The Empire Cafe image

The Empire Cafe

Restaurant Cafe Coffee shop Indian restaurant European restaurant Chinese noodle restaurant Sri lankan restaurant

👍 Located on the ground floor of the Olde Empire heritage hotel. Unique interior designed in keeping with old world charm. Warm, homely and cozy ambience. Best for both Sri Lankan and western cuisine. History of the building the cafe is located in :- Olde Empire Hotel is a small two-storey Heritag... People often mention good, nice, cafe, staff, service, Lankan, great, friendly, hotel, building,


Address

Temple St, Kandy, Sri Lanka

Website

www.facebook.com

Contact

+94 812 239 870

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.10 (698 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: good (23) nice (15) cafe (12) staff (10) service (9) Lankan (7) great (7) friendly (7) hotel (6) building (6)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 4/5 sansa d. 1 month ago on Google • 331 reviews New
    Located on the ground floor of the Olde Empire heritage hotel. Unique interior designed in keeping with old world charm. Warm, homely and cozy ambience. Best for both Sri Lankan and western cuisine. History of the building the cafe is located in :- Olde Empire Hotel is a small two-storey Heritage hotel located on Temple Road in the center of the World Heritage recognized Kandy city in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. The hotel is located just opposite the Mahamaluwa park of the world renowned Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, which is the highest place of religious importance for Buddhists the world over. This quaint old building was originally built in 1857 as a coffee factory during the British colonial era, which makes it close to 170 years old. Later in 1898 , this was converted to a hotel by an entrepreneur named Porolis C. Fernando and has been operated by his family todate ! It was used as a pub in the 1940's and 50's and later converted to a guest accomodation in the 1970's. In 1998 the building was designated as a 'conserved Building ' by the UNESCO as part of the listing of Kandy as a World Heritage city. In 2005, it was formally declared as an 'Archeological Protected monument' by the Sri Lankan government. Currently, the lower floor houses a cafe highly popular among travellers. Preserved in good condition, this hotel offers a charming old world ambience of warmth and peace. Highly recommend specially on account of it's location value.
    5 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Giancarlo S. 2 months ago on Google • 148 reviews New
    The Sri Lankan rice and curry comes with a variety of delicacies. That have a really spicy macha-style home made oil/sauce. Here is the menu.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ross D. 4 months ago on Google • 439 reviews
    After a lovely sunset walk around Kandy Lack the Empire Cafe is close and great food, atmosphere and service. We really like the authentic Sri Lankan curry and side dish's

  • 4/5 Carla B. 1 year ago on Google
    We came here several times during our stay in Kandy. It's a nice restaurant, even we can call it 'fancy', but with affordable prices (700-1400 a dish). We came some times for juices (natural, no sugar added, really tasty and with good ingredients as coconut, pineapple, avocado)- around 600 rupees. As well we had yesterday dinner and we had two fresh juices, a starter (mezze for two) and two veg wraps/roll -all was a bit less than 5000 all. For my taste, I noticed some fried things that I am not use to have, but it was delicious and really taste. Highly recommended. Many different types of places available. Just go and ask they will do the best in order to make you feel home and with happy belly. The staff is very attentive. As well we had a short tour inside the place, it is a hotel as well and we were interested in seeing the arquitecture of it.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Andrei K. 11 months ago on Google • 55 reviews
    nice cafe, served well, despite the fact that they were already closed. everything was delicious, not really liked the shawarma with tuna. quite unusual salads, varied menu. I hope to come back here again to try something different.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Visalakshi G. 4 years ago on Google
    I tasted smoothie here which was sooo delicious and yummy. I haven't tasted such a good smoothie ever. Srilankan lunch is also available. It is very near to the tooth temple. The view from the restaurant is good. The people who serve here are so kind. It's a must try restaurant
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ketan B. 5 years ago on Google
    Lovely experience at a professional restaurant which really understands the needs and tastes of its guests. The service is really good with friendly and talkative waiters. They speak good English which helps and being a heavily tourist location, they totally appreciate the concerns around water usage and tastes so really do offer something for everyone. Worth a visit and highly recommended!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Richard C. 4 months ago on Google
    this is an exceptional restaurant. the on-site owner makes sure everything is of the highest quality Sitting outside is extremely pleasant with a pleasing view of flower sellers and the temple grounds. Great coffee and desserts, especially the ice cream and chocolate cake, all made at the place.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Bernard d. 11 months ago on Google
    Perfect place to stop for a drink of a bite to eat!!!!! Yesterday I had a wonderful full english breakfast and excellent cafe after the visit to the Temple of Tooth. The staff was extermely friendly..... Especially when you are travelling alone it is nice to have a little chat. Not unimportant for women, the toilet was very clean! I absolute recommend a visit for a little break, a coffee of breakfast, lunch or dinner...
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 José Fernando B. 1 month ago on Google • 87 reviews New
    Kind of tourists trap. I felt dissapointed for not saying other word. I ordered a chicken fried rice. The description in the menu said the rice came with peas and other vegetables which I never found. In the photo there can be seen very few pieces of grated carrot and no more than some miniature leaves. On the side of a bunch of rice a tiny portion of chicken thigh. After complaining, my dish was discounted from the bill. However that is not my purpose. I dont expect to go to a place where I dont get served what I asked for. The Mac and cheese plate for my wife was also dissapointing, lack of taste and not woth the price 1950 ruppies.

