The best places to eat and drink in Chennai

23.01.2025 - 08:39 / lonelyplanet.com

Jan 21, 2025 • 9 min read

Chennai is one of those places where the weather is hot and the food is even hotter. Here, fresh seafood and fiery meats are staples, but the fragrant vegetarian fare, rich with curry leaves and coconut, is equally celebrated. Step onto the bustling streets, and you’ll be greeted by the aroma of crispy vadai (savory fried dough) dunked in spicy sambar (South Indian soupy lentil dish with cubed vegetables), wafting from roadside stalls and lively "messes" or canteens, luring hungry passersby.

The city’s kitchens are a striking show of influences, drawing from the bold flavors of Chettinad, Madurai, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Even far-off Myanmar and South Korea have left their mark, thanks to waves of immigrants who’ve brought their culinary heritage to the Tamil capital, catapulting it into a major culinary destination in southern India.

Here’s our ultimate guide on everything to eat and drink in Chennai.

No trip to Chennai is complete without a visit to its ubiquitous messes – canteen-style, shared-table eateries. Thalis or steel plates are swapped for elai (banana leaves) and cutlery is replaced by fingers. Roll up your sleeves and dig into the traditional sapadu (meal), which features a mound of steamed rice topped with ghee-laden paruppu (lentil gravy), a customary dish at Tamil weddings. For a hint of spice, add sambar and rasam (a peppery tomato-tamarind dhal broth) to the mix; the latter, when sipped piping hot, can do wonders to clear your sinuses.

As you make your way through tangy puliyodharai (tamarind rice), lemon rice, kootu (mixed vegetables cooked with lentils), and poriyal (stir-fried vegetables), don’t forget to bite into fried appalam (a crunchy snack), scoop up finger-licking-good pickles, and wash it all down with a chilled glass of buttermilk. The grand finale? Dessert, of course; most frequently a creamy vermicelli pudding called payasam.

Where to try it: Kasi Vinayaga Mess in Triplicane.

Dosai (dosa) is so versatile that it’s believed there are more than a hundred variations of the dish. While these delicate crepes, made from fermented rice-and-lentil batter, can be enjoyed at any time of day, they are especially popular for breakfast, mopped up with piquant coconut and chili chutney. Non-vegetarians can feast on kari dosai, a Madurai import, topped with spicy eggs and minced chicken or goat (called "mutton" in India).

Where to try it: Roadside vendors all across Chennai serve quality dosai. Madurai Kumar Mess has several outposts, while the over-a-century-old Thanjavur Military Hotel in Park Town is small but rich in heritage charm.

The aroma of bay leaf, cinnamon, and cardamom wafts through the room before you can tuck into a plate of this hot, spice-infused