Restaurant is located near south Ceylon. Menu includes brown bread, organic coffee, cakes, vegan milkshakes, vegan and vegetarian food. Large garden setting. Meditation classes offered. May have limited dishes during off season. Advanced bookings recommended. Open Mon-Sun 11:00am-9:00pm.
Categories: Vegan-friendly, Lacto, Ovo, Indian, International, Beer/Wine
18 Reviews
First Review by cariad2
Contributions +164
Great veg spot - Edit
I came in low season so the hours and menu were adjusted (e.g. closed for dinner one night, limited options on what was served), but it was delicious with very friendly people, a nice atmosphere, and even vegan chocolate cake. I wish I was staying longer in Unawatuna so I could go back.
Pros: Lots of vegan options , Nice staff, Nice atmosphere
Cons: Expensive when compared to other restaurants, Limited menu during off season , Slow-ish -it’s homemade so it’s okay but be aware
Contributions +120
Go for the chocolate cake - Edit
Charming place, funny character. Seriously one of the best chocolate cakes I've ever had. Not too sure about the other food, we tried some dips but they were definitely not worth it. But do go for dessert! So good!
Contributions +446
good food but pricey - Edit
We had the first two Indian dishes of the menu which the owner recommended and the cashew and the chocolate cake. The food was good but you definitely pay for the “vegan” label. I found the cakes expensive as they were quite small slices. The service is indeed very slow.
Contributions +23
As good as it gets - Edit
I created this account just so I could write a review about Jinas. The chef/owner of this restaurant really cares about his work and his customers. He puts his heart and soul into each dish he prepares. The vegan dishes are absolutely top-notch. The falafel is the best I have ever had.
His cakes are not overly sweet. They are healthy cakes yet still delicious.
Pros: Friendly and passionate chef/owner , Fantastic Vegan cuisine , Tasty yet healthy cakes
Cons: Furniture and atmosphere could be updated
Contributions +44
No Sri Lankan food here - Edit
This place has great values, serving healthy food, but no Sri Lankan options when I went! They had pittu on the menu but were out of it that night. I ordered an Indian Thali which was a bit expensive but worth it when you're paying for good quality healthy foods. Many western options, Indian food, falafel, lasagna, burgers.. & vegan desserts!
Contributions +98
Not great - Edit
Food a little expensive for what you get. Service is slow, but they do advertise this. We had sandwiches and the home made bread was not great. The vegan chocolate cake was moist but a bit bland. Smoothies were warm.
Cons: Expensive, Bland
Contributions +23
coming home for lunch - Edit
Such a cute small restaurant wich serves nice, fresh and very tasty food. The owner and his wife were totally friendly and everything you can order here is homemade. You should try the vegan chocolate cake wich was one of the best I have ever tasted
Contributions +193
Pretty bad food :( - Edit
My bf and me made the trip here specially as we had heard such good things, unfortunately the food was pretty bad. My bf also ordered a "chocolate milkshake" which i think was cocoa powder mixed with watery coconut milk, Apparently because it was out of season when we went there wasn't much to chose from. I had a toasted sandwhich and my bf had the falafel. Both dry and tasteless. The guy who runs it though is lovely so I would try again when they have more choices. I've posted the menu and what we had in the pictures
Pros: The guy running it is lovely, Its got outdoor seating?
Cons: Bland food, bad servce by waitress, limited choices of food available when we went
Contributions +3472
Very Good Food - Edit
This restaurant has very good food although it isn't quite as authentic as some of the restaurants that can be found in Colombo. Unawantuna is a tourist area and they cater for such custom. Since there are not many veggie restaurants in this area though it's definitely one to visit. They have vegan options including vegan cake!
Contributions +28
Go there! - Edit
The carot cake was so delicious ! I really can recommend it ! Was the only vegan cake we could find in sri lanka! And we have been there for nearly 2 months!
Contributions +57
nothing too special - Edit
I was really looking forward to eating here after looking it up, but it wasn't anything special. I had two meals here, a lunch and dinner. several of the menu items weren't available (guacamole, lasagna) a little expensive for what you get.
Updated from previous review on 2016-02-05
Pros: it has a nice peaceful atmosphere, not kottu, if you need a change
Cons: a bit overpriced, long wait, several items not available
Contributions +30
Pretty good - Edit
They have a fair selection of Vegan and Vegetarian options. The owners know difference between vegan and vegetarian which is rare for srilankan restaurants.
We ate like 4 meals from there the two days we stayed. The service is also pretty good.
Pros: Good selection of vegan food, Tasty
Cons: Pricey but worth it(every food is pricey in unawat
Contributions +30
Great Service, Great Food - Edit
It was so nice to go to a restaurant and tell the owner/cook/waiter that I'm vegan and have him know exactly what I do and don't eat.
I had the Nachos (raw vegan style) and avocado salad. Both of which were very tasty.
The gentleman who owns the restaurant is extremely lovely, proud, passionate about food and helpful.
Contributions +52
Great food, friendly staff - Edit
It was my absolut highlight in Unawatuna to find there this lovely place in the middle of typical loud and crowded tourist places.
Not all meals from the menu are always available and it might take some time to get your food (because it it freshly made) but it is worth it.
We ate there 3 times and were always very satisfied.
Pros: taste, nice atmosphere
Contributions +348
Not sure what the fuss is about - Edit
Maybe we went on an off night, but we thought the food was very bland.
They didn't have some of the 'specials' of the day so we had an indian thali, with 4 curries and rice, plus a pigeon pie
The pigeon pie was ok, but small, while the curries were either spiced clumsily or very salty with little or no heat
Contributions +1535
Best in Unawatuna - Edit
Great restaurant. The service was good and, unusually for the area, they had everything available that we asked for. The menu is a combination of Indian, Sri Lankan and Mexican. It was all good. Highly recommended.
Pros: Tasty food, Good service, Varied menu
Contributions +72
Nice food - Edit
We liked this place, had really nice food and some good vegan options, the waiter that served us barely spoke english and didn't know what vegan meant, but he ran off and got Jina (the owner) who spoke very good english and had a firm understanding on what vegan means. overall great relaxed place, i would definitly go back :)
Pros: Good food, Cheap
Contributions +29
Fantastic restaurant - highly recommended - Edit
We stayed in Unawatuna for a week, eating at Jina's for breakfast and dinner everyday. During that time we worked our way through most of the menu, and didn't have a bad meal once. The meals are all freshly prepared, and include many home made items (eg freshly baked bread and home made soya milk). The meals were delicious and Jina is keen to accomodate guests requests eg spicy curries for myself and my boyfriend, including our favourite dishes while at the same time cooking a simple pasta (minus the lovely veg that were included on the menu) for our fussy little daughter.
It's a small restaurant with a friendly, relaxed feel set in lovely gardens - we saw beautiful birds feeding on flowers just inches away from our table. The friendly owner enjoyed showing us around, pointing out the different plants he was growing and talking about his future plans.
Jina's is very commited to environmentalism eg using organic ingredients where possible and not offering straws with cold juices (as most restaurants do) as they are not biodegradable.
I'd recommend this restaurant to anybody visiting Sri Lanka. It even has vegan cake! What more could you ask for? It was an absolute gem.
Pros: excellent food, very friendly staff, beautiful garden
Cons: none
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