Trivandrum

One of the finest dining experiences in Kerala (and, according to some rankings, all of India), Villa Maya is an exquisite restaurant occupying a beautiful colonial mansion. The culinary emphasis is on elevated Keralan specialities, with a focus on seafood. Seating available inside the well-kept building or outside in private courtyard gazebos.

This incredibly popular eatery serves up scrumptious Middle Eastern meat grills, north and south Indian specialities, seafood, and a sizeable selection of vegetarian dishes. For the best deals, check out the set combo meal menus, which are most often a steal. They are especially known for their ice creams.

One of the best vegetarian dining establishments around, Ariya Nivas is an attractive restaurant that offers an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet at an extremely low price, and vegetarian thalis aplenty during dinner hours. They also have a typical south Indian breakfast selection to-order.

The wildly popular Mothers Veg Plaza is beyond any doubt one of Trivandrum's finest vegetarian dining establishments. Food here is served as sadhya (laid out on a large banana leaf), with multiple varieties of dosas (savoury pancake) to go along. It's a casual affair, and a wildly popular one.

Azad has been in business since as early as 1940, a fact reflected in the menu that lists dishes with chicken, mutton and fish cooked according to the original 1940s recipes - but not only. It's a place well-known to and still frequented by locals, for both sit-in dining and take-away.