Let’s Sea — Restaurant in Sri Lanka

It has become very obvious after a few days in Sri Lanka that good reviews don't necessarily mean good food. We have experienced that a lot, and the same was with Lets Sea. The owners are very persuasive and persistent in to making sure that everyone leaves a review before leaving the restaurant. After asking for the bill, it took them cca 30 minutes to actually bring it because they realised no good review is going to come from our group. In the meanwhile the waitress brought us free dessert to rectify for the average ( and I am being generous ) food. She also commented before that someone has left a 2 star review and that they were "confused". We were not confused. I am leaving 3 stars just not to mess up their average, frankly 2 stars is very realistic.

Regarding the food - we asked in the morning if they had any lobster, that we would like to have it for dinner. They replied that they only had 2 kilos, so we reserved the two kilos for us. They showed us the lobster and it was already cooked ( so they don't walk around the fridge, they said). This is ok practice, no problem there, but when we got it on our plates it was not hot, but also - it wasn't even grilled. No sign of heat, burns, nothing. Besides that, two other tables also ordered lobster, and they got it. So the story of only having 2 kilos falls in to the water, which made us question the freshness. Fried chips and rice bland,...

“A great journey is measured not in miles, but in meals.”

In Tangalle, where the sea whispers to the shore, I found Let’s Sea—a place where hospitality flows as freely as the ocean breeze. A warm greeting, spoken in one’s own tongue, makes even the most distant traveler feel at home.

The setting? A curious blend of tradition and wanderlust. Flags and posters from faraway lands hang beside local craftsmanship, as if the restaurant itself has collected stories from passing sailors. And the menu? Presented not only on paper, but in pictures, brought forth on the waitress’s phone—an innovation even the great courts of Kublai Khan would admire.

The mixed seafood platter arrived like a bounty from the deep, its portion size more suited for three hungry sailors rather than the advertised two. The shrimps and calamari? Perfect. The sauce? Rich and würzig, full of spice and character. Only the mahi mahi fell short, dry as a merchant’s purse at the end of a long voyage.

The mango lassi, thick as a monsoon cloud, could have been smoother, but its flavor still pleased. And while the feast was grand, a fish knife for peeling the shrimp would have been a welcome tool for the weary traveler.

But in the end, a meal is not just about food, but about the experience. And here, both were plentiful.

“A good journey leads to discovery. A great one leads to dinner.”

—Marco...

Incredible experience, we stopped here because it had great reviews and it did not disappoint: in fact, we liked it so much that we came back 4 times and tried almost all the menu.

The fish is extremely fresh and well cooked: I asked them to buy lobsters together and they brought me on a scooter 15 km away, where they have their lobster dealer, then they cooked the lobsters for us at launch at a very reasonable price (around 30 USD for a whole kg of VERY fresh lobsters, including side dishes! It took us almost two hours to finish those)

The mixed seafood platter is very big and comes with sides and can be easily shared by three people.

When you finish don't forget to get the banana fritters with ice cream, a great dessert!

The family running this place is very accommodating, service is good, without being annoying. For this reason I want to dispel some of the latest bad reviews they had:

1. Someone said there are mosquitoes, well mosquitoes are everywhere in the area, and they provide anti-mosquito fumes and citronella spray if you ask
2. Some prices are not written on the menu because they depend on both size and local market prices, just ask and they will be happy to tell you the exact price of the seafood item you want (in fact, they always told us beforehand)

I can only recommend this...