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…
Must-see restaurants in Kerala
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…
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Villa Maya is more an experience than a mere restaurant. Dining is either in the magnificent 18th-century Dutch-built mansion or in private curtained…
Kovalam
Designed as an upmarket alfresco beach shack, the fabulous seafood restaurant at the Taj Green Cove fronts the sea, with waves and palms on one side and…
Varkala
Fresh local ingredients fuel inspired, artfully prepared dishes at the beautifully located clifftop garden cafe at Soul & Surf. Here zingy mezze platters…
Kozhikode (Calicut)
Join the inevitably long queue out the door at this always-packed restaurant, founded in 1939. The overwhelming menu is famous for its legendary chicken…
Kovalam
In the lanes behind southern Lighthouse Beach, this little restaurant plates up some of Kovalam's best vegetarian food at reasonable prices, in a simple…
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Trivandrum's best all-you-can-eat South Indian veg thalis mean long-running Ariya Nivaas is always busy (especially at lunchtime), but service is snappy…
Kerala
Spotless, air-conditioned Bharath is widely regarded as the best veg restaurant in town and the place for a lunchtime thali (₹86 to ₹165), a Keralan…
Alappuzha (Alleppey)
Opposite the beach, this elegant restaurant at the 1860s heritage-style Raheem Residency is Alleppey’s finest. It has seating on a bijou open-sided…
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
At elegant, history-rich Padmavilasom Palace, Kerala's traditional vegetarian sadya (banquet) is delivered in all its banana-leaf sumptuousness within the…
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…
Kochi (Cochin)
Usually packed with fashionable Kochiites, Qissa channels a cosmopolitan scene with its mismatched pastel-painted chairs, outdoor garden and buzzy…
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…
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…
Kerala
This lovely, spotlessly kept 1st-floor dining room with slatted blinds is a swankier version of Kerala's typical set-meals restaurants. The South Indian…
Kovalam
One of Kovalam's most scenic (and expensive) restaurants, overlooking the turquoise-tinted infinity pool at the top-end clifftop Leela. The elegant menu…
Kovalam
With its imaginative East-meets-West menu and stylish terrace vibe, the restaurant at Beach Hotel II is one of Lighthouse Beach's top dining experiences,…
Waves Restaurant & German Bakery
Kovalam
The burnt-orange balcony, ambient soundtrack, sea views and a wide-roaming, well-executed menu keep Waves – atop Beach Hotel – busy with foreigners. It…
Alappuzha (Alleppey)
Loved by both visitors and locals, mellow, welcoming Katamaran brings a traveller-style menu to its elevated, low-seating deck looking right out on the…
Varkala
Halfway along the North Cliff, this relaxed and welcoming terrace spot with a handy book exchange remains firmly popular for its inventive salads (perhaps…
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…
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Right beside Trivandrum's main bus stand, this branch of the famous Indian Coffee House serves its strong coffee and wallet-friendly snacks (biryanis,…
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…
Kozhikode (Calicut)
Hidden away in the sea-facing Beach Hotel, Salkaram serves excellent fish and chicken dishes, Malabari cuisine (such as fish coconut curry) and Keralan…
Kozhikode (Calicut)
Distressed-wood shutters, vibrant paintwork and old-school radios create a retro-style scene at this wildly popular restaurant near the beach, where…
Varkala
With giant dreamcatchers and tiered candlelit tables strewn with flower petals, Darjeeling is always packed with travellers. Snappy, cheerful service…
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…
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…
Varkala
At the southern end of the North Cliff trail, this leafy terrace cafe-restaurant remains a firm favourite for your morning coffee fix. Freshly ground…
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…
Alappuzha (Alleppey)
In the sandy fairy-lit garden at Raheem Residency, this enjoyable drink-and-dine spot is more casual and budget conscious than the hotel’s main restaurant…
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…
Kerala
With high-backed chairs amid intricate copper-relief artwork depicting local history, the slightly formal Nani Hotel restaurant is one of Kollam's…
Alappuzha (Alleppey)
There's an extensive menu at this always-busy air-con hotel restaurant, and the food – including biryanis, tandoori, Keralan fish curry and veg and fish…
Munnar
This spotless glass-fronted sanctuary in the bazaar is packed at lunchtime, with locals lining up for Rapsy’s famous paratha (Indian-style flaky bread) or…
Kochi (Cochin)
This unassuming little family restaurant in central Fort Cochin is renowned locally for its imaginative Kerala Syrian fish delicacies cooked in the…
Varkala
Trattorias sounds Italian and does indeed rustle up decent pastas, pizzas and European breakfasts, but the menu is equally pan-Asian and Indian (with…
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Pocketed away in an otherwise unexciting mall, 2km east of central Trivandrum, this laid-back self-styled cafe-bistro is run by a duo of hands-on actors…
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…
