½ Kilo Crab
500–600 g
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In short
Dharshan Munidasa's crab restaurant in Colombo's Old Dutch Hospital, opened in 2011 to serve Sri Lankan lagoon crab. The Kilo Krab makes it a big, messy celebratory meal.
Ministry of Crab is a Sri Lankan crab restaurant in the Old Dutch Hospital Complex at 4 Hospital Street, in the Fort district of Colombo. Chef patron Dharshan Munidasa opened it in 2011 to serve the island's lagoon crab, much of which is exported. It suits seafood lovers and visitors who want one big, messy celebratory meal in Colombo.
The Old Dutch Hospital is a restored colonial-era building that now holds shops, bars and restaurants. The World Trade Center towers, the Galle Face area and Fort railway station are all a short walk away. Inside, the restaurant has thick old walls and wooden beams, and the mood is loud and informal, with tables of diners in bibs working through whole crabs.
Crabs are sold by size. The range runs from the ½ Kilo Crab (500 to 600 g) through Small, Medium, Large and XL to the Kilo Krab, which weighs more than a kilo, and Crabzilla at about 2 kg. Each is cooked to order in chilli, pepper, garlic or curry. Freshwater prawns follow a similar ladder up to Prawnzilla, at 500 g and more. Bread for the sauce is a standard order. Dishes are priced in US dollars, with service charge and government taxes included, and a large crab shared by two quickly turns the meal into a splurge.
The restaurant was No. 29 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in 2021, and it was named The Best Restaurant in Sri Lanka in 2019 and 2021.
Ministry of Crab opens daily from 12:00 to 22:30, with last orders at 21:30. It closes on Poya (full-moon) holidays. The 2026 Poya closures fall on 3 Jan, 1 Feb, 2 Mar, 1 Apr, 1 to 2 May, 30 to 31 May, 29 Jun, 29 Jul, 27 Aug, 26 Sep, 25 Oct, 24 Nov and 23 Dec. Book through the Reserve Now link on ministryofcrab.com, by WhatsApp on +94 77 002 4823 or by email to reservations@ministryofcrab.com. From December to March, allow two to three weeks.
Ask the staff to show you the sizes and prices before you order. The bill is easy to predict that way.
Munidasa founded the restaurant with two former Sri Lanka cricket captains, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara. Colombo is the flagship, and Ministry of Crab now also trades in Shanghai, Bangkok, the Maldives, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne. Beyond crab, the menu has a dashi-based pepper crab, garlic chilli crab, and freshwater clams and oysters.
Sources: Ministry of Crab. Facts checked November 2026.
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CloseMon - 12:00–22:30
- Monday12:00–22:30
- Tuesday12:00–22:30
- Wednesday12:00–22:30
- Thursday12:00–22:30
- Friday12:00–22:30
- Saturday12:00–22:30
- Sunday12:00–22:30
Dine-in
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