Must-see restaurants in Kochi (Cochin)

  • Kashi Art Cafe

    Kochi (Cochin)

    Fort Cochin's original (and best) art cafe, this fashionable, natural-light-filled space has a Zen vibe, a creeping vertical garden and stylish wood…

  • Malabar Junction

    Kochi (Cochin)

    Set in an open-sided pavilion or at candlelit poolside tables, this outstanding restaurant at Malabar House is (almost) Bollywood-star glam. The ambitious…

  • Grand Pavilion

    Kochi (Cochin)

    The restaurant at the Grand Hotel is as elegant and retro-stylish as the hotel itself, with cream-coloured furniture and chequered floors. It serves a…

  • Qissa Cafe

    Kochi (Cochin)

    Usually packed with fashionable Kochiites, Qissa channels a cosmopolitan scene with its mismatched pastel-painted chairs, outdoor garden and buzzy…

  • Malabar Grills

    Kochi (Cochin)

    Join feasting Indian families at this sprawling modern restaurant fronted by a barbecue just southeast of Fort Cochin's tourist centre. Breakfasts (₹30 to…

  • Ginger House

    Kochi (Cochin)

    Hidden behind a massive antique-filled godown (warehouse) is this wonderful waterfront restaurant, where you can relax over fresh juices and punchy Indian…

  • Teapot

    Kochi (Cochin)

    Behind an ivy-covered facade, this atmospheric cafe is perfect for ‘high tea’, with an impressive choice of brews, sandwiches and cakes turned out in airy…

  • Fort House Restaurant

    Kochi (Cochin)

    The waterside restaurant at the family-owned Fort House Hotel is a prime choice for a leisurely lunch, fringed by hot-pink bougainvillea and plants…

  • Pepper House

    Kochi (Cochin)

    A beautiful duo of Dutch-style dockside godowns (warehouses) reimagined into a laid-back outdoor cafe and art space with bench-style tables along a…

  • Oceanos

    Kochi (Cochin)

    Gloriously fresh seafood is the thing at this smart, locally popular restaurant with turquoise table runners and touches of greenery. Fish is served in…

  • Mocha Art Cafe

    Kochi (Cochin)

    This gorgeous, multiroom, 300-year-old spice warehouse, built in Dutch style, was once lived in by the rabbis of Mattancherry's synagogue, which you can…

  • Drawing Room

    Kochi (Cochin)

    Set in the grand Cochin Club, this stylish cafe-restaurant enjoys a wonderful garden location with large windows facing out to the water, and is jazzed up…

  • Fusion Bay

    Kochi (Cochin)

    This unassuming little family restaurant in central Fort Cochin is renowned locally for its imaginative Kerala Syrian fish delicacies cooked in the…

  • Bench

    Kochi (Cochin)

    Wooden walls, scattered hanging lanterns and a decade-old creeper plant lend an indoor-outdoor feel to this self-styled restocafe, whose New Zealand…

  • Cocoa Tree

    Kochi (Cochin)

    With trailing plants, gleaming fresh-cake displays and newspapers to flick through, this bright cafe makes a sophisticated, rustic-chic retreat from busy…

  • Fishmongers

    Kochi (Cochin)

    On the footpath behind the Chinese fishing nets are several fishmongers, from whom you can buy fish, prawns, scampi or lobster, then take your selection…

  • Loafers Corner

    Kochi (Cochin)

    A stylishly restored 200-year-old Dutch-Portuguese-style building, Loafers is all reclaimed wood, minimalist design, cosy window booths and delicate…

  • Barbeque Nation

    Kochi (Cochin)

    You'll be cooking up your own chicken, prawn, fish, falafel or paneer skewers (spiced to individual heat levels) on personal grilling stations before…

  • Kayees Ramathula Hotel

    Kochi (Cochin)

    This no-frills spot is legendary among Kochi locals for its lunchtime chicken, mutton and seafood biryanis – get here early or miss out. Don't confuse it…

  • Cafe Crafters

    Kochi (Cochin)

    At the heart of Mattancherry's Jewish quarter, with a small balcony above a sprawling antiques warehouse, this charming, low-key 1st-floor cafe-restaurant…

  • Upstairs Italian

    Kochi (Cochin)

    For authentic Italian – imported Gorgonzola, prosciutto, olive oil, Parmesan – head upstairs to this cosy mural-filled place serving Kochi's best pizza,…

  • Sri Krishna Cafe

    Kochi (Cochin)

    A back-to-basics Mattancherry cheapie for breakfast and lunch masala dosas and other pure-veg South Indian favourites like vadas (doughnut-shaped deep…

  • Frys Village Restaurant

    Kochi (Cochin)

    This brightly decorated and breezy place with an arched ceiling is a great family restaurant with authentic Keralan food, especially seafood like…

  • Chillies

    Kochi (Cochin)

    A dark, buzzing 1st-floor restaurant, serving Kochi's best spicy Andhra cuisine on banana leaves, from biryanis to fish curry. Try a thali (₹170 to ₹190)…

  • Café Jew Town

    Kochi (Cochin)

    Wander through the Ethnic Passage antiques and fashion gallery to reach this cosy European-style cafe; the handful of tables proffers tasty though pricey…