Chennai's Beloved: Here Are 10 Things We Love About ECR

The ECR has more than just one perfect spot for candlelight dinners and fancy meals. Kipling Cafe is hands down our favourite picks for both romantic meals and delicious food. 

Kipling Cafe, on the other hand, is the restaurant to visit for magical cabana-style dinners amidst lush greenery while sipping on yummy cocktails. Read more about them here.

Head here with your squad to this place a little down the East Coast Road, beyond MGM and indulge in gazillion adventure sports. They have Trampoline Jumps, Paint Ball, Jallikattu, Bungee Soccer, and even Zip lining, giving us enough adrenaline rush for the day.

And that’s not it! They also have pools to beat the summer heat, Bungee Ejection, Monkey Walks and even breezy Catamaran rides. Read more here.

A little after the check post, ECR speedway is one of the best go-karting tracks in Chennai. The tracks here go up to 630 meters, enough to fuel your racing thrills. They also have separate karts for adults and kids with varied ranges. Starting at INR 400 for around five minutes! To know more about go-karting arenas in Chennai, click here.

For bowling alleys, arcade games, 5D experiences and even haunted houses, Mayajaal has got you covered. The place, known to be a multiplex, has more than just cinema screens. Did you know Mayajaal’s bowling alleys are one of the oldest ones in the city? Starting at INR 500, they have something fun for all age groups.

The OMR food street on ECR, Injambakkam has everything! Munch on rolls from Tibb’s Frankies, mouth-watering waffles from Brownie Heaven and authentic sweets and delicacies from Ajanabi, this complex bustling with restaurants and stalls is budget friendly and perfect for food marathons. Cure your cravings for as low as INR 60.

ECR also has numerous pit stops for yummy breakfasts. For ghee idlies and dosas, you could always head to Vasanta Bhavan. Lydie’s near Muttukadu is a scenic spot to be at and you get Continental and South Indian cuisine here. We recommend coming here for breakfast or early dinners. For more brekkie options on ECR, go here.

Another highly recommended spot along the ECR would be East Coast at Madras Square. We hear that the quaint restaurant has a bar too, adding to the rustic charm of the place. It’s perfect for coffee dates, and dinners. That and Bay 6. For the newest restaurants in Chennai, click here.

Also, food marathons on the ECR are never complete without digging into some seafood by the coast and you can find plenty of restaurants here. 

Bitten by the decor bug? There are quite a few pottery and other artefacts shops on the East Coast Road that will please you. D’Hut in Kottivakkam is the best example of decor paradise with dream catchers, Buddha statues, and African masks. There are also several street-side shops on this stretch, full of local artefacts.

Located on the right and left-hand side, going up till Prarthana Drive-In Theatre, these small little shops have an exciting collection of mud pots, clay decor pieces,  pretty bells, and rare artefacts to fill up your house. Best part? Most of these places let you bargain and you can take home some beautiful flower bowls, lamps, etc for as little as 100 bucks.

If you’re looking for plants and succulents, 13 Degree North and Karuna Nursery are two popular nurseries on ECR. 

Surf Turf is the best place to get your dose of vitamin sea! The villa offers surfing classes, has a breezy restaurant, and even cutesy rooms and suites to crash at. With B&B starting at INR 2,500 on weekdays, Surf & Turf is a home away from home for most Chennaiites. Read more here.

With the famous Neelankarai turtle walks, you not only get to connect with nature but can also get a chance to be a part of the group working to protect Olive Ridley turtles for years now. The Students Sea Turtle Conservation Network organises late-night turtle walks between January to April every year and it’s truly a delight to be a part of this process. You can collect turtle eggs, help relocate them to a safe place and also watch as the baby turtles are set free into the ocean. And the best part? It’s free.

Another place to visit if you’re an animal lover is the Madras Crocodile Bank. This center for herpetology on ECR lets kids be zookeepers for a day, offers night safaris and you can even volunteer to help out here or adopt a herp too! They even organise snake walks. 

Describing itself as a tiki bar, you can find KoKoMmo at the InterContinental Chennai Mahabalipuram resort on ECR. The bar cum shack is right on the beach, so rest assured you’ll be sipping Mai Tais with your toes tucked into the sand. Open every day from 5 pm to 11.30 pm, KoKoMMo is the beach bar we’ve all been waiting for.

Read more here.