Four distinctive dining experiences place Sri Lanka on Shangri-La’s global culinary map this October
A plate can reveal a remarkable amount about a place: its landscape, its seasons, its traditions and the people who bring it to life. This October, Shangri-La Colombo and Shangri-La Hambantota invite diners to experience those stories through Taste of Shangri-La, a month-long global celebration of culinary artistry taking place from 1 to 31 October 2026.
Bringing together 25 restaurants and bars across 11 Shangri-La hotels in Europe, Canada, India, Sri Lanka, the Indian Ocean and the Middle East, Taste of Shangri-La presents a collection of specially curated menus inspired by the individual character of each restaurant and destination. From Cantonese craftsmanship in Paris and contemporary British-Asian cuisine high above London to Northern Italian flavours in Toronto and the culinary traditions of India, the campaign offers diners a journey around the world through the kitchens of Shangri-La.
Sri Lanka joins this international celebration with four experiences spanning two strikingly different settings: the cosmopolitan energy of Colombo and the open landscapes of the island’s southern coast. At Shangri-La Colombo, Shang Palace and Capital Bar & Grill explore the meeting point between tradition and contemporary technique. At Shangri-La Hambantota, Ulpatha and Sera draw inspiration from the sea, the land and the vibrant flavours of Southeast Asia.
A Poetic Journey of Flavour in Colombo
At Shangri-La Colombo, the journey begins at Capital Bar & Grill, where the elemental drama of fire shapes a menu defined by smoke, char and confident flavour.
The Taste of Shangri-La tasting menu opens with choices including orange-cured salmon and yellowfin tuna before moving through a selection of thoughtfully composed mains. An adobo-glazed smoked chicken leg is paired with garlic crémeux, sweetcorn croquette and confit pepper sauce, while harissa lends warmth to a barramundi fillet. A leek and organic mushroom Wellington provides an equally considered meat-free alternative. Each plate reflects the restaurant’s character: generous yet refined, grounded in familiar flavours but sharpened through contemporary technique. The Capital Bar & Grill tasting menu is priced at LKR 14,900++ per person.
A few steps away, Shang Palace turns to the elegance and precision of Cantonese cuisine. Here, tradition is not simply preserved; it is interpreted with an assured sense of theatre.
The four-course tasting menu begins with delicately crafted dim sum, including a seafood dumpling shaped to resemble a sea cucumber. Mixed mushrooms are deepened with truffle, while crispy braised beef ribs bring together star anise, Ceylon cinnamon and Hua Diao wine in a dish of aromatic richness. Garden-fresh vegetables wok-tossed with hearty red kidney beans.
The result is a menu that honours ancient Chinese culinary wisdom while allowing each dish to speak in a distinctly contemporary voice. The four-course Shang Palace tasting menu is priced at LKR 18,000++ per person.
Southern Flavours in Hambantota
At Shangri-La Hambantota, Taste of Shangri-La moves beyond the city and follows the rhythm of the southern coast, where the landscape itself becomes part of the dining experience.
Overlooking the resort’s golf course, Ulpatha offers a relaxed setting for a four-course menu that draws together seafood, contemporary favourites and subtle Sri Lankan influences. Pan-seared yellowfin tuna and cinnamon-infused white onion soup lead into a choice of mains, including a dill-marinated grilled barramundi mosaic accompanied by cuttlefish and leek compote and Sri Lankan-style tempered lagoon prawns.
Other selections include cheese and spinach-stuffed baked chicken breast, beef medallion and ricotta-spinach ravioli, before the menu closes with rich chocolate fudge and mango-passionfruit ice cream. It is an experience shaped by contrast: delicacy and depth, land and sea, familiar ingredients and unexpected combinations. The four-course Ulpatha dinner menu is priced at LKR 12,500++ per person, or LKR 15,500++ with beverage pairing.
At Sera, the journey travels further east. Inspired by the lively food cultures of Southeast Asia, its family-style menu is designed for the table rather than the individual—generous, colourful and made to be shared.
Satay ayam with raw papaya salad begins the experience, followed by the bright heat of tom yum goong. Hot garlic prawns, steamed freshwater fish with chilli-coriander sauce, Singapore-style vegetable noodles and Sichuan chilli chicken with cashew bring together layers of spice, fragrance and texture. Thai sticky rice pudding with mango-coconut sauce provides a cooling, gently sweet finale. The Sera family-style menu is priced at LKR 10,500++ per person, or LKR 12,500++ with beverage pairing.
A Global Celebration, Told Through Local Tables
Taste of Shangri-La reflects a culinary philosophy that has long been central to the brand: that a restaurant can be a destination in its own right, and that a memorable meal is capable of connecting diners with cultures and places far beyond the table before them.
Across Colombo and Hambantota, this philosophy takes on two distinct expressions. One is urbane, polished and international in outlook; the other is shaped by the warmth, generosity and natural abundance of Sri Lanka’s southern coast. Together, they offer diners four different ways to experience the imagination, craftsmanship and sense of place that define Shangri-La’s global culinary identity.
Whether rediscovering a familiar restaurant or sitting down somewhere new, Taste of Shangri-La is an invitation to travel through flavour—one course, one story and one memorable table at a time.
Taste of Shangri-La will be available at Shangri-La Colombo and Shangri-La Hambantota from 1 to 31 October 2026.
Image Caption –
From left: signature creations from Shang Palace and Capital Bar & Grill at Shangri-La Colombo, followed by the vibrant flavours of Sera and refined favourites from Ulpatha at Shangri-La Hambantota—four distinctive culinary expressions brought together for Taste of Shangri-La 2026.
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Reservations
Shangri-La Colombo
Shang Palace
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +94 76 570 2527
Capital Bar & Grill
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +94 76 289 2322
Shangri-La Hambantota
Ulpatha and Sera
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +94 47 788 8888
WhatsApp: +94 77 420 2895
Explore the complete collection of Taste of Shangri-La at www.shangrilaexperiences.com/taste-of-shangri-la
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