Food & Drink
Eating in Chennai: filter coffee, idli, and the meals you remember
The breakfast canon, the banana-leaf meals, Chettinad heat, and the new-wave cafes.
Chennai does comfort food better than almost anyone.
Breakfast is sacred
Soft idli, crispy dosa, fluffy pongal and a tumbler of filter coffee. Do it at a legacy tiffin spot and start your day right.
The banana-leaf meal
A full South Indian meals plate served on a banana leaf, unlimited refills, is a rite of passage. Eat with your hands, it tastes better.
Bring the heat
Chettinad cuisine is the fiery, pepper-forward star, worth seeking out for the non-veg.
New wave
Besant Nagar, Nungambakkam and the OMR have a growing cafe and modern-dining scene, plus great filter-coffee upgrades.