Chennai India – Best Places to Eat

Chennai, one of the largest cities in India, is a paradise for food lovers. It is home to some of the most delicious vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes although there are many misconceptions that food in this city is broadly one-dimensional and limited to South Indian cuisine only. We did happen to fall into the same fallacy but were in for a pleasant surprise when we decided to explore the food scene in Chennai.

Food scene in Chennai – What to expect

From Russian restaurants to Korean cuisine, Chennai has everything for everyone and we have compiled a list of some of the food items and dining places that we simply loved. Filter coffee, for example, is an iconic beverage in Chennai and every tourist in this city should taste this freshly brewed concoction at least once. It is usually served in tumblers with a high fat milk content that almost overflows with froth.

A typical breakfast in Chennai starts with dosa with coconut chutney or plates of idli that are basically steamed rice cakes. Needless to say there are eateries and establishments in the city that serve this breakfast fare. Non-vegetarian food is available in abundance but having vegetarian food for breakfast is an unwritten norm here in Chennai.

Few eateries also serve puttu which is a delicious dish of steamed rice in cylinder form and layered with coconut. It is usually served with palm sugar or a bowl of chickpea curry but it can come with fish curry too. So this is some good news for the non-veg food lovers.

The most striking feature of the seafood restaurants in Chennai is that majority of them offer the basa fish although fresh catch is easily available on a daily basis! The most loved seafood dish in Chennai is nethili fry which is basically a dish of fried anchovies tossed in a tangy and spicy masala. They are very crunchy and taste good - making it one of the most popular dishes in the Chennai food scene.

International

The restaurant culture in Chennai is thriving and there are loads of restaurants that serve cuisines from all over the world. We decided to try something different and ended up at the Manhattan Fish Market. The name is highly confusing, we understand, but it is basically a Malaysian fish outlet that has recently opened its doors in Chennai. The restaurant offers everything that a real sea food lover would prefer - the good old fish & chips, seafood chowder and Mediterranean baked fish among others. Located in Mylapore, this restaurant is moderately priced as a meal for two would cost INR 1200 approximately.

InSeoul is a Korean restaurant that mainly caters to the ever-growing Korean expat population in Chennai. This restaurant easily figures among the top-10 restaurants in the city and the most popular dishes include kimchi and beef bul go ki. The more adventurous types can opt for octopus and/or sea snail. This is a pretty expensive restaurant and a meal for two would set you back INR 3500.

Cafes and Coffee Houses

Even a decade ago the cafe scene in Chennai was at a nascent stage but things have really changed in the recent 3 - 5 years. Nowadays cafes are regarded as the best places to hangout with friends and families in a beautiful ambiance.

We loved the English Tea Room which was located at Alwarpet. The afternoon cream tea set is much in demand here as it comes with pastries, sandwiches of your choice, raisin scones with strawberry jam and, of course, a cup of hot tea to make you feel refreshed and rejuvenated. The decor of the cafe is very endearing and any trip to Chennai would be incomplete without coming here at least once.