Lihiniya - Camden

I'm a Sri Lankan and have been going here for years. Almost always I get a takeaway, and Mepali is very accomodating if you want a few tweaks here and there in terms of the prep. She and her husband are lovely people. We have...served many, many friends Mepali's meals when they've come over to ours over the past years and invariably they've loved it. The only complaint is that for some western palates the food can be quite spicy. But many of our friends have subsequently ordered from Lihiniya themselves. The venue itself is somewhat basic, so if you eat there it'll probably feel more akin to a street food meal than a dining experience'. But in that sense it's not really different to going to a local restaurant in Sri Lanka. It's all about the food not the decor. I note one damning review here, from a fellow Sri Lankan, which prompted me to write. If you're trying to impress someone and showcase Sri Lanka then go to Hoppers. Complaining about getting served at Lihiniya by someone in a winter coat and scarf is like going to the Ivy and complaining about the prices being rather high. This place is authentic Sri Lankan home cooking, excellent at that, and just like restaurants back home for good and bad. If you want a night out with all the attendant frills and a waiter dressed appropriately do your research and go elsewhere.

This is more of a place where you eat home food rather than restaurant food. There was no menu and so we just had to rely on ordering fish, chicken and veg and hope for the best. It was slow but when it came the...food was worth waiting for and freshly cooked. Very nice fish patties too and hoppers. Service was haphazard at first but later the cook came over and chatted to us. She was lovely and that made up for everything.

We came across this little gem by accident and if you don’t mind the restaurant having no decor and atmosphere, the food is absolutely the best in town. We had mutton biryani and roti with chicken curry, okra and daal side. They were home made...from scratch and the taste and seasoning is amazing. It’s run by a lovely old couple and they’re extremely friendly and you can see they make all their food and spices plus the price is so good. We paid for two people and we were quite full !! Highly recommended for anyone who’s into trying something a bit different!:

We popped in on a Friday evening at about to find the restaurant completely empty. The charming lady running the kitchen that evening asked us if we wanted to try some Sri Lankan food. We weren't offered a menu but were happy to be...told what was on offer and try it out. We each had a large plate of light fluffy rice with some vegetables, dahl and beans, chicken and a couple of sambals and a hard boiled egg. This was accompanied by a jug of a delicious coconut curry gravy. We ordered a third portion to take home to our son and my wife an I shared a large bottle of Sri Lankan beer while we waited for our food to be cooked. The whole bill came to which is fantastic value in this day and age. The really shocking thing to me is that no one else came in while we were there at such a peak time. The food, the service and the value for money were all excellent so if you are in the area, why not give Lihiniya a try.

Been going there for years nearly always ordering takeaways. The food is freshly prepared hence I'm a little surprised by the previous review. I know as I usually ask for my meat to be prepared a particular way, and it often takes a little...while to get this and other dishes prepared. The lady who cooks is lovely, as is her husband. It's really a takeaway place rather than someone to eat, although if you want something like hoppers you'd be better off eating in albeit surroundings aren't very glamorous.