Sigiri

In Short – The island nation of Sri Lanka gets short shrift when it comes to the New York dining scene, so this tiny, colorful restaurant makes a welcome addition to the East Village. Bright oranges and reds dominate, and baskets line the walls. Some menu items, like curries and mulligatawny soup, will be familiar to Indian food fans, but dishes like breaded fish rolls and lamprais, a rice dish cooked in banana leaves, demonstrate the country's unique culinary identity.

Editor's Tips

Save Money:: A Sunday lunch buffet is available for $13.95 a person.
What to Drink:: The restaurant is BYOB, and the deli directly below it has a massive selection of international brews.

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User Reviews (28)

ambiance	100.0% positive	“The warm lighting and decor are very welcoming, despite the "steel staircase" leading up to the restaurant.” “The ambiance is nice as well.” “The ambiance is casual and romantic, the service was pleasant and the food was delish!” “The restaurant itself is cozy and intimate.” “The food is exquisite, the ambiance is great, and the price is too good to be true!”
food quality	100.0% positive	“Good food, small portions” “The food incredibly tasty, albeit spicy.” “Although the food was very good, the portions were too small.” “good food at a great price” “We highly recommend the appetizer sampler (great for sharing) and the kotthu roti (a traditional Sri Lankan dish).” “Very good food indeed, the value not to so good.” “The juices are delicious as well.” “What I can say, though, is that this food is amazingly tasty regardless.” “As a Sri Lankan, I must say that the food met expectations of good Sri Lankan food.” “They have these huge containers with itty bitty bits of food in them.” “The food is exquisite, the ambiance is great, and the price is too good to be true!” “Not only is the food cheap, but everything is so delicious!” “Great food, nice vibe” “Good, very spicy food--BYOB, but service was inacceptable” “suggest that you start off with a couple of the yummy appetizers, and when ordering entrees try to grab a variety of things so you can taste eachother's dishes.” “We also had the pork curry and dhal curry, both of which were great but the pork curry is definitely fatty.” “The food is excellent.” “It's got wonderful spiciness and richness to it; everything I had was delicious.” “Sigiri serves excellent Sri Lankan food in a warm friendly environment.” “The ambiance is casual and romantic, the service was pleasant and the food was delish!” “Everything we tried (the pittu - coconut and rice "bread" with coconut sauce, the chicken lamprais, and the string hopper kotthu) was AMAZING.” “food is delicious, perfect if you're in the mood for something adventurous.” “Agree with the other reviewers, the food is good no question and very authentic.” “Before eating here, I'd never had Sri Lankan food before, so I can't say if this is good Sri Lankan food or bad.” “Not only is it authentic (I am Sri Lankan and a pretty good cook in my own right so I can say this with some authority) but attractively served.” “All dishes we tried were excellent and their service wes hospitable and very well orgnaized.” “Overall though I enjoyed it, the prices are reasonable and the food is really good.” “The food is authentic the service is great and it is a little taste of Sri Lanka in New York.” “This restaurant provides incredibly authentic Sri Lankan dishes, especially the devilled curries (i particularly love the devilled beef), lampreis and pittu.”
menu variety	100.0% positive	“suggestion is to order the appetizer platter, which would give a first timer a variety of tastes.” “suggest that you start off with a couple of the yummy appetizers, and when ordering entrees try to grab a variety of things so you can taste eachother's dishes.”
overall	100.0% positive	“It is the best Sri Lankan restaurant I have been to outside Sri Lanka.” “This place is a great little hole in the wall Indian restaurant.” “It's very charming, and a good place to bring a small group of friends.”
service	94.44000244140625% positive	“The food is authentic the service is great and it is a little taste of Sri Lanka in New York.” “The ambiance is casual and romantic, the service was pleasant and the food was delish!” “The service isn't amazing, but it's adequate I suppose.” “Good, very spicy food--BYOB, but service was inacceptable” “The restaurent is small and run by a family who provide excellent service with the customary Sri Lankan hospitality.” “Overall, I had a great time here, the service was nice and it is a good spot to have a casual yet unique experience with some friends or even a date.” “Sigiri serves excellent Sri Lankan food in a warm friendly environment.” “All dishes we tried were excellent and their service wes hospitable and very well orgnaized.” “The service is also a perfect representation of Sri Lankan hospitality.”
value	96.42999649047852% positive	“Very good food indeed, the value not to so good.” “Not only is the food cheap, but everything is so delicious!” “Good value for money as well.” “Good food, small portions” “especially liked the BYOB policy which really helped in keeping our bill affordable.” “The value is great too.” “Overall though I enjoyed it, the prices are reasonable and the food is really good.” “good food at a great price” “Although the food was very good, the portions were too small.” “This is a very good and inexpensive restaurant, just off the Indian block in the East Village.” “The food is exquisite, the ambiance is great, and the price is too good to be true!” “Food is very good and prices are cheap!” “Perhaps, it's a cultural thing, I am not sure, but the value is not so good.” “They have these huge containers with itty bitty bits of food in them.”

05/07/11

bring cash and peptobismol

by surescott

I was excited trying this restaurant in view of the excellent reviews. Disappointing. I ordered vegetable fried rice which was watery and tasteless. The beef curry was also overcooked and tough I hardly tasted the curry. The service failed to redeem the bad food. The British wannabe Chinese lady was rude and failed to give the place the authentic Sri Lankan feel that it should exude. Overall, very poor experience. Will not be coming back. Sigiri probably had it's time 3 years ago when all these reviews were made.

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04/19/08

Great Sri Lankan food

by aronschor

I had the chicken mulligatawny and it was great. It tasted like there were many different spices. It was also BYOB which is nice. Good service.

Pros: byob
Cons: can't think of anything

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11/28/07

BYOW

by epicure222

Uptownisis is a total b*tch. BYOWater next time wuss or maybe you can't handle the heat. Also, this is a BYOB, why would you be consuming water anyways.

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10/01/07

good food at a great price

by jhartvu

Before eating here, I'd never had Sri Lankan food before, so I can't say if this is good Sri Lankan food or bad. What I can say, though, is that this food is amazingly tasty regardless. It's got wonderful spiciness and richness to it; everything I had was delicious.

The restaurant itself is cozy and intimate. The service isn't amazing, but it's adequate I suppose. Your server's not going to wait on you hand and foot, but the food comes out quickly, which is what's important.

Best of all, this place is amazingly inexpensive. Well worth the trip down to the East Village.

Pros: tasty food, great prices

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10/01/07

Good, very spicy food--BYOB, but service was inacceptable

by uptownisis

I liked how small and intimate this restaurant is. It smells delicious and the food does match the smell. I especially liked the BYOB policy which really helped in keeping our bill affordable. What I didn't like is that we had to ask for everything, service-wise. It was relatively busy because pretty much all the tables were occupied but we literally had to flag down a waiter for menus, water (each and every fill up), to order, to get the bill, etc. Since the food is really spicy I think they should've been more attentive to our water level. Overall though I enjoyed it, the prices are reasonable and the food is really good.

Sigiri

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What People Are Saying About Sigiri

Justin Hartung

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Editor's Tips

05/07/11

bring cash and peptobismol

by surescott

04/19/08

Great Sri Lankan food

by aronschor

11/28/07

BYOW

by epicure222

10/01/07

good food at a great price

by jhartvu

10/01/07

Good, very spicy food--BYOB, but service was inacceptable

by uptownisis

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