  • 3/5 Sumedha S. 2 months ago on Google • 81 reviews New
    Fairly good place to relax amidst the crowded surroundings and have a nice tea.. But the washrooms were not available saying there's a watercut.. I had a doubt whether it was because we were locals.. The person who served us looked confused to see us..

  • 2/5 John C. 2 months ago on Google • 41 reviews New
    Very overpriced, small portions. The atmosphere was okay, with good indoor and outdoor seating. I think it's just lacking the enthusiasm from staff and chefs. It was probably once a good place to dine, but now it has a few reviews, and it's become very relaxed in service and serving basic food at higher prices. Listen to your criticism and act. Don't be so stubborn.

  • 4/5 Shivraj D. 5 months ago on Google
    It’s good cafe and convenience is too much. Furnituer is decent and so close to the tooth temple.

  • 5/5 Paul de J. 3 months ago on Google • 4 reviews New
    I visited, looking for a Christmas meal and was really impressed by the quality of the meal, the dessert and the friendly service. Very reasonable prices, too. The building dates back to 1857 and still has some of that classic ambience. A real find, so close to Kandy's center.

  • 5/5 Cris S. 4 months ago on Google
    Really enjoyed our experience there. The staff were very friendly. Our server, Manoj, was especially nice, and we chatted with him about Malayalam cinema. So was Syam, another staff member. The food was yum, loved the passion fruit juice. Great ambience too with some pretty paintings on the walls. Good collection of postcards too.

  • 5/5 Ella 4 months ago on Google
    This is a good place with a nice terrace, from which you can enjoy a peaceful atmosphere while watching the busy street near to the main temple. The service is what makes it also great. The boys working here gave us tips on our travel arrangements, so it s not wrong to say they went the extra mile :) thank you

  • 5/5 Emma G. 10 months ago on Google
    We had an incredible meal of Sri Lankan curry here, the service was so good and the owner took care of us so well, definitely a must try!! Amazing value for money too :)

  • 5/5 hannah w. 9 months ago on Google
    Amazing chicken burger and staff really friendly. I didn’t like the tea but was happy to pay for it anyway but he still deducted it from the bill… really great place 😁

  • 4/5 Becky C. 10 months ago on Google
    Right outside the temple of the tooth, lovely spot to sit for a bite to eat and a drink. The Vietnamese chicken wrap was absolutely delicious (had it twice so good!). Also tried the tandoori and tikka masala which weren't as great but still tasty. Coffee was disappointing but fruit juices were fabulous

  • 4/5 Nadeesha G. 8 months ago on Google
    We went there for dinner and the cafe was not crowded and almost empty. We were given a very good service with tasty food. Recommended.

