Had a tip from a friend to go here and very glad that i did. Only went for drinks and dinner, but it was the highlight of Kandy for my friend and I. If you are the type of person who likes clean cut 5 star boring places don't go here, but if you want an amazing experience that is strange, quirky, fun and adventurous get here.

It is a little expensive for Sri Lanka but i would pay it all again just to see the walls and decoration. You won't see anything like this for a very long time trust me.

Helga popped over said hello and was fun and interesting, as were the other guests. Food was good, but it was more the ambiance of the room and decorations that made it a night to remember. For anyone coming through kandy this is a must stop no questions asked.

Might want to book transport on the way back though as none of the tuk tuks would take us back for some reason, and it is about a 20 minute walk back to the main road.

A friend and I had been recommended this place, we were told it was weird, eccentric, dark but artistic - it was certainly all those things and more! We arrived and were lead into a large living type room that had been decorated in such a way it just gave the place an amazing feel, hard to describe but we were both overwhelmed.... in a pleasant way. It was dark so the waiter lit a number of candelabras and sat us down.

We ordered our drinks (they aren't cheap but about the same as most western bars) and sat down to enjoy them and soak up the ambience. Initially we were the only ones there, we invited our driver to join us for some drinks so he did. Throughout the course of the evening we encountered some extremely interesting characters including Helga herself, she seemed to float into the room and greeted us all very politely then went on to see other guests.

The food was great, small servings but a 3 course set menu and great value considering the surroundings. Helga is no ordinary woman, nor were any of the other people we met that night, it may not be to everyone's liking but for us it struck a chord and I strongly recommend people to go and make up their own mind.

For me it was a place I will always remember, and for all the right reasons, fascinating surroundings and interesting people. I didn't check to see if there was dust on the picture frames, i personally don't care, for a drink, a meal and a memorable night this place is hard to beat.

If you want a squeaky clean, boring environment or are troubled by things that are slightly out of your comfort zone don't bother going to Helga's, if you are adventurous and open minded you will love the place.

I didn't stay here because we had already booked in Kandy, but the other guests said the rooms were great and if I went back to Kandy this would be where I would be staying.

We had heard a lot about this place and I was curious. And you know what they say about curiousity... I thought it would be an interesting experience to go for dinner, even though we couldn't afford to stay.... How wrong we were! And how glad was I that we didn't 'treat' ourselves to a stay!

The house is like like Mrs Haversham meets the Munsters! And cleaning obviously went out in the 1900's. Cob webbs were everywhere, and the musty smell emanating from the curtains was enough to kick off any latent asthma...! If that didn't do it, the 10's of cats in every corner (and begging at the dinner table) might!

We had reserved a table for dinner, but were informed on our arrival that we wouldn't be permitted to the dining room before the food was served, so were sat downstairs, with a leaflet about Helga's apparent fabulous history, and a sketch book! Drinks were served to us there... Beers for $5 each. Ouch.

We ordered two thai curries, and when they were eventually ready (this being our most expensive meal in sri lanka so far) we had high expectations! We shouldn't have. It was truly dreadful. I would go as far as foul. When the stale desert was served I knew it was a complete loss. But it got worse. On paying the (very overpriced) bill, the staff had promised to call a taxi. It was late, and its hard to get one in Kandy at that time, plus we were marooned up a steep hill. It soon became clear they weren't- they said nothing was available. It was late and they wanted us to leave.

When we started the steep descent down the hill to the main road, they turned off the lights! It was a complete nightmare in the pitch black. And then my stomach churned. And churned. And churned again till I had to consider my options, and fast. We eventually got a taxi at the main road, but by now I was sweating, and feeling really ill...

Did I make it you wonder? That would be telling... :( How do I know it was the food? My boyfriend was in much the same way the next day. Bad bad bad. It might be Helga's folly, but don't let it be yours!

We stayed here for one night in Jan 2012. The place is very different - covered in all sorts of memorabilia with an eccentric style. Monkeys swung past our room in the morning and it was just the right distance from town (a nice walk, and away from the noise). We only stayed one night as we felt we'd had 'the experience', and while everything is good (service, food), we felt that we were just a little too much in 'the last days of the Raj'. It's worth seeing, if only to pop in for a dinner.