Name: Apollo Banana Leaf
Item: Apollo Banana Leaf
Author: Eat Local

The Story

Apollo Banana Leaf is one of the names most regularly cited as Tooting’s best Sri Lankan restaurant – a small, unpretentious, family-run, BYOB spot that’s built its following purely on the strength of the cooking rather than the room, which is modest even by the High Street’s low-key standards.

What To Order

The whole crab masala, served with the claws left on and finished in a rich spiced sauce, is the dish the restaurant is best known for, alongside kothu roti – shredded flatbread stir-fried with meat, egg and vegetables on a hot griddle – and an aubergine curry that shows up in nearly every review. Spice levels run to genuine Sri Lankan heat, so it’s worth asking before ordering anything marked with a chilli.

Good To Know

The room seats only a modest number of covers, so it’s worth arriving early or booking ahead on weekend evenings when the strip is at its busiest. As a BYOB restaurant it doesn’t charge corkage, which regulars tend to take full advantage of alongside the kitchen’s fiery cooking.

Signature Dish

Whole Crab Masala

Dining Style

BYOB, No Corkage

Apollo Banana Leaf

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