Priyamali Gedara, Polonnaruwa
Sri Lanka's Most Authentic Clay-Pot Rice & Curry • Among the Paddy Fields • Taxi Transfers

Priyamali Gedara, Polonnaruwa: Authentic Sri Lankan Rice & Curry, Hotels & Taxi Transfers (2026)

A village clay-pot buffet many travellers call the tastiest meal of their whole Sri Lanka trip

About Priyamali Gedara

Tucked among the rice paddies on the edge of Polonnaruwa in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, Priyamali Gedara ("Priyamali's home") is a family-run restaurant that has become a pilgrimage for lovers of real Sri Lankan food. There is no glossy dining room — just simple clay-and-thatch huts with leaf roofs, open to the breeze and the birdsong of the surrounding fields. It feels like being welcomed into a genuine Sri Lankan farmer's homestead, because that is essentially what it is.

What draws people back is the cooking. Every dish is prepared fresh by the family in traditional clay pots over a firewood hearth — the same way villagers have cooked for generations. The unglazed clay keeps the curries moist and lends a gentle, earthy, slightly smoky depth you cannot fake with metal pans or gas. Ranked among the very best restaurants in Polonnaruwa on TripAdvisor, with a Certificate of Excellence and hundreds of glowing reviews, Priyamali Gedara is one of the most authentic rice-and-curry experiences on the island.

Traditional clay-pot Sri Lankan rice and curry buffet at Priyamali Gedara, Polonnaruwa

Why the Food Is So Good & Authentic

Lunch at Priyamali Gedara is a full village rice-and-curry feast, served family/buffet style. Expect around three kinds of rice and as many as 15 different vegetable curries — dhal, pumpkin, beans, gotu kola and coconut sambols, mallung, papadam, chutneys, and standout local specialities like jackfruit (polos) curry and banana-flower curry. Some visitors happily count more than thirty items spread across the table.

The spread is overwhelmingly plant-based, making it a paradise for vegetarians and vegans, while chicken and fish can be added for those who want them. Finish with simple, traditional desserts — fresh fruit, creamy buffalo curd and golden kithul treacle. Best of all, it is astonishing value: a fraction of the price of a comparable buffet at a resort, which is exactly why so many travellers rate it the best meal of their trip.

It is primarily a lunch spot (dinner is available with advance notice), and it can fill up with tour groups in season, so it is wise to call ahead — your TaxiGo driver is happy to phone and reserve a table for you on the way.

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Thatched-hut dining among the rice paddies at Priyamali Gedara, Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka

Taxi Rates from 20 Popular Hotels to Priyamali Gedara

Real fares from 20 popular hotels across the Central, North Central and Eastern provinces, computed by TaxiGo's fare engine for a mini, sedan and van. Tap any price to open the live transfer page and book — the fare shown there matches the table.

