India Guide
Kerala
Eating
1 Bimbi's Shanmugham Rd, Ernakulam This modern south Indian fast-food joint, in midtown near the Sealord Boat Jetty, is hugely popular locally for its inexpensive Udupi, north Indian and Chinese snacks and meals. Their vada sambars are the tangiest in town, and there's an exhaustive range of cooling ice cream and shakes to round your meal off.
2 Coffee Beanz Shanmugham Rd, Ernakulam Trendy a/c cappuccino bar, patronized mainly by well-heeled students shrieking into their mobiles over a full-on MTV soundtrack. The din notwithstanding, it's a good spot to beat the heat and grab a quick meal (burgers, fries, grilled sandwiches, dosas, fish curries, appams and samosas). The coffee's freshly ground and delicious, though the service is far less snappy than the fast-food uniforms.
3 Four Foods Shanmugham Rd, Ernakulam Busy, clean and popular roadside restaurant serving veg and non-veg meals, including generous thalis, fish dishes and a good-value "dish of the day".
4 
Fry's Village Restaurant Chittoor Rd, next to the old Mymoor Cinema, Ernakulam Authentic, rural Keralan meals served in comfortable, hygienic surroundings. It's busiest at lunchtimes, when workers pour in for the excellent-value thalis (veg Rs35 non-veg Rs40), mountainous Muslim-style biriyanis (veg, prawn, mutton or chicken; Rs30–40), steaks of deliciously fresh masala-fried kingfish and the full range of traditional Keralan steamed rice cakes.
5 The Grand Pavillion MG Rd, Ernakulam 
0484/238 2061 An Ernakulam institution, famous for its gourmet Keralan dishes, especially the karimeen pollichadu with appam, which draws crowds on Sun evenings. They also do a huge range of Far Eastern, North Indian and Continental options, served on white tablecloths by a legion of brisk waiters wearing black ties and waistcoats. Reservations recommended.Price: Rs500–600 for three courses
6 Elite Bakery Ground Floor, Elite Lodge, Princess St, Fort Cochin One of very few bona fide locals' cafés left in Fort Cochin, and a dependable option if you're travelling on a budget. They serve Keralan and Western breakfasts, freshly prepared veg and non-veg thalis at lunchtime, and Anglo-Indian snacks such as flaky pastry puffs (veg, beef or egg), fried potato cutlets, spring rolls and patties throughout the day and evening.
7 Fort House Fort House Hotel, 2/6A Calvathy Rd, Fort Cochin One of the Fort's hidden gems: carefully prepared Keralan specialities – including delicious meen pollichathu or grilled fish steak – served on a romantic, candle-lit jetty jutting into the harbour – a perfect location for watching the ships chugging in and out of the docks. Price: Most mains Rs175–245
8 Kashi Art Café Burgher St, Fort Cochin Chi-chi art gallery café, patronized almost exclusively by Westerners, and with a menu to match. Fragrant, freshly ground expresso coffee is the big draw, along with the Kashi's famous house cakes, but they also do a selection of light meals and savoury snacks through the day.
9 Malabar Junction Malabar House Hotel, 1/268 Parade Rd, Fort Cochin 0484/221 6666, 
www.malabarhouse.com Gourmet fusion cuisine, served on a chic garden dining terrace in one of Kerala's most stylish boutique hotels. Their signature dish is the seafood platter (Rs980), featuring juicy local lobster, tiger prawns, calamari and choice cuts of fish from the lagoon, but they offer a range of more sensibly priced Italian and south Indian alternatives (Rs250–450).
10 The Old Courtyard 1/371–2 Princess St, Fort Cochin Few places capture the feel of old-world Cochin as vividly as this courtyard restaurant, where candlelit tables are laid out beneath Portuguese vaulted arches. The food is as fine as the location (hallmark dishes include baked seafood spaghetti and grilled fish with coriander butter) – and the patronne-chef is a dessert wizard. Price: Most mains Rs200–275
11 Salt ‘n' Pepper/Brighton Café Tower Rd, Fort Cochin This pair of terrace cafés, spread under the rain trees along the north side of Tower Rd, fill up after sunset and stay open until the small hours during the season. Both serve simple snacks, but the main attraction is the beer – surreptitiously poured out of china pots to rows of bored foreign budget tourists.
12 Teapot Café Peter Celli St, Fort Cochin With its massive collection of teapots and shabby-chic interior, this backstreet tearoom has been giving the Kashi some much-needed competition over the past few seasons. Quality teas and coffees are its mainstay, but there's also a selection of light meals and delicious home-made cakes on offer.
13 Upstairs Santa Cruz Rd, Fort Cochin Currently the backpacker's favourite: a hip little trattoria run by an Indian– Italian couple in a quirky first-floor dining room opposite the Basilica. The food's simple, fresh and authentically Italian, down to the imported olive oil and Parmesan: green leaf salad (Rs80), tasty bruschettas (Rs150), crisp-edged pizzas (Rs175–225), fresh pasta bakes and lasagna al forno (Rs275).