1. Le Dupleix
It’s a part of the luxury hotel located in the heart of Puducherry’s historic ‘Whitetown.’ The courtyard restaurant is a heady mix of elegance, sophistication and modernity set inside an 18th century residence. The menu is just as inviting, with both French and Indian fusion elements on it. Great for soups, starters, salads and continental main dishes like steak, but do try the Pondicherry fusion food like Poricha Kozhi which is deep fried chicken marinated with local spices. A meal for two costs approximately INR 1500, with drinks.
2. Cafe Des Arts
Sweet and savoury crepes are the must-try item here although I’m willing to bet that you’ll want to return for the waffles, tartines and to try a delectable Croque (toasted sandwich) of your choice. The eclectic decor from the painted graffitti art on the entrance wall to the vintage objects scattered around the expanse of garden, patio and interiors of a French colonial heritage building are very warm and inviting. This is a great place to relax, plan your shopping trip or just chill-out with a book.A meal for two costs about INR 600.
3. Bay of Buddha
This is the place for Pan-Asian cuisine in Puducherry where you’ll find delectable dishes of sushi, a choice of dimsum and all sorts of irresistible Tofu preparations on the menu. Steamed snapper, scallops, mee goreng and prawn sushi are some of the tastier items on offer here. A meal for two is roughly INR 1200.
4. New Banana Cafe
You’ll have to hunt on Cazy Street for this cosy, low-key eatery and when you find it climb upstairs to a relaxing open terrace location that’s fresh and breezy. The things to order from the limited menu are the fresh quiches, gratins, bakes and the tasty fresh salads. What the menu doesn’t do in variety it makes up for in taste.
5. Baker Street
Visit this French-style bakery that makes tempting eclairs, luscious Mille Feuille, oven-fresh croissants, tasty Brioche, sumptuous Quiches and fresh Crepes. This is the kind of place that will keep you addicted to baked goods for your entire stay in Puducherry. Also, it is a lovely place for breakfast before you go walking around the town to take in the local sights. Lunch for two costs about INR 800.
6. Surguru
Head here if you’re craving a typical South Indian dosa brekkie or finger-lickin’ lunch-time thali. Surguru has a chain of pure vegetarian restaurants all over Puducherry that serve South Indian favourites. The decor is simple with unadorned walls and formica tables spread across a plain room. Fresh puris, sambar vadas, masala dosas, thalis and simple fare like roti and dal are the things to order here. INR 300 for a meal for two.
7. Theevu Plage
This is where you might want to head over to if you’d like a bit of relaxing, chilled-out, beach-type ambience. It’s five kms out of busy Pondicherry, as it was known earlier, but along a beach road with a view of the waves hitting Serenity beach. It makes a great stopover if you’re shuttling between Pondicherry and Auroville and want a place to grab some lunch. The seafood preparations like grilled Pomfret and butterflied prawns with butter are the more popular items here. A meal for two costs about INR 1200.
8. La Maison Rose
Chicken milanaise, smoked Tofu burger, prawns grilled in honey and a fresh lime mousse for dessert topped with guava compote – doesn’t it make your mouth water? Don’t skip the pink caravelle hibiscus syrup drink with nanari seeds. This quaint, picturesque courtyard restaurant serves continental cuisine, but it is also a great place to have coffee, hot chocolate or a lime soda and escape the world for a moment. It’s approximately INR 1200 for two people.
9. Villa Shanti
This is the place where you could choose between fine Darjeeling tea or Arabica coffee to accompany your continental breakfast in the courtyard restaurant. If you have exotic tastes, things like Green papaya salad, Patrani lobster or Chicken cooked with oranges, ginger and white wine might take your fancy. For the rest of us, Channa masala and Lamb sheesh kebab might be as exotic as we can handle. A meal for two costs roughly INR 1200.
10. Hotel Sri Kamatchi
This is another great place for South Indian food. Try the local Kal dosai, prawn kamatchi or the non-veg biryani all of which are infused with local spices and flavour to tempt your palate. The warm ambience and genuine hospitality make up for the lack of decor and the plain surroundings. A meal for two costs about INR 300.
Browse cheap flights with Skyscanner and book your trip to Puducherry now. Get the best deals for flights, hotels and car hire with Skyscanner. If you’re on-the-go, download our mobile apps today.
