Cafes, restaurants & hotels: Gastronomic guide to Pondicherry
- Samyuktha K
- Jul 7, 2017
- 3 min read
Pondicherry aka Puducherry. Like the names suggest this Union Territory is a blend of influences ranging from Dutch, Portuguese, British and predominantly French, while still staying rooted to the South Indian aesthetics and lifestyle.
Just take the Promenade Beach for instance. The stretch has a Gandhi statue, the French War Memorial and even the Aurobindo press. Yes, amidst the and Chola and Pallava monuments also stand tales of an Indian and Roman relationship from Arikamedu. This amalgamation not only translates into the experiences you can have here, but also the foooood (Yes, fooood with many 'oooo's).
Go crazy with crepes and croques at French cafes
The French colony provides you with many options to dig in some authentic French food. Most of these cafes are also housed in erstwhile colonial establishments, giving you a complete holistic experience of well, being in a French Colony.
The White Town in particular has a bunch of artsy cafes that are perfect to soak in the color and vibrancy of Pondicherry.
We recommend:
Cafe des Arts - Rs 1000 for two (Pet friendly too)
Alliance Francaise, White Town - Rs 1000 for two
The economical fare of Indian filter coffees and South Indian tiffins
This is where the Puducherry shines! If you haven't had the filter coffee in this region of the country, then you are missing out to an experience. And by that we mean, take your kapi that is served in two containers and use the base container to cool down your coffee as you slurrrp and savor tiny sips from your cup.
Also, the idli, vada, sambhar and dosas are a stereotype for a reason. Respect it and set aside at least one meal to savor the local flavors. And the mecca for this is the Indian Coffee House and this is one pocket-friendly pilgrimage worth taking.
We recommend:
Indian Coffee House - 200 to 300 for two
Le Cafe - 400 to 600 for two
Dive in the local heritage with Chettinad food for the soul
Whether you like to start light with a set French breakfast or the tiffins of South India, when it comes to having some hearty meals, head straight to a Chettinad restaurant. Chettinad food gets its distict flvour from the ground spices that the Chettiars passed down though generations.
If you are a seasoned gourmand, just the aromas of the restaurant will leave your tongue salivating.
Remember to stay away from the usual suspects of the Chicken 65s and Veg koftas and pick the dishes from the Chettinad repertoire.
Start with the dosas, appams, idiyappams with a Chettinad curry, and progress to the chicken biryani, that stands a class apart from the Lucknowi and Hyderabadi varieties.
We recommend:
Appachi Restaurant - 400 to 600 for two
Go uber local with meals from small kitchens
If you are the type who loves to set a base camp in a place and then hit the road to cover the nearby spots, like we did with Pondicherry to Mahabalipuram and then Pondicherry to Chidambaram and Pichavaram, then stop by in any of those quaint places where they serve hot meals for lunches. And if you are travelling on a shoe-string budget, these meals that won't cost you more than Rs 100 for two is your best bet.
The experience begins when you are served on a banana leaf. Then come the many, many side dishes that will dot the leaf, before some steaming hot rice is served.
We had an extremely motherly woman serving us and ensuring that we had a content meal. Sometimes that sort of affection that fills your hearts is more nourishing than the food filling your stomach.
A must, must, must visit:
Eat My Cake
Of all the pitstops you will make for meals and coffees, set one out for this beautiful place called Eat My Cake!
Again located in White Town, this simple cafe runs to help women who need help and support. The cafe trains and employs women to empower them to stand on their own two feet. More than those lofty words, when you enter those doors the smiles on those women's faces and the services stand testimony to the fact that the meal you are about to have is part of a greater good.
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