  • 4/5 David M. 4 years ago on Google
    I highly recommend the Empire Café. I went there once for dinner and once late in the morning for breakfast. The café is very central and because of the old building it is a nice place to sit. The dinner (traditional curry) tasted good. I also recommend the Smoothie Bowl in the morning. Please try the carrot 🥕 cake! In the morning I talked for a long time with a very nice staff member about travelling while he politely took care of everything else there. Really nice staff! You definitely pay a little bit for the location, 10% charge on top. therefore 3,5 stars! Just check it out and take a picture yourself I recommend. The food looks very good (see photos)

  • 4/5 Manolis L. 11 months ago on Google
    A nice cafe and snack place at a nice location by the lake. Food is very good. On the downside though, the menu could be richer (there are few beef and lamb choices). Avoid the wooden, bar-style chairs outside for prolonged seating as tall chairs aren’t very uncomfortable. Also WiFi is slow and the credit card POS isn’t always working.

  • 4/5 Oss S. 11 months ago on Google
    Decent place for sitting outside under cool fans. Good food, chips are amazing. Vegan coffees and lovely staff. Recommend as a good place to watch the world.. 👍.

  • 5/5 Julia D. 1 year ago on Google
    The Cafe is located next to the Sri Dalada Maligawa Temple, nice attraction in Kandy. I had an Americano (good coffee!) and got some warm coconut milk seperately because I‘d like to drink vegan milk coffee. Really great, friendly, polite service! The menu seems nice too to have some food here and the price is good! So come and enjoy, I like it!

  • 1/5 gayani p. 11 months ago on Google
    When order fruit salad with jelly they gave fruits in water. Horrible. Can’t recommend to anyone.

  • 5/5 Candice S. 4 years ago on Google
    The Empire Cafe is a nice cafe to eat at. The Sri Lankan Omelette is yummy. Coffee is French press deliciousness. Located next to the Temple of the Tooth. Also a great place to observe the goings on between local vendors and travelers.

  • 4/5 Paul F. 4 years ago on Google
    The empire cafe has a wonderful historic vibe to it, especially the outdoor seating area in the front. Look out for the beautiful lamp and building details! The rice and curry was good and appropriate size, with honest pricing. The cafe is very close to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth so makes for an easy stop once you're done sightseeing. #cafe #historic #dinner

  • 4/5 ANSEL C. 4 years ago on Google
    Had a Sri Lankan seafood noodles here which tastes good. My friend had a rice set with various dishes chicken and fish curry, brinjal and vegetables which taste really great. All in our 2 mains costs approx. 10 USD. It is considered relatively expensive relative to prices around but really worth it. Good old retro vibe here (according to the waiter this place is at least a 100 years old).

  • 3/5 Umair R. 5 years ago on Google
    Cozy little cafe next to the tooth temple. Has a nice ambience, but the food is average. We had the Ceylon fish burger and the open wrap. The burger was bland, and dry. The wrap has fresh vegetables but the taste was just ok, nothing special.

  • 5/5 Sensible J. 4 years ago on Google
    Nice decor and friendly, helpful staff. Offers a variety of vegetarian dishes and has vegan options as well. Delicious food, specially the grilled vegetable and tofu salad. There are healthy options on the menu than in most places. A tad bit expensive but it’s worth considering how good the food and service is.


Call +94 812 239 870 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Payments
    • ✓️ Credit cards
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Coffee
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Cocktails
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Vegan options
    • ✓️ Healthy options
    • ✓️ Vegetarian options
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Assistive hearing loop
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible toilet
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible car park
    • ✓️ Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Brunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Catering
    • ✓️ Breakfast
    • ✓️ Counter service
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Delivery
    • ✓️ Takeaway
    • ✓️ Drive-through
    • ✓️ Kerbside pickup
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating
    • ✓️ No-contact delivery

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