Villa Shanti

Top choice in Puducherry (Pondicherry)


Smart candlelit tables in a palm-dotted, pillared courtyard attached to a colourful cocktail bar create a casually fancy vibe at this packed-out hotel restaurant, one of Pondy's hottest dining spots. The building's contemporary Franco-Indian flair runs right through the North Indian/European menu. While portions are small, flavours are exquisite, and there are some deliciously creative veg dishes.

Open all day for snacks and drinks.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Puducherry (Pondicherry) attractions

1. Notre Dame des Anges

0.1 MILES

Looking out to sea, past a statue of Joan of Arc (opposite), Notre Dame des Anges was completed in 1855, and is arguably Pondy's most attractive church…

2. Seafront

0.17 MILES

Pondy is a seaside town, but that doesn’t make it a beach destination; the city’s sand is a thin strip of dirty brown that slurps into a seawall of jagged…

3. École Française d'Extrême-Orient

0.2 MILES

This handsome heritage building and library is home to over 11,000 Indology books and a series of Sanskrit, Tamil and Manipravalam palm-leaf manuscripts…

4. Bharathi Park

0.25 MILES

A shady green haven that's always busy, Bharathi Park faces the neoclassical governor's residence, Raj Nivas, on its north side.

5. Gandhi Memorial

0.28 MILES

The main sight along seafront Goubert Ave is this bronze striding statue of Gandhi.

6. Old Lighthouse

0.28 MILES

Pondy's lighthouse was completed in the 1830s and functioned for more than a century before being replaced in 1979.

8. Puducherry Museum

0.34 MILES

Goodness knows how this converted late-18th-century villa keeps its artefacts from disintegrating, considering there’s a whole floor of French-era…