Malabar Cafe

Kovalam


The busy red-cloth tables tell a story: attentive service, candlelight at night and views through pot plants to the crashing waves set the tone for Malabar's tasty India-wide cooking, including nightly fresh-seafood displays and tandoori faves such as paneer tikka. One of the more popular spots along the Lighthouse Beach strip.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Kovalam attractions

1. Lighthouse Beach

0.1 MILES

A powdery stretch of gold-and-black sand, Kovalam's main beach is notable for the candy-striped lighthouse at its southern end.

2. Vizhinjam Lighthouse

0.17 MILES

Kovalam's most distinguishing feature is the working candy-striped lighthouse at the southern end of Lighthouse Beach. Climb the spiral staircase – or zip…

3. Vizhinjam Marine Research Aquarium

0.32 MILES

About 500m northwest of Kovalam's lighthouse, this small series of tanks displays fish from Kerala's waters, including lionfish and eels.

4. Hawa Beach

0.39 MILES

Popular with domestic day trippers, Hawa Beach is a busy sandy strand just north of Lighthouse Beach.

5. Vizhinjam

0.78 MILES

About 1km south of Kovalam's Lighthouse Beach, Vizhinjam village has a busy harbour from where fishing boats head out each day, along with one of Kerala's…

6. Samudra Beach

0.81 MILES

Around the headland north of Hawa Beach, Samudra's sandy blonde expanse is overlooked by a gold-and-green mosque and the five-star Leela resort.

7. Rock-Cut Temple

0.83 MILES

Amid neatly tended, banyan-shaded grounds 500m north of Vizhinjam harbour, this small shrine is one of Kerala's most ancient rock-cut temples. A sculpture…

8. Mosque

0.88 MILES

Painted in gold, cream and lime green, this modern mosque sits on Samudra Beach.