#HotelProvinceDistanceMiniSedanVan
1Heritance Kandalama to Priyamali GedaraDambulla • Central Province • ~61 kmCentral~61 km
Rs 12,800
$44
Rs 13,710
$47
Rs 14,310
$49
2Earls Regency Hotel Kandy to Priyamali GedaraKandy • Central Province • ~130 kmCentral~130 km
Rs 24,000
$83
Rs 24,950
$86
Rs 28,800
$100
3Mahaweli Reach Hotel Kandy to Priyamali GedaraKandy • Central Province • ~125 kmCentral~125 km
Rs 23,100
$80
Rs 24,025
$83
Rs 27,750
$96
4The Grand Hotel Nuwara Eliya to Priyamali GedaraNuwara Eliya • Central Province • ~188 kmCentral~188 km
Rs 32,372
$112
Rs 33,612
$116
Rs 40,980
$142
5Jetwing Vil Uyana Sigiriya to Priyamali GedaraSigiriya • Central Province • ~57 kmCentral~57 km
Rs 12,000
$41
Rs 12,870
$44
Rs 13,470
$46
6Water Garden Sigiriya to Priyamali GedaraSigiriya • Central Province • ~51 kmCentral~51 km
Rs 10,800
$37
Rs 11,610
$40
Rs 12,210
$42
7Aliya Resort and Spa Sigiriya to Priyamali GedaraSigiriya • Central Province • ~45 kmCentral~45 km
Rs 9,600
$33
Rs 10,350
$35
Rs 10,950
$38
8Cinnamon Lodge Habarana to Priyamali GedaraHabarana • North Central Province • ~41 kmNorth Central~41 km
Rs 8,800
$30
Rs 9,510
$33
Rs 10,110
$35
9Habarana Village by Cinnamon to Priyamali GedaraHabarana • North Central Province • ~41 kmNorth Central~41 km
Rs 8,800
$30
Rs 9,510
$33
Rs 10,110
$35
10Ulagalla by Uga Escapes Anuradhapura to Priyamali GedaraAnuradhapura • North Central Province • ~66 kmNorth Central~66 km
Rs 13,800
$47
Rs 14,760
$51
Rs 15,360
$53
11Palm Garden Village Hotel Anuradhapura to Priyamali GedaraAnuradhapura • North Central Province • ~105 kmNorth Central~105 km
Rs 16,350
$56
Rs 17,175
$59
Rs 23,550
$81
12Giritale Hotel to Priyamali GedaraGiritale • North Central Province • ~9 kmNorth Central~9 km
Rs 4,970
$17
Rs 5,450
$18
Rs 8,600
$29
13Deer Park Hotel Giritale to Priyamali GedaraGiritale • North Central Province • ~10 kmNorth Central~10 km
Rs 5,200
$18
Rs 5,700
$19
Rs 9,000
$31
14Trinco Blu by Cinnamon to Priyamali GedaraTrincomalee • Eastern Province • ~105 kmEastern~105 km
Rs 16,350
$56
Rs 17,175
$59
Rs 23,550
$81
15Jungle Beach by Uga Escapes Trincomalee to Priyamali GedaraTrincomalee • Eastern Province • ~126 kmEastern~126 km
Rs 19,500
$67
Rs 20,430
$70
Rs 27,960
$97
16Anantaya Resort and Spa Trincomalee to Priyamali GedaraTrincomalee • Eastern Province • ~102 kmEastern~102 km
Rs 15,900
$55
Rs 16,710
$58
Rs 22,920
$79
17Uga Bay Pasikudah to Priyamali GedaraPasikudah • Eastern Province • ~75 kmEastern~75 km
Rs 15,600
$54
Rs 16,650
$57
Rs 17,250
$59
18Sun Siyam Pasikudah to Priyamali GedaraPasikudah • Eastern Province • ~75 kmEastern~75 km
Rs 15,600
$54
Rs 16,650
$57
Rs 17,250
$59
19Maalu Maalu Resort and Spa Pasikudah to Priyamali GedaraPasikudah • Eastern Province • ~76 kmEastern~76 km
Rs 15,800
$54
Rs 16,860
$58
Rs 17,460
$60
20Amaya Beach Pasikudah to Priyamali GedaraPasikudah • Eastern Province • ~75 kmEastern~75 km
Rs 15,600
$54
Rs 16,650
$57
Rs 17,250
$59
Fresh village curries cooked in clay pots at Priyamali Gedara near Polonnaruwa

Pair Your Visit — Things to Do Near Priyamali Gedara

Polonnaruwa Ancient City

Explore the superbly preserved UNESCO-listed medieval capital — the Gal Vihara Buddhas, Royal Palace and Quadrangle — just minutes away. A morning here pairs perfectly with lunch at Priyamali Gedara.

Minneriya & Kaudulla Safari

Witness the famous elephant 'Gathering' on an afternoon jeep safari at Minneriya or Kaudulla, a short drive from Priyamali Gedara.

Sigiriya & Pidurangala Rock

The Lion Rock fortress and the Pidurangala viewpoint are around an hour away, making a classic Cultural Triangle day with a Polonnaruwa lunch stop.

Giritale & Parakrama Samudra

Enjoy the lakes and birdlife around Giritale and the vast Parakrama Samudra reservoir, right beside Polonnaruwa.

Dambulla Cave Temple

The golden cave temple with its painted ceilings is an easy add-on between Sigiriya/Dambulla hotels and Priyamali Gedara.

Elephant Safaris (Sponsor)

Planning a wildlife day? Book Sri Lanka elephant safaris through TaxiGo's sponsor site udawalawa.com.

Exploring more of Sri Lanka? See our guides to Weligama, Galle Dutch Fort and Hungama, or view Sigiriya taxi rates and Colombo Airport taxi rates.

Authentic Sri Lankan farmer-style lunch experience at Priyamali Gedara, Polonnaruwa

