July 13th, 2018 by OYO Team

Travelling is not just about visiting a place for its beauty and clicking pictures of every building you pass by. Food, also, is an important part of the whole travelling experience. South Indian cuisine is well-known around the world and enjoys a huge fan following pan-India.

The locals of Kerala dish out some unique dishes like Appam with stew, Palada payasam, Kerala prawn curry, Thalassery biriyani and more. If had at the best restaurants in Kerala, these can add the right authentic flavour to your Kerala trip.

Being a foodie, it’s hard to miss the chance of tasting these lip-smacking delicacies! So, browse through our incredible Kerala Tour Packages and hop on from one eating joint to another, while you satiate yourself and relish the taste of the most authentic Kerala culinary palates.

Here is a list of top 10 eating joints in Kerala to help you explore this amazing cuisine.

1) Fort House Restaurant, Kochi

A restaurant of the Fort House Hotel, this water-bound restaurant is one of its kind. Although they specialize in seafood, you’ll also find traditional vegetarian and European cuisine like pizzas and pasta here.

Options include breakfast/brunch, lunch, dinner and after-hours. Try their delicious squid dishes, calamari, fish curry and prawns – they’re all worth dying for. Their chicken, pork and beef dishes are also top notch – so meat lovers won’t be disappointed with this place either.

With envious greenery and serene blue sea to give you company, you’ll find your experience here quite fulfilling.

2) Bar-B-Que, Thekkady

When in Thekkady, drop by to this warm and cosy place for a fulfilling culinary experience. A family-run restaurant, the place is not your usual fare. Not only can you learn to cook traditional Malayalam food here, you get to eat it too. And well, the food is simply out of the world.

The moment you enter, you’ll be greeted with the winsome smile of Sheril and his family. And with the food prepared right in front of you, you won’t have to worry about cleanliness. The ingredients are fresh – they have their own eco-friendly farm-grown vegetables. Don’t go here for the ambience – it is not a high-fi restaurant. Go here for the food, the enriching cooking class and the warmth of the Malayali family.

3) Dosas & Pancakes, Kochi

East meets West – there’s no better way to round of your experience here, than Dosas & Pancakes. These people really take traditional to a whole new level – and that too at a reasonable price. With a wide variety of dosas in their menu, you can enjoy some really interesting culinary twists – chicken dosa wrap, beef masala dosa wrap and dosa with egg layered. And of course, they have some of the best pancakes in the whole of Kerala. You can also enjoy sandwiches, cakes and brownies here.

On Sundays, you can expect an elaborate affair as they serve special dishes to please your appetite. With a chic coastal ambience and amazing food, you’ll find all your senses catered to.

4) Bait, Kovalam

Although slightly heavy on the pocket, this place is worth every penny. Overlooking the Arabian Sea on the West and the backwaters on the East, Bait truly hooks you with its tasteful ambience, natural setting and lip-smacking food.

With the beauty and tranquillity of nature enveloping you, dive in to gorge on some of the most mouth-watering seafood ever served on the plate. You can dine on the deck or relax on loungers, sun deck beds or just enjoy a drink on the all beverage interactive bar.

5) Dal Roti, Fort Kochi

If you want authentic North Indian cuisine in Kerala, then drop in to this cosy place. Aptly named, Dal Roti is a simple fare, reasonably priced, reposing on the quaint streets of Fort Kochi. The owner of this food-joint – a simple man – Mr. Ramesh will tuck you right in with his warm smile. The menu sports an extensive range of vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian cuisine.

Although the ambience is not so well thought out, you’ll still fall in love with this place for its simplicity and rustic charm. It is best known for its yummy chicken kathi roll – you’ll hear raving reviews about it the moment you step in Fort Kochi.

6) Pepper House Café, Fort Kochi

Once an old dilapidated godown, the restored Pepper House is now a well-known art centre. It was one of the main venues for the Kochi Muziris Biennale. The café is one of the best you’ll find in Kerala. If you want a quick bite in the evening or a light breakfast, then drop in to this place. With the place hosting many art exhibitions, you can expect to mingle with an intellectual crowd here.

Add to it the wonderful quaint atmosphere and the charm that an old building exudes, and you’ll find your experience here worth sharing. With a predominantly European fare, Pepper House Cafe is a welcome change if you get tired of the traditional Malayali cuisine on your stay here.

7) Theeram, Varkala

Theeram is placed right on the Varkala Beach. With the  Arabian Sea and majestic Varkala cliffs to give you company, you’ll enjoy every bite that you have here. And what better place to have sea-food than the joint which is strategically situated by the sea. You can expect some of the freshest seafood here – right out of the net and into your plate.

The place has a young and diverse crowd – locals who come to play volleyball in the evening, foreigners come to enjoy the sunset and families who watch over while their kids enjoy the waves. The best time to be here is in the evening when the atmosphere is more calm with the sun throwing off its most serene hues into the sky.

8) Thaff, Alappuzha

A family restaurant, Thaff is worth a stop if you pay a visit to Alappuzha. With no elegant or classy ambience to boast of, this small food joint makes up for it with its delicious food and attentive staff. The best thing about this place is its extremely low prices – you can have a fulfilling meal here for a hundred bucks.

The menu has an eclectic range of Indian and Chinese cuisine, but it is most known for its traditional South Indian fare. Try their biriyanis, appam and fish/chicken curry, aloo (potato) or gobi (cauliflower) dishes for an appetising vegetarian experience, shawarma and ice-cream shakes.

9) Hotel Paragon Restaurant, Kozhikode

Immensely popular among the locals of Kozhikode, Paragon restaurant is a foodie’s delight. From traditional vegetarian to non-vegetarian – the place has it all. Famous for its authentic Malabari cuisine and delectable sea-foods, Paragon will fulfil all your taste-bud fantasies. You can also try its equally good biriyanis, chicken dishes and meals. The ambience is also great, and the staff is really prompt and efficient.

The place is usually crowded in the afternoon, so it’s better to book in advance or arrive a bit early. Options include breakfast/brunch, lunch, dinner and after hours. They also have parcel systems if you want to take the food back home.

10) Saravana Bhavan, Munnar

If you are a hard-core non-vegetarian who looks down on veggie lovers, then this place will definitely change your mind. Saravana Bhavan is a renowned restaurant found all over the world – from Canada, Singapore, UK, Qatar, US and countless outlets in India itself, this food joint is going places despite serving only vegetarian. In Munnar, this outlet is a welcome sign for hungry travellers. The food here is served on traditional banana leaves, so you can expect some authentic Malayalam food here. Try their parottas, thalis, curd rice, dosas and uttapams.

Aren’t you feeling hungry after reading about these amazing restaurants? Fix your travel plan, make a booking, pack your bags and travel to Kerala to satisfy your appetite for the wholesome South Indian cuisine!

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Set out on an Adventure with OYO

There is hardly a soul who would not like to grab a chance of visiting their favourite travel destinations as the year comes to an end. If you are no exception, OYO has got just the right offer for you. By making your bookings anytime between the 15th of November, 2018 and the 10th of January, 2019, you can enjoy irresistible discounts of up to 50%. Further, if you let the travel begin with OYO, you will also be eligible for Paytm cashback of up to Rs. 250. That will surely prove to be an added incentive for you to shortlist the destination and plan other details before setting off on the trip.

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About OYO Team

We’re people who love to travel and it’s a pleasure to share our experiences from around the world with you here. You’ll see our favourite destinations, quirky stays and budget stay. Also the best wedding banquet halls and the most lit party destinations. You’ll also find insightful opinions about why we travel in the first place and what it’s really like out there. Enjoy the blog and please tell us what you think - feedback welcome!