elsewhere or ask carefully.
What is the word hotel here?
In Sri Lanka a hotel can simply be an eating house; this is a restaurant, not a place to stay.
Where is it?
At 57 Bankshall Street in Pettah.
Sources and further reading
Timings, fees and access rules change. Recheck with the official source before you travel.
