Lihiniya in Camden

Dined in for Sunday buffet with my family. The food was delicious authentic srilankan food , fresh tasting ingredients, full of flavour with a variety of dishes and accompaniments. The decor was authentic and atmosphere was very relaxing. I can’t fault the service we were made to feel very welcome . A hidden gem needs to be discovered

I have bought from this jewellers and always very satisfied with their products and the advice offered. It is even better then have recently opened a UK office. I have just received a stunning star sapphire ring set with pink sapphire. Quite unique. Thanks

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 13 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.

Este es más un lugar donde se come comida casera en lugar de comida de restaurante. No había menú, así que tuvimos que confiar en pedir pescado, pollo y verduras y esperar lo mejor. Era lento, pero cuando llegó, la comida valía la pena esperar y estaba recién hecha. Muy buenas empanadas de pescado también y tolvas. El servicio fue descuidado al principio, pero luego el cocinero se acercó y conversó con nosotros. Ella era encantadora y eso compensaba todo.

Encontramos esta pequeña joya por accidente y, si no te importa que el restaurante no tenga decoración ni ambiente, la comida es absolutamente la mejor de la ciudad. Teníamos biryani y roti de cordero con pollo al curry, okra y lado daal. Estaban hechos en casa desde cero y el sabor y el condimento son increíbles. Es administrado por una encantadora pareja de ancianos, son extremadamente amables y se puede ver que hacen toda su comida y especias, además de que el precio es muy bueno. Pagamos 17 por dos personas y estábamos bastante llenos! ! Muy recomendable para cualquiera que quiera probar algo un poco diferente. : -)

We popped in on a Friday evening at about 8pm 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 £20 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.

We visited this place recently and spent about £30 for horrible pre prepared food which was heated. I am a Sri Lankan and I know how our food are being processed. There was only two middle age people, person who served us was wearing a scarf with a winter coat. The service was very poor and fortunately I did not use the toilet before the meal, according to my wife it was disgusting. I feel sorry for those two individuals but as a customer we all expect decent service, after all I felt very disappointed to take someone from different background to show what we have. Why are we still very poor in customer service.,.,.

We went to get a takeaway from this restaurant and the owners were really friendly and nice. The food was really good and me and my husband will definitely be going back there again !!!

Lovely Sri Lankan food for very good value and at eat as much as you like.. Cozy, nothing luxurious and they have a small grocery shop in house. 😊

Noticed this place on my way home from work, my family is Sri Lankan so was keen to try this place. Went on a Friday night and was shocked to be the only ones there. Very nice food with good seeni sambol. Sri Lankan Lion lager too. Food was so tasty Me and my soon to be brother in law got a second main to share. My wife was vegetarian so they did her a fish curry which she really enjoyed. Food didn't take long but could have been a little hotter temperature wise but was still very tasty. Family run place and at the back of the restaurant was the owners grandkids who were very fun. Very nice atmosphere very friendly and glad we went was £39 for five main meals and two large beers. Money well spent and such a shame more people aren't going to this place.

This place is authentic. I lived in Sri Lanka for over a year. Lihinya is like stepping into any very, very good local restarant in Sri Lanka. All the food is prepared and cooked from scratch so the service takes ages, maybe a hour. The walls have cute posters - exactly the same tourist board ones of the Candy Perahera and all that stuff that you see on the restaurants in Sri Lanka. The staff are a small family and they are real and friendly. The food is amazing. Everything is delicious. The kind of tastes you just can't get in English cuisine. It's like entering a less stressy tropical oasis. I am in love with it, I even spent my Birthday there. Go there, go there, go there.

This is not a common restaurant, this is the ideal place to get a Sri Lankan experience and to get to know the Sri Lankan culture. When you step inside you feel like a member of the family and you are served an authentic Sri Lankan meal. The place might be a little small, but it's a cosy environment and it is decorated with pictures of Sri Lanka and typical objects. The owners are very friendly and kind.

Passed this restaurant the previous night and it seemed as dead as a dodo. Night two (Wednesday) same issue. However I ventured inside. The tables still had a few glasses on them from previous visitors and I wondered if the place was closed. Mepali the lady inside assured me that it wasn't and asked if i wanted to eat. Soon after I realised the restaurant doubles up as a store. Unfortunately string hoppers were off the limited menu so I asked if Mepali if she could make me a mixed meat Kothu with traditional spicing. Off she went and duly home cooked me the aforementioned. When it arrived it was a decent version and priced competitively. Accompanying Lion beer could have been a tad colder, however i was prepared to put up with this. Seems that weekends are the time to catch this place as it appears to be the hub of the Sri Lankan community. On this trip I would like to try more of Mepali's cooking. The place isn't pretty and probably not the place to take someone special to impress. However for decent homemade Sri Lankan food it hits the spot.