World food

Chennai is a gourmet’s delight, offering something for every palate and serving it with a warm hospitality that is unique to the city.

Chettinad cuisine: To savour the original tastes you must visit Karaikudi. A more upmarket experience awaits you at the posh restaurant The Rain Tree at Hotel Connemara or at Dakshin in the Park Hotel. Peshawari cuisine: Dig into the mouth watering dishes from the northwest frontier at Chola. Mediterranean cuisine: Head to Le Meridien and enjoy the marvellous tastes at Cilantro, a restaurant over three tiers.
Japanese cuisine: For tasty Japanese food you must visit Dahlia. Korean cuisine: Try Arirang to experience Korean cuisine.
Food on the go: There are several choices for the busy executive, from a good spread in fine restaurants to outlets dishing out food by the minute. Lunch buffets at the Dhaba Express on Cenotaph Road draw in a huge crowd daily. Another similar multi-cuisine restaurant is Vasanta Bhavan. To savour a leisurely, refined Chinese lunch you should head to The Canton in the Nungambakkam area, a popular destination for diplomatic lunches. But if you prefer good vegetarian food in a pleasant ambience then Feast Inn at the Pentasoft Towers would be the right choice. To enjoy Korean food that is easy on your pocket try Kyung Bok Gong. A standing landmark on the changing food scene is Buhari, which is always a much frequented place and popular for its dish Chicken 65.
Buffet meals and Food courts: Chennai has its fair share of food courts and multi-cuisine food joints. Leading the pack is the five star variety of food, at more subtle prices, at the Red E Food Court on Harrington Road. If you want to have a wide variety of choices in cuisine and entertainment under one roof, then Sonex Towers is the right place. Planet Yumm located within the imposing metallic façade here, promises to cater to all food palates. Turning Point is yet another food cum entertainment complex. The three notable restaurants here serve three different varieties of cuisine. Shansi provides Chinese food, Kebab Korner is the place for tandoori food and for Indian and Continental food you should visit Under One Roof. For good and inexpensive Chettinad food visit Anjappar, Usilampatti or Poongudi and to savour north Indian food visit Sanjha Chula or Pathankot.

Quench your thirst: The city is slowly gearing up to with its own watering holes: Geoffrey’s, in Radha Park, is famous for its draught beer, signature recipes and vibrant atmosphere. At the Park, Vijay Sports Café is the place to indulge in sports talk and watch sports on the huge televisionscreens, with a drink in hand. For an elaborate setting to enjoy your drink, visit The Crystal Bar at Hotel Ranjith. Bamboo Bar at Savera is a classy place to hang out. The Cocktail Peninsula and Tinto at The Residency are for the hip crowd. The exclusive, swanky places include Arcot (TheTrident), Fort St George (Taj Coromandel), Durants (Chola) and Dome (The Meridien).
Delicious food-carts along popular eat-streets
The street sides of Chennai offer a mind boggling range of food. For south Indian thalis and fast food it is Saravana Bhavan, for idli breakfasts it is Rayar’s on Kutcheri Road and for that quick bite it is the Nair Mess near Chepauk Stadium. High on popularity are the Banana Leaf and Noodle King, which as the name suggests is famous for noodles and Chinese chow. If you are not concerned about cholesterol then do taste the Ceylon Egg Parathas from the food stalls.
Head to the Kabab Corner for succulent kebabs and for fast food it is Kafe 2000 in Egmore. The best haunt for kati rolls is Tic Tac on Montieth Road.
Filter coffee, more coffee and even more coffee!
Chennai is the place to be if you are a fan of ‘sweet’ filter coffee. Coffee on Greenways Road offers that hot cuppa and you can have your face printed on a coffee mug as well. Café Coffee Day marks a big presence with high footfalls and Qwicky’s Coffee Pub is an all time favorite.