Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
With a long list of nonveg tandoori and curry dishes, this is Ooty's best place to satisfy your meat craving. There's indoor/outdoor seating, and the…
Must-see restaurants in Tamil Nadu
Kanchipuram
A reliably good pure-veg restaurant with delicious dosa, a few North Indian surprises, a welcome air-con hall and thalis on the 1st floor. There's another…
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
Snack to your heart's content on cheap, South Indian favourites – dosas, vadas, uttapams and ₹20 filter coffee – at this Pondy institution. It's also,…
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
Hot-pink-and-turquoise tables, lively wall murals and a white-pillared colonnade adorn this easy-going courtyard cafe serving hearty healthy breakfasts,…
Kanchipuram
It's slightly overpriced and service is patchy, but the GRT Regency's restaurant offers a lengthy multicuisine menu of breakfast omelettes, South Indian…
Tamil Nadu
Tasty, fuss-free idlis, dosas, thalis and other South Indian favourites at this popular, reliable, Chennai-born veg chain. There's another branch opposite…
Kanchipuram
Reliable pure-veg South Indian thalis and other dishes, plus a few North Indian options, in a simple fast-and-furious setting. There's a marginally…
Aaranya Roof Garden Restaurant
Tamil Nadu
The Darling Residency, 1.5km south of Vellore Fort entrance, has four restaurants, including this cool, breezy rooftop spot offering good veg and nonveg…
Tamil Nadu
It’s as if the Sangam started in Kashmir, trekked south across India, and stopped here to offer tasty veg and nonveg picks from every province along the…
Tiruvannamalai
This pure-veg restaurant downstairs at Hotel Arunachala has very good simple South Indian dishes, such as idlis, dosas and thalis (₹80 to ₹100).
Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
Shinkow’s is an Ooty institution. The simple, tasty chicken, pork, beef, seafood, veg, noodle and rice dishes are reliably good and quick to arrive at…
Chennai (Madras)
An oasis of air-conditioning and tasty, cheap South Indian food in the George Town area, this place manages to be busy and exceptionally clean at the same…
Chennai (Madras)
Those in the know generally agree that this particular branch of the small Madurai-born Murugan chain serves some of the best idli, dosa, uttapam and…
Kodaikanal (Kodai)
Cheap, fast and clean, pure-veg Tava has a wide all-Indian menu; try the spicy, cauliflower-stuffed gobi paratha or sev puri (crisp, puffy fried bread…
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
A popular upmarket French-style bakery that does impressively delectable cakes, sandwiches, croissants and biscuits. The baguettes, brownies and quiches…
Thanjavur (Tanjore)
The busiest of several veg places facing the local bus stand, Vasanta Bhavan doles out biryanis and North Indian curries as well as smoothies, juices and…
Kanchipuram
Sree Sakthi Residency's popular ground-floor restaurant, with AC and non-AC sections, does good veg food, including thalis (₹90 to ₹175). Lassis are…
Thanjavur (Tanjore)
This classy hotel restaurant does a very nice line in fresh, tasty, mainly Indian veg dishes, along with lunchtime thalis (₹140) and a decent multicuisine…
Tamil Nadu
Cheap veg restaurants line Arcot Rd, and this is one of the cleanest and most popular, serving good thalis, as well as cheap, yummy biryani and enough…
Madurai
The nondescript facade leads into a casual dining space with impeccable service, where a long list of meat dishes is the main attraction. The chicken dosa…
Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)
A relaxed cafe with some 'sidewalk' seating, Joe's serves up crêpes, burgers and other snacks, along with good lassis, juices and coffee drinks. The iced…
Chennai (Madras)
This tiny spot pulls in the crowds with the deep-fried delights of its signature Maharashtrian vada pavs – spiced potato fritters in buns, doused in…
Tamil Nadu
With cheery staff, Anupallavi is a good air-conditioned multicuisine restaurant tucked into the backyard of a decent enough hotel.
Thanjavur (Tanjore)
The Hotel Gnanam's smart-ish nonveg restaurant is very good, with a wide range of North and South Indian dishes, plus local Chettinadu fare – and even…
Tamil Nadu
The smart in-house restaurant at the GRT Regency Sameera offers a good upscale alternative to Vellore's cheap Indian restaurants.
Thanjavur (Tanjore)
The good, semi-open-air Indian/Sri Lankan/Chinese restaurant at the jungle-fringed Ideal River View Resort overlooks the river.
Tamil Nadu
A popular pan-Indian budget spot serving breakfast idli, filter coffee and South Indian thalis alongside curries and biryanis, in a clean, friendly…
Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
Stocks all kinds of international foods, from muesli to marmalade, along with particularly good Western Ghats produce, such as breads, cheeses and…
Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
Climb the stairs and join Ooty's international students for board games, wi-fi, a lending library and well-priced pizzas, chips, toasties, cakes and…
Trichy (Tiruchirappalli)
Hidden away 1km south of Trichy Junction train station, this popular nonveg hotel restaurant specialises in excellent local Chettinadu cuisine.
Chennai (Madras)
It's all about deliciously griddled, ghee-coated idlis and uttapams at this 37-year-old eatery in the thick of George Town.
Coonoor
Well-organised shelves are stocked with all of your self-catering needs, from fresh veggies to candy bars, plus tonnes of toiletries.
Chennai (Madras)
Tuck into cheap South Indian classics, veg biryanis or thalis (₹120) in the clean AC hall upstairs, or go for snacks downstairs.
Tamil Nadu
Easily the smartest place in Rameswaram for a feed, the Daiwik's vegetarian restaurant offers an excellent multicuisine menu.
Trichy (Tiruchirappalli)
Within turquoise-toned walls, Meridian dishes up excellent multicuisine fare in a smart hotel-restaurant setting.
Ooty (Udhagamandalam)
Good South Indian food in a clean setting behind the Nahar Nilgiris Hotel, plus juices, milkshakes and OK pizza.
Auroville
Open to all, the visitor centre's main cafe serves good Indian and Continental food, including wood-oven pizzas.
Thanjavur (Tanjore)
A friendly, popular, veg-only place near the centre of everything, that does afternoon dosas and a nice thali.
Tamil Nadu
An always-reliable air-conditioned hotel restaurant that does tasty veg and nonveg fare in clean surroundings.
Auroville
An open-air cafe featuring delicious pastries, sandwiches and other quick bites, along with top-notch coffee.
