Must-see restaurants in South India

  • Olive Bistro

    Hyderabad

    Located in a secluded leafy location with lake views from its terrace, this atmospheric restaurant is one of the hottest places in town for Italian and…

  • Zeebop by the Sea

    South Goa

    The most famous beachfront restaurant north of Colva, Zeebop is renowned for its excellent seafood and party nights. Stylish and award-winning Zeebop is…

  • Dhaba By Claridges

    Hyderabad

    A good reason to head out west to Hi-Tech City, this hip hang-out offers a contemporary take on North Indian street food (minus the fumes and traffic of…

  • Fatty Bao

    Bengaluru (Bangalore)

    This hip rooftop restaurant serves up Asian hawker food to a crowd of fashionable young foodies in a vibrant setting with colourful chairs and wooden…

  • Bastian

    Mumbai (Bombay)

    All the praise bestowed upon this trendy seafooder is indisputably warranted. Canadian-Chinese chef Kelvin Cheung, has forged an East-meets-West…

  • Carpe Diem Art Cafe

    South Goa

    Carpe Diem is an art gallery showcasing local artists and a creative learning centre housed in a beautiful old Portuguese mansion, but for the average…

  • Magic Italy

    Palolem

    On the main beach road, Magic Italy has been around since 1999 and the quality of its pizza and pasta remains high, with imported Italian ingredients like…

  • Firdaus

    Hyderabad

    A classy hotel restaurant, Firdaus offers great Hyderabadi (and also North Indian) dishes to the strains of live ghazals (classical Urdu love songs,…

  • Revival

    Mumbai (Bombay)

    Waiters at this thali mecca saunter around Chowpatty sea-view digs in silken dhotis, filling your plates with dozens of delectable (veg-only) curries,…

  • Ourem 88

    Palolem

    British-run Ourem 88 is a gastronomic sensation. It has just a handful of tables and a small but masterful menu, with changing specials chalked up on the…

  • Cafe Bodega

    Panaji

    It’s well worth a trip up to Altinho Hill to visit this serene inner courtyard cafe-gallery in an azure-and-white Portuguese mansion in the grounds of…

  • Bomra’s

    North Goa

    Wonderfully unusual food is on offer at this sleek little place serving interesting modern Burmese cuisine with a fusion twist. Aromatic dishes include…

  • Vinayaka Mylari

    Mysuru (Mysore)

    This tiny, no-nonsense place is one of the best spots in town to try the South Indian classic masala dosa (a large savoury crepe stuffed with spiced…

  • Mango Tree

    Hampi

    Hampi’s most famous restaurant has relocated to an atmospheric tented restaurant in the bazaar but is still run by three generations of the same local…

  • TFL

    Telangana & Andhra Pradesh

    A stylish cafe-resto in a converted suburban bungalow with a great covered terrace. Offers Italian, Mexican, American, European and East Asian dishes,…

  • Karma Cafe & Bakery

    South Goa

    Pull up a cushion at this chilled cafe and bakery opposite the Colomb road and delve into a superb range of freshly baked breads, croissants and pastries…

  • Sly Granny

    Bengaluru (Bangalore)

    Sly Granny is a fresh breath of flavours, serving up European-meets-Asian cuisine. Tables are on two levels, with a formal restaurant zone and a more…

  • Anju-Coco Resto

    Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep)

    One of Havelock’s faves, down-to-earth roadside Anju-Coco offers a flavour-packed menu of zealously guarded Indian-international family recipes, with…

  • Hotel Mayura

    Telangana & Andhra Pradesh

    One of the best places in town for South Indian thalis (₹220), with delicious dishes and lots of chutneys neatly arranged on a banana leaf. Ten kinds of…

  • Prema

    Gokarna

    Always packed, this humble-looking place has a prime location just before the town beach. It offers Western food, but it's best to stick to the South or…

  • Minerva Coffee Shop

    Telangana & Andhra Pradesh

    The veg-only Minerva does superb Andhra and North Indian thalis (with free refills) and fine filter coffee. Staff are efficient and the ambience is family…

  • Girimanja's

    Mangaluru (Mangalore)

    Terrific, authentic Mangalorean food in very simple, no-nonsense surrounds and very fairly priced. Try the fish fry or prawn fry; sauces are incredibly…

  • Sigdi

    Karnataka

    An interesting concept, this atmospheric modern place specialises in veg barbecues (which you cook at your table). It's popular, so book ahead.

  • Le Plaisir

    Pune

    Foodies in the know often tout this modern bistro on Pune's upscale west side as the city's best place to eat. Sydney-trained chef Siddarth Mahadik keeps…

  • Amethyst

    Chennai (Madras)

    Set in an exquisitely converted warehouse with a wraparound veranda from which tables spill out into lush gardens, Amethyst is a nostalgically posh haven…

  • Green Leaf

    Aurangabad

    Aurangabad's favourite modern vegetarian is loved for delectable pure-veg dishes that really pop with flavour (try the veg handi or off-menu paneer…

  • Soul Food Cafe

    Varkala

    Fresh local ingredients fuel inspired, artfully prepared dishes at the beautifully located clifftop garden cafe at Soul & Surf. Here zingy mezze platters…

  • Café des Arts

    Puducherry (Pondicherry)

    This bohemian cafe would look perfectly at home in Europe, but this is Pondy, so there's a cycle rickshaw in the garden. Perfectly prepared dishes range…

  • Villa Shanti

    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…

  • Dehaati

    Maharashtra

    The city's Kolhapuri thali specialist. Meals come in a number of mutton variations as well as chicken and veg. The vibrant curries, the spiced-up dhal,…

  • Peshawri

    Chennai (Madras)

    Perfect for a five-star splash-out, the ITC's signature Northwest Frontier restaurant serves inventive, flavour-popping creations at intimate booths…

  • Varadi That

    Maharashtra

    No English inside or out, but this simple but super Maharashtrian stalwart is absolutely excellent for the state's fiery regional cuisine. Try jhunka …

  • Paragon Restaurant

    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…

  • Varsha

    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…

  • Copper Chimney

    Chennai (Madras)

    Meat-eaters will drool over the yummy North Indian tandoori dishes served in well-lit, stylishly minimalist surroundings, but the veg food here is…

  • Annalakshmi

    Chennai (Madras)

    Very fine South and North Indian vegetarian fare, plus glorious fresh juices, in a beautiful dining room decorated with carvings and paintings, inside a…

  • Majestic Masala

    Maharashtra

    Inside one of Nagpur's most regal hotels, this equally austere, incredibly atmospheric restaurant serves the delectable recipes of India's noble class,…

  • Villa Helena

    Puducherry (Pondicherry)

    One of Pondy's favourite culinary teams heads up this fashionable continental-Indian eatery, launched in 2016 in a dreamy, lantern-lit patio engulfed by…

  • Bhoj

    Aurangabad

    Rightly famous for its delicious, unlimited Rajasthani and Gujarati thalis, Bhoj is a wonderful place to refuel and relax after a hard day on the road (or…

  • Hotel Radhe Krishna

    Maharashtra

    The best of Fardapur's streetside dhabas (casual eatery serving basic meals), this excellent spot is fresh, cheap and satisfying. The famous cook, Babu,…

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