The best places to eat and drink in Chennai

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.

Indulge in wholesome meals at messes

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.

Relish the many flavors of dosai (dosas)

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.

Line up for biryani 

The aroma of bay leaf, cinnamon, and cardamom wafts through the room before you can tuck into a plate of this hot, spice-infused rice and meat dish. Albeit often reserved for celebrations across much of the subcontinent, in Chennai, it’s an everyday affair thanks to the Tamil-Muslim wedding caterers, who introduced the city to a mean nikah-style feast. Hunks of meat swim in a thick kurma (a coriander-forward gravy of tomatoes, onion, curd and sometimes milk), with the rice added later and allowed to cook in a sealed container. Today, this flavorful one-pot wonder is a go-to meal that’s both satisfying and affordable, especially popular among the bustling working-class population.

Where to try it: KGN Aarifa Center in Purasawalkam is a 24-hour biryani shop, where crowds beeline as early as 3am for beef, chicken and mutton biryani.

Feast on fish fry

Thanks to its proximity to the sea, Chennai is home to numerous fishing communities that supply its restaurants (and homes) with fresh catches. Tawa prawns – prawns marinated in spicy masala and sautéed on a flat pan – are popular near Pattinapakkam Fish Market. Hot and crunchy fried nethili meen (anchovy) is a local favorite, but if you prefer more meat and fewer bones, consider splurging on vanjaram (seer fish) fry, its chili, turmeric and ginger-garlic coating adding irresistible heat.  

Where to try it: While seafood at roadside stalls is a classic local experience, it's best to choose restaurants or messes for hygiene reasons. Nair Mess in Chepauk is known for its Keralan take on seafood, while Amma Chettinad Restaurant in T Nagar boasts Chettinad classics. 

Try a plate of streetside atho

A nod to Burmese flavors brought by Tamil migrants returning from Burma (now Myanmar) in the 1960s, this noodle salad is Chennai's take on khauk swè thoke. The vibrant street snack combines wheat noodles, cabbage, carrots, and lime, hand-tossed in garlic oil, chili powder, and crispy bejo (a fried rice flour snack with peanuts). Without the traditional fish sauce, Chennai’s atho is tangy, crunchy, and sometimes accompanied by boiled masala egg stuffed with sweet, caramelized onions.

Where to try it: Head to roadside stalls at Second Line beach near Burma Bazaar, with Ibrahim Atho Shop being the most popular, or Burma Atho Kadai in Ashok Nagar. 

Munch on pattanam pakoda

Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, this fritter ball infused with flours, herbs and vegetables takes its name from Chennai’s former name, Pattanam, meaning "big city" in Tamil. Originally popularized by train commuters who packed it for overnight journeys between Thanjavur and Madras (another former name for Chennai), it quickly became a beloved deep-fried snack. Enjoy it dunked in coconut chutney or on its own, with sips of tea in between.

Where to try it: Look for this at roadside tea stalls and Guest Hotel in Kilpauk, where it goes by medhu pakoda on the menu.

Sip on filter kaapi 

Bittersweet, piping hot, and milky – that’s how Chennai likes its coffee. This brew, prepared with a pinch of chicory, is traditionally served in a davara tumbler – a steel or brass cup – and bowl. One is used to pour into the other from a great height, creating a delicious, frothy top.

Where to try it: Kaapi is served by roadside vendors across Chennai, Geetha Café in T Nagar or Sangeetha Veg Restaurant, which has multiple outlets throughout the city.

Slurp rose milk

Sold in tiny plastic bottles for as little as ₹15 (US$0.18), this subtly fragrant rose-flavored drink is creamy, chilled, preservative-free, and the perfect relief from Chennai’s perennial humidity. 

Where to try it: Kalathi Rose Milk Shop in Mylapore is famous for its nearly century-old family recipe. 

Take a trip down nostalgia lane with bun-butter-jam

Originally an early 20th-century invention from the British colonial era, when Western-style bread and buns first arrived in Chennai, this treat is now a fixture in most tea shops and bakeries. The golden-brown bun is sliced in half, with one side slathered in rich, salty butter and the other in a sweet and smooth spread of mixed-fruit jam. 

Where to try it: George Town’s G Gopaul Dairy, a family-run institution, has been around for over 70 years. 

Heaven for vegetarians and vegans 

Chennai’s abundance of vegetarian options makes it ideal for plant-based eaters. Rice, lentils and coconut are staples in most dishes, and there’s no dearth of vegetarian-only or vegetarian-friendly restaurants, many tucked away in the neighborhood of Mylapore. 

