Chennai is full of iconic restaurants and newly opened ones that serve iconic dishes. But with variety grows confusion, and if you think choosing a restaurant to eat at was tiresome, there also comes the task of choosing what to eat from their menu. The struggle is real, we know! To help you with this never-ending dilemma, we have put together a list of dish recommendations at the best restaurants in Chennai. Thank us later!
Here Is Exactly What You Should Eat At Chennai's Best Restaurants
Ratna Cafe
Idly is comfort food and Ratna cafe has the best ones. Their sambhar idly is so tasty that you will want to keep going back and wanting more. The best part is the quantity of sambhar they serve - they bring it in huge flasks and bathe (yes, we said bathe!) the idlies for a good 10 seconds while you can sit there and witness this awesomeness.
Canvas By Sketch
This place with its flamingo-printed wallpapers, jewel-toned velvet chairs and overall stunning tropical themed interiors is great for Burrata & Antioxidant salad that is plated with a glorious burrata ball, pesto drizzle, olives, leafy greens and sun-dried tomato. For dessert, we recommend their choco mousse cake and Wild Berry Madeline (it's gluten-free!).
Sandy's Chocolate Laboratory
Arguably the best place for chocolate-based desserts, Sandy's is every Chennaiite's lou. Their Really Tiny Chocolate Cake will continue to be our favourite for eons to come. A multi-layered, really tiny (obviously!), cake with rich ganache and Belgian chocolate -- this choice is an answer to all your dessert fantasies! We also recommend their Dark Decadence thick shake filled with brownies, dark chocolate, vanilla bean ice cream and whipped cream -- the perfect finish to your meal.
Jannal Kadai
Jannal Kadai (window shop) is nothing but a couple of mamas serving a limited variety of home-cooked food through the window of their dilapidated home. Just a few blocks from Kapaleeshwarar Temple, this place is familiar to everyone in Mylapore. Jannal Kadai opens at 5.30pm every day and we have tried and recommend their bajjis. You can ask for a plate with mixed varieties that will have vazhakai bajji, potato bajji and molaga bajji. Standing there, on the busy temple street and thulping these tasty treats is truly an experience.
Buhari
One of the most iconic restaurants in Chennai since 1951, Buhari is known to have created the equally iconic dish, Chicken 65. And we recommend exactly that from this place. If you are not a big fan of Chicken 65, do try their Chicken Biryani which looks like a home-cooked meal- natural flavour, colour and spice.
Little Italy
Their menu is over ten pages long and that means it can get overwhelming to choose the right dish. We recommend their Zorba Pizza with a thin crust filled with mushrooms, garlic, olive oil and olives and is big enough for two people. The flavours are mild and overpowering- just the dish you need to order if don't enjoy spicy food to a great extent.
Nasi Kandar Pelita
You can count on Nasi Kandar Pelita for serving you authentic Malaysian Indian food. We recommend their Nasi Kandar, a traditional Malaysian dish consisting of steamed rice and curry. During weekends, they offer more varieties of Nasi Kandar with meaty side-dishes.
Cafe CakeBee
A well-ventilated cafe full of plants, Cafe CakeBee is killing it with its cozy vibes. We recommend their BMT pizza made with plain basil, mozzarella and tomato sauce. What we love the most is their hot chocolate! Just order a bowl of their fries to have with hot chocolate and trust us, you will feel quite full, for the hot chocolate is nothing but melted chocolate and very little milk.
Soul Garden
A vegetarian multi-cuisine restaurant, Soul Garden's speciality is Madras Burger (Goth burger). Black in colour, made with coconut shell activated charcoal, this has a South Indian twist to it- the patty is made of lentils. They also have Vegan Millet Curd Rice for all you vegans are craving some good old thayir sadham.
For best burgers in town, check this out.
Ente Keralam
With three outlets in Chennai, Ente Keralam is perfect for family outings, with their Kerala house like interiors. We obviously recommend their Kerala Sadhya that is served on a banana leaf from Monday to Friday and has rice, curries. For dessert, have their Ila Neer Payasam (Tender coconut water) and you will go home happy and satisfied.
For other amazing Kerala restaurants in Chennai, check this out.
Winter Palace
Winter Palace is Chennai's only restaurant that serves Russian Cuisine. Their menu is very elaborate and first-timers friendly as they have pictures of food along with dish names. If you are trying Russian for the first time, be mindful that you wouldn't have many spicy options. We loved their Red Caviar Blini and for mains, we recommend their Chicken Stroganoff made with mushroom, tender chicken pieces and sour cream.
Rasavid
A multicuisine eatery line, Rasavid is famous for their Biryani and we have tried and think that their Hyderabad Dum Biryani is out of the world. Rasavid strikes a perfect balance of spice and flavour, making it loved by both spice lovers and the ones who don't really enjoy spice.
Biryani lovers! This is a guide to the best Biryani places in Chennai.
Bay View
This is one of the most popular gourmet restaurants in the city which offers a splendid view of the ocean. We have heard great reviews about their butter garlic prawn and we think it's safe to recommend the same to you! The ocean, sand, and food that tastes yum will curate an experience that's one of its kind.
For other high-end, gourmet restaurants, go here.
Mylai Sri Karpagambal Mess
Been here since 1953, this place is a must-visit next time you are in Mylapore. We have tried almost all the dishes in their traditional South Indian menu and we would, any day and always, recommend their keerai (spinach) vadai, podi dosai and filter coffee.
Check out this list that will take you through other iconic restaurants in Mylapore.