This is not your usual surgery, nor indoor or beach bar. Doctor’s House is a 200-year-old, former Dutch and Ayurvedic hospital in south Sri Lanka converted into a funky, fun hostel, bar, and restaurant. They’ve preserved it so much that even the walls are not plastered and covered with a faint layer of paint.
Attire doesn’t matter here. You can be with your beachwear. Afternoon, nights are the best.
Getting to The Doctor’s House
It’s a 15-minute drive off the Colombo-Galle-Hambantota main road, towards the Madhia beach south of Sri Lanka. (
Directions) It’s an 18-minute drive 8.7KM from Mirissa
Pizza beer and Chill Vibes
The 200-year old hospital might not impress you at first sight. You need to experience it to appreciate it. The big, well-maintained garden overlooks the Indian ocean with comfortable outdoor seating shaded with garden umbrellas.
Food and drinks
Pizzas, The Doctor’s House’s speciality, is made in an open kitchen in the garden in a clay wood-burning oven. Guests can experience the complete pizza making from dough preparation to cooking in the oven. Western-style dishes with a Sri Lankan flair are on the menu.
The bar features a variety of tasty cocktails, smoothies, spirits and extra chilled beer.
Accommodation
The dorm rooms are located in a quiet environment at the back of the property. The four dorms (one six-bed dorm and three four-bed dorms) and two private bungalows have some cool antique furniture with new comfortable beds.
The dorms with bunk beds include mosquito nets, fans and shared outdoor bathrooms. The waterfall type shower spray comes from water flowing into a bowl with a few holes at its base.
The private bungalow consists of a queen-size bed, mosquito nets, fans and en-suite bathroom. For bookings click here
Unlike a star hotel, you cannot expect room service. The accommodation is clean and with basic facilities with its own theme and charm.
Book: Your stay here
Trendy chic rustic look Interior
The Doctor’s House Matara has an outstanding interior design that goes hand in hand with the building creating a fascinating look into the past. A fun, casual environment with a trendy chic rustic look. It houses an indoor bar, a pool table, casual seating, surf shop that sells and repairs surf boats.
A barbershop at the entrance is a unique feature at The Doctor’s House. It offers regular male/female haircut, beard trimming, head massage and piercing. In case you can’t find the barber on-site there’s a telephone number on the board so you can telephone him.
Nightlife and entertainment
The nights are probably the best at The Doctor’s House. The big garden is lit up. There’s a band playing almost every weekend with an electrifying performance. Follow their Facebook page for updates on upcoming events.
For everything you can’t find at Doctors house, a cart on wheels sells cigarettes, short eats, Rottie (a flatbread made with wheat flour) with sambol (A traditional Sri Lankan dish made from coconut) and hot plain tea. It’s open from morning till midnight. There are plenty of tuk-tuks around the corner in case you need to go anywhere.
The Doctor’s House Matara is definitely one of the coolest places we’ve been to. Everything is so artfully created, so perfectly imperfect.
The smell of the sea breeze, the sound of the crashing waves, and the soft sand squishing between the toes plus live music make The Doctor’s House Matara a great place for afternoon surf vibes.