Try mini tiffin, a popular South Indian breakfast typically consisting of steaming hot idli (spongy, round, fermented rice cake), vadai, dosai (dosa), pongal (peppery lentil and rice dish cooked in milk), upma (semolina cooked with onions, spices, chilli peppers and coconut), and Kuzhi paniyaram (crispy rice and lentil dumplings) that are served with an assortment of chutneys, sambar and rasam. Idiyappam (string hoppers, or steamed rice noodles, also popular in Kerala) and appam (fermented rice batter and coconut milk pancakes) are hard-to-find delicacies that pair perfectly with sodhi kuzhambu (regional Tirunelveli vegetable stew cooked in milk). While most restaurants offer mini tiffin, check out Sangeetha Veg Restaurant or Nithya Amirtham that have outposts across the city.

For a modernist molecular play on South Indian gastronomy, make a reservation at Avartana (ranked no 30 in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023). Multicourse tasting menus, each offering a vegetarian option, await diners with combinations like beetroot with curd cheese, French press rasam, coconut and cauliflower, idiyappam with asparagus and coconut stew, and more.

Street food is just as enticing. Kutti samosas (bite-sized, onion-filled pastries) are popular at tea stalls, while Marina Beach’s bajji stalls offer fritters made from potato, raw banana or chili. Although most restaurants like Nithya Amirtham feature it on their menu, try Mylapore’s Jannal Kadai, a tiny shop that functions out of a blue window. Thenga-manga-pattani sundal is a local favorite snack served in paper cones, made with boiled legumes, mango, grated coconut and spices. For a unique twist on sandwiches, try Maya Chats for Sowcarpet staple murukku sandwich, a flavorful burst of vegetables and chutneys layered between crispy, spiced murukkus, the iconic fried rice and black gram flour spirals. Fresh fruits and juices, especially pulpy grape juice, are widely available.

Foods worth trying

Atlappam

If you’ve debated pineapple on pizza, wait until you consider raisins. Well, sort of. Atlappam – a golden-yellow treat unique to Kasimedu Fish Market – is made from a batter of raw rice, split Bengal gram, semolina, eggs and sugar, blending elements of appam and pizza. Traditionally a hearty meal for fishers before long hours at sea, atlappam is a delicacy available only for a few morning hours, starting at 6am on Sunday. Baked in aluminum pans set in clay pots over firewood, this subtly sweet dish is topped with coconut slivers, cashews and yes, raisins.

Chicken 65 

Originating in Chennai, Chicken 65 is believed to have been created by AM Buhari of the famous Buhari Hotel in 1965 and is still popular among the hotel's patrons. This beloved dish, featuring deep-fried chicken marinated in spices, is known for its bold flavors and simple concept and is often served with lime and onions. 

Elli poochi 

During low tide, fisherfolk scour the beaches for mole crabs, also known as sand fleas. These tiny creatures are elusive, staying burrowed in the sand. Once caught and cleaned, they're cooked à la spicy tawa prawns and sold at roadside stalls near Pattinapakkam Fish Market. 

Mattu vaal (oxtail) soup

The origins of this broth reflect post-colonial Madras, where Dalits, a historically marginalized community in the Hindu caste system, allowed to consume only dead cattle, embraced nose-to-tail cooking, creating this unique dish. Today, it is relished widely in the stalls at Dadashamakan, the beef hub of Chennai.

A year in food 

Chennai’s tropical weather may make summers unbearable, but the food is reason enough to visit, while winters delight with festivals and pop-ups.

Summer (March to May): Hot days are synonymous with mango season in India, and Chennai is no exception. The so-called "king of fruits" makes its way into a range of delicacies, such as rasam, fish gravy, cocktails, ice cream and even milk.

Covelong Point – Surf, Music, and Fitness Festival (Monsoon): The highly anticipated surfing festival attracts hordes of water sports enthusiasts from major cities across India to Chennai’s outskirts for a weekend, usually in August. Food pop-ups are a significant attraction.

Purattasi (mid-September to mid-October): An auspicious month in the Tamil calendar (dates vary each year), Purattasi is somewhat akin to Lent, during which people abstain from meat for religious reasons. As a result, vegetarian produce is in high demand.

Sabha season (December): No experience of Margazhi Kutcheri (Tamil concerts) is complete without indulging in delicious food from the canteens at sabha (cultural association) scattered across the city, with popular venues at the Music Academy and Narada Gana Sabha on TTK Road. Enjoy Carnatic music and classical dance with traditional South Indian meals, filter coffee and sweets.