Frequently Asked Questions

Priyamali Gedara & the Food

Priyamali Gedara is a family-run, home-style Sri Lankan restaurant on the edge of Polonnaruwa in the North Central Province. It is famous for an enormous traditional rice-and-curry buffet cooked in clay pots over firewood and served in simple thatched huts among the rice paddies. On TripAdvisor it ranks #2 of 52 restaurants in Polonnaruwa with hundreds of reviews and a Certificate of Excellence.
Everything is cooked fresh by the family in traditional clay pots (the clay itself adds a distinctive earthy flavour) over a wood fire, exactly as Sri Lankan villagers have cooked for generations. There is no fancy buffet warmer or hotel-style menu — just genuine home cooking made the same morning, which is why so many travellers call it the tastiest meal of their entire trip.
A village rice-and-curry feast: typically three kinds of rice and around 15 vegetable curries — think dhal, jackfruit, banana flower, pumpkin, beans, gotu kola sambol, mallung, papadam and chutneys — plus traditional desserts such as fresh fruit, buffalo curd and treacle. Some visitors count well over 30 items on the table. Chicken and fish can be added on request.
Excellent. The buffet is overwhelmingly plant-based, with a huge variety of vegetable, lentil and jackfruit curries, sambols and mallung, so vegetarians and vegans can eat very well. Chicken and fish are optional extras for those who want them.
In traditional unglazed clay pots over a firewood hearth, the way rural Sri Lankan families cook. The clay-pot method keeps the curries moist and imparts a subtle smoky, earthy taste you simply do not get from metal pans or gas.
Yes — it is served family/buffet style. You sit at a simple table in a thatched hut overlooking the paddy fields and are brought a generous spread of rice, curries, sambols and dessert to share and refill.
It is famously good value — a fraction of what you would pay for a comparable spread at a resort. Most travellers report a very reasonable per-person price for the full buffet, which is part of why it is so highly rated.
It is mainly a lunch place and can get busy with tour groups, so it is wise to call ahead, especially for larger groups or for dinner. Dinner is usually available with advance notice since everything is freshly cooked.
It focuses on lunch and is generally open through the middle of the day, with dinner served on request/advance notice. Hours can vary seasonally, so it is best to confirm on the day — your TaxiGo driver can call ahead for you.
Rustic and peaceful: simple clay-and-thatch huts with leaf roofs set among working rice paddies, with birds and farm animals around. It feels like eating in a genuine Sri Lankan farmer's homestead rather than a restaurant — that authenticity is a big part of the charm.
It is just outside Polonnaruwa town in the North Central Province, close to Giritale and the Polonnaruwa ancient city, making it an easy lunch stop while exploring the ruins.
Yes. It sits only a few kilometres from the UNESCO-listed Polonnaruwa ruins and the Giritale and Minneriya/Kaudulla area, so it pairs perfectly with a morning of sightseeing or an afternoon safari.
Very. The relaxed open-air setting, gentle paddy-field surroundings and big variety of mild and flavourful dishes make it comfortable for families and children as well as foodies.
Pile your plate with the red/village rice and work through as many curries as you can — the jackfruit (polos) curry, banana-flower curry, dhal and the coconut sambols are highlights — then finish with curd and treacle. Going with an appetite is recommended.
Most reviewers say absolutely — many rate it the best and most authentic meal of their Sri Lanka trip. With a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence and a #2-of-52 ranking in Polonnaruwa, it is one of the island's standout rice-and-curry experiences.
Yes — it is ideal as a lunch stop between the Polonnaruwa ruins and an afternoon elephant safari at Minneriya or Kaudulla. For elephant safaris, you can also book through TaxiGo's sponsor site udawalawa.com.

TaxiGo Service FAQs

Use the rate table on this page — each fare links to the TaxiGo transfer page for that exact hotel-to-Priyamali Gedara route, where you can confirm the mini, sedan or van price and book. You can also book at taxigo.lk or message TaxiGo on WhatsApp.
It depends on where you start. As examples from TaxiGo's own fare engine: Giritale is around Rs 5,450 (sedan), Habarana about Rs 9,510, Sigiriya around Rs 12,870, Trincomalee about Rs 17,175 and Kandy around Rs 24,950. Every route's exact mini/sedan/van fare is in the table above and confirmed live before you book.
This page lists 20 popular hotels across the Central, North Central and Eastern provinces — including Sigiriya, Dambulla, Habarana, Giritale, Anuradhapura, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Trincomalee and Pasikudah — each with a fixed fare to Priyamali Gedara.
Three categories on every route: a mini (economy car), a sedan (standard car) and a van for groups or extra luggage. Each table row shows the fare for all three so you can pick the right size.
Yes. TaxiGo drivers can combine lunch at Priyamali Gedara with the Polonnaruwa ancient city, Sigiriya/Dambulla, or an afternoon elephant safari at Minneriya or Kaudulla. Add your plans in the notes when booking, or arrange it directly with TaxiGo.
Yes. TaxiGo runs fixed-fare transfers from Colombo Bandaranaike Airport (CMB) and around the Cultural Triangle, and can route via Polonnaruwa so you enjoy an authentic rice-and-curry lunch on the way to or from your hotel.

Ready for the most authentic lunch in Sri Lanka?

Book a comfortable, fixed-fare TaxiGo transfer to Priyamali Gedara from your hotel in the Cultural Triangle, hill country or east coast.

🍛 Book Sigiriya → Priyamali Gedara🚖 Book Kandalama → Priyamali Gedara💬 WhatsApp Us

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