The Best Restaurants In Kochi India

Both rich and colourful, Kerala cuisine is flavoured with the spices from its fertile land. Layers of turmeric, pepper, cardamom and ginger are paired with Kerala’s abundance of fish. Kochi’s role in Kerala’s production of spice has always been significant, which together with its now burgeoning foodie culture, has transformed the famous port city into a modern culinary attraction. We explore the top ten places to dine in Kochi.

Arca Nova Restaurant

If you wish to overlook the Arabian sea, inhale the fresh salty breeze and eat the freshest fish, then Arca Nova Restaurant is the place for you. Situated in the family run Fort House Hotel and specialising in Kerala Latin-Christian cuisine, Arca Nova is the perfect spot in which to relax and enjoy Indian fine-dining. The food is flavourful yet not overwhelming, with the blended spices perfectly balanced to avoid an assault on the senses. Enjoy an unrivalled selection of vegan and vegetarian dishes or indulge in the Tuna Pepper, best eaten with appams – a fluffy fermented rice pancake – to taste a local Kerala delicacy that will leave you wanting more.

Ginger House Restaurant

The Ginger House specialises in serving delicious food accompanied by a slice of history. As India’s only restaurant located within a museum, the restaurant makes the most of its evocative location. Tucked behind an antique warehouse, everything in Ginger House tells a tale from history. True to its name, the restaurant specialises in ginger-based dishes, offering everything from ginger prawns, ginger ice cream and ginger lassi to ginger milkshakes and the zingy ginger tea. The waterfront view, coupled with Kochi’s old world charm, makes Ginger House a perfect place to relax and watch the boats sail by.

Kashi Art Café

Kashi Art Café is a Zen-like oasis of calm in an otherwise bustling city. The space also doubles as an art gallery and artist residency space and for this reason, artists and art enthusiasts alike flock to rest their weary feet at this one-of-a-kind venue. The café serves all-day breakfasts, thick soups and uniquely flavoured sandwiches in addition to brewed tea and coffee. To complement a cup of Indian coffee, Kashi Art Café also serves homemade cakes and pies, which are prepared daily to ensure ultimate freshness. Its signature dish, Kashi’s French toast, has attracted its fair share of devoted fans, who frequently return to begin the day with this Kochi sweet treat.

(Kayikka’s) Rahmuthalla Hotel

Whilst Kochi mostly attracts international attention for its outstanding seafood, the humble biryani is also worthy of note, being one of the city’s defining culinary characteristics. Although officially entitled the Rahmuthalla Hotel, Kochi locals popularly refer to the space as Kayikka’s, after the man who first discovered and honed the original biryani recipe in the same spot. Kayikka’s has cultivated a cult following, each enjoying the deliciously sumptuous richness of a dish cooked in copious amounts of pure ghee, or clarified butter. Whether it’s for the evergreen chicken and mutton biryani or the fish and prawn biryani served with date pickle, Kayikka’s loyal fan-base can always be found frequenting this popular haunt.

The Rice Boat– Vivanta

Whilst in Kerala, do what the locals do. If abiding by this mantra, sampling seafood is top of the list. The Vivanta is housed on a stationary ‘kettuvalam’ or rice boat and boasts the juiciest seafood in Kerala. The fresh daily catch is enhanced by the spectacular waterfront view of Fort Cochin, complementing the rustic décor aboard the boat. The signature dishes such as tiger prawns in coconut oil, white snapper in banana leaf and soft-shelled crab with tartar sauce come to life with the flavor of local spices, especially the fragrant turmeric and coconut. The restaurant also caters to the pared-down palette of the visiting Westerner, serving lobster bisque, crab au gratin and crepe suzette.

Malabar junction

The food, service and ambience at Malabar Junction are all infused with the soul of Kerala. Located in the midst of a beautiful Portuguese courtyard, Malabar Junction is serenaded nightly by a Carnatic music band, with the scenic garden offering a calm antidote to the lively city. The staff are courteous and extremely knowledgeable about both the Junction’s food and the scope of local Kerala cuisine. The dishes are prepared using quality ingredients that have been locally sourced, a particular speciality being their delicious thali an Indian equivalent of a tasting menu ensuring visitors enjoy a selection of quintessential Kerala dishes.

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About the author

Ambika Rajgopal

Ambika Rajgopal, originally from New Delhi, currently resides in London. She has an MA in Contemporary Art Theory from Goldsmiths, University of London and an MSc in Art, Law and Business from Christie’s Education, London. Ambika has previously worked in the Indian and Islamic Department at Christie’s, South Kensington, London. In addition to this, she has written extensively on art. Alongside The Culture Trip, she has written for Saffronart Blog, Avenir and Art Radar. In 2015, Ambika, in collaboration with Delhi Art Gallery, wrote a monograph on the Bombay Progressive modernist - Krishen Khanna, which was published by the gallery. Ambika has previously worked in London, New Delhi and Frankfurt.