Mirissa is a unique tropical paradise located on Sri Lanka’s coast. There are local restaurants and markets, but you can also find very trendy and modern restaurants and shops that offer vegan food. Mirissa is a place to relax by the beach and if you are a surfer, it is a surfer’s paradise.
The waves in the ocean are very strong that’s why it is not the best for swimming. If it is within your budget, try to find a place with a pool so you can refresh yourself in the tropical heat.
FLYING LOTUS BEACH VILLA
We booked one of the best Airbnb’s that I have ever stayed in. It is called Flying Lotus Beach Villa which is a two-bedroom villa with a private pool right on the beach near Mirissa. The villa is modern and clean. The host Bianca was super friendly and helpful in making our stay the best.
You have your own big kitchen so you can make delicious vegan meals and snacks. I recommend this place if you would like to spend a few relaxing days near Mirissa.
WHAT TO DO IN MIRISSA, SRI LANKA?
Surf, enjoy the beach and relax. Mirissa also has unforgettable sunsets. I visited many different tropical destinations and Mirissa’s sunsets were outstanding.
For the best tropical Instagram photos, you must visit Coconut Tree Hill.Go there in the middle of the day so there are no shadows from the palm trees but if you do not mind the palm tree shadows then is better to be early because all the Instagrammers know the spot. The best way to explore Mirissa is by renting a motorbike or by taking a tuk-tuk taxi.
DAILY TRIP TO GALLE FROM MIRISSA
When you are staying in Mirissa the best daily trip is to visit the city called Galle. It is a Unesco World Heritage Site with colourful Dutch-colonial buildings. It is so much different than all the other parts of Sri Lanka that we visited.
You can go there by bus and the bus ride itself is a wild experience. There is very loud party music, and the buses are going full speed from one stop to the other.
VEGAN FOOD IN MIRISSA
Because Mirissa is quite a popular and trendy surfers’ paradise, I did not have a hard time finding vegan food. In most restaurants, you can ask for rice with vegetables and no egg. Roti is also vegan, you can have it with mashed avocado, banana, or any vegetables.
There are many food stalls in Mirissa selling roti and the same is throughout all of Sri Lanka. There are even a lot of options to have delicious smoothie bowls which are my absolute favourite to eat in the tropics.
Sri Lankan cuisine is sadly not my favourite because most of the time even if you ask for not-so-spicy food, the food will burn like hell. Luckily Mirissa is much more touristy, so it was easier to find not-so-spicy food compared to other parts of Sri Lanka. Because a lot of locals are vegetarian, vegan food is not so hard to find.
SHADY LANE MIRISSA
Shady Lane in Mirissa is the place to go for a local surfer’s vibe and the best-looking smoothie bowls. It is not a vegan restaurant, but you can find vegan options. All the coffees are available with coconut milk, and you can also have fresh fruit drinks.
Be sure to ask the waiter to make the smoothie bowl vegan, because most of them contain honey or some dairy. You can also have toast with mashed avocado and some other toppings like roasted tomatoes with basil and wilted spinach. Toasts are served with vegan cashew nut pesto. And there is also Sri Lankan chia pudding.
NOMAD CAFÉ BOUTIQUE, MOSTLY VEGAN
Nomad Cafe Boutique is a very modern Bali-style cafe in Mirissa. The place is mostly vegan, but they offer some dishes that contain animal products. They have fresh smoothies, juices, and healthy shots. You can have coffee with cashew or coconut milk.
For breakfast, they offer granola, avocado toast, pesto caprese sandwich, vegan pancakes, fruit bowl, peanut & banana toast, porridge, and three different kinds of smoothie bowls. At Nomad Cafe in Mirissa, you can also have lunch where they offer: Vietnamese rolls, nachos, tofu poke bowls, tacos, and pesto zoodles.
Right next to the restaurant they also have a boutique shop with unique clothing, cosmetics, and other items.
ALOHA WELIGAMA HOME & KITCHEN, MIRISSA
I tried to Google this restaurant because we spend quite a lot of time there when we were staying in Mirissa. I am not sure if they are still open or if there are some changes because of covid-19. Here is the link to their website.
I loved their vegan smoothie bowl and the vibe of this restaurant. But now as I can see they are producing seasonal products with many local farms. Like sourdough bread, kombucha, pickled vegetables, peanut, and cashew butter and so much more.
CEYLON SLIDERS
Like Nomad café Boutique it is also a very modern Bali-style café in Mirissa. They offer food cooked with natural ingredients such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, good fats, vegetables, and fruits. The café is not vegan they also offer some animal products.
On their menu, you have many vegan dishes. For breakfast, you can have avocado toast, and chickpea scramble and all their smoothie bowls are vegan.
They have freshly blended juices, and you can order coffee with coconut milk. For lunch and dinner, you can have a vegan burger or a rainbow bowl. There is also a hotel and surf shop in the same building. And you have to check their rooftop bar.
PACHAMAMA CAFFE, A VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT WITH VEGAN OPTIONS
It is a vegetarian restaurant in Mirissa that is offering some vegan options. They say that their food is made with love for Mother Earth and a pinch of fantasy. They have coffee with soy milk. For lunch, you can have tomato bruschetta, a vegetable sandwich with brown bread, spicy tortilla with guacamole.
They also offer all-day breakfast and vegan options on their menu are Surya porridge with soy milk, oatmeal with soy milk, chia seeds pudding, avocado toast, vegan pancakes, and rice flakes smoothie bowl. You can also have fresh juices and smoothies.
ALOHA COFFE GALLERY, MIRISSA
When I was there a few years ago it was a small breakfast restaurant with a very friendly owner and a small menu. I checked their Instagram, and it looks like now it is a very nice and modern restaurant. They have cute smoothie bowls and avocado toast, poke bowls, nice cream, and vegan nachos.
Sri Lanka is one of the places that I remember the most from all my travels around the world. Nature is so unique and beautiful. You have tea plantains and colder weather in the mountains and a hot and humid tropical paradise by the coast. There are so many animals like monkeys and elephants. I heard that there are a lot of snakes in Sri Lanka, but we did not come across any of them.
There are a lot of vegetarian restaurants all around the island of Sri Lanka and you can also find vegan options. I learned so much about nature there and one thing that shook me the most while staying in Mirissa was how much plastic there is in the ocean. It is heartbreaking to see all the single-use plastic parts washed on the beach.
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