The story

Rambutan Sri Lankan Restaurant in Borough Market, London

The Chef and the Kitchen

Rambutan introduces authentic Sri Lankan cuisine to London, rooted in chef-owner Cynthia Shanmugalingam’s personal history. Born in Coventry to Sri Lankan parents, she designed this Borough Market space as a direct tribute to her family’s culinary heritage. The open kitchen operates on a steady stream of walk-in guests, channeling energy directly into every plate. This consistent execution earned the spot a Very Good designation in the recent Good Food Guide, highlighting how reliably the team bridges local British ingredients with traditional Tamil techniques.

Plates and Pairings

The menu features short eats like grilled chicken dressed in kalupol black coconut seasoning alongside a sharp tamarind and green chilli dip. Heavier plates highlight red northern prawns simmered with tamarind and served next to freshly baked rotis. Larger parties often share the whole Dorset crab prepared in a Jaffna-style curry. These Sri Lankan dishes showcase the region’s love for layered spices. Dessert stops at mango soft serve to balance the heat. A compact wine list runs alongside spicy house cocktails, Cornish Harbour lager, and kalamansi iced tea.

Space and Setting

Visitors step through pink-painted brickwork that frames a dining room built around natural clay walls and tall tropical plants. A green-hued marble counter anchors the center of the floor, surrounded by buffed wood surfaces and rattan chairs. Small outdoor tables sit just beyond the entrance for warmer days. The layout encourages a relaxed pace, letting Sri Lankan cooking take centre stage without unnecessary ceremony.

Recognition

Awards & accolades

2026

The Good Food Guide

Very Good

Details

At a glance

The Good Food Guide 2026 — Very Good

Cuisines Sri Lankan

Services Outdoor Seating, Vegan, Vegetarian, Walk-in Only

History

On the record

2026

The Good Food Guide — Very Good

There’s a lot of love for Rambutan, and it’s repaid with interest from the moment you walk through the door of this enticing and immensely likeable restaurant by Borough Market. Chef-owner Cynthia Shanmugalingam was born in Coventry to Sri Lankan parents and her debut bricks-and-mortar gaff is a fond, personal tribute to the old country’s culinary heritage. Natural clay walls, pink-painted brickwork, a green-hued marble counter, tall tropical plants, buffed wood and rattan chairs create exactly the right mood, while sweet-natured, welcoming staff simply add to the feel-good vibe. An open kitchen does its stuff impressively, celebrating the sheer diversity of Sri Lanka's rich, hot and spicy Tamil cuisine: expect lots of curries, sambals and rotis, all underpinned by supplies of prime British produce ranging from Cornish mussels to Dingley Dell pork. As a curtain-raiser, try one of the ‘short eats’ – say, beautifully tender grilled chicken with spicy kalupol (black coconut) seasoning, accompanied by an intoxicating sweet and tangy tamarind/green chilli dip. We were also bowled over by the fried aubergine moju and a curry of red northern prawns, cooked in the shell with yet more tamarind – perfect with a moist, flaky roti. The cooking ‘crackles with inventiveness’, and if you fancy ‘getting down and dirty’, try tackling the whole Dorset crab in a Jaffna-style curry. After that, a mango soft-serve sorbet is all that’s required for cooling off. A dozen wines are supplemented by spicy cocktails, Cornish Harbour lager and kalamansi iced tea.

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Established

Location

Find us

10 Stoney Street, Borough, SE1 9AD
London, United Kingdom
bookings@rambutanlondon.com
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