Food Guide to Varkala
Guide to the Best Restaurants in Varkala
Varkala is a haven for amazing South Indian food and fresh seafood at incredible prices. You could easily spend your time here restaurant hopping, so get ready to indulge! This post will share the best places for breakfast, lunch and dinner in our favourite place in India and also our favourite hostel during the whole of our travels.
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Where to Stay
Lost Hostel - 100% the best hostel we stayed in during our travels! We met the best people here which definitely made the trip what it was. Goodwin (the manager) was a fabulous host and made sure everyone was always having a great time. Krishna cooks a great and really cheap breakfast & dinner. Occasionally there's family dinner nights, we had 2 during our stay, which are also super cheap and a great way to meet people (the dinner usually turns into a bit of a party). This is definitely the place to stay for an amazing, sociable Varkala trip! You really will get lost here, we extended several times! We stayed in a private room costing Rs.1000 (£10.70)/ night, they were super clean, comfortable and roomy. Click here to book your stay.
Where to Eat
There're tons of options for food in Varkala. Whether you're after a fancy meal, or proper cheap eats, Varkala has it all!
NOTE: All linked address under restaurants are the same, however when you click them they'll show the correct location!
Breakfast
Amma Mess - Breakfast here is a quality cheap option. This small roadside joint has no menus, meaning you have to try and gesture what you want! Only serving proper South Indian food, paratha and a veg curry was the most popular choice. At only Rs.80 you can't go wrong! They also serve meat curries and dosa, a popular indian breakfast. We'd probably describe this place as 'Ugly Delicious' not the prettiest of places but cooking up DELICIOUS food.
Coffee Temple - If you're in the mood for some western treats this place does a great Full English, and they have marmite and PROPER english breakfast tea! It's a little more expensive, but 100% worth it for a treat. They do great coffee, smoothies and amazing vegan cake. You'll find it hard to stop ordering food here!
Lunch
Little Tibet - After a big breakfast you'll likely not be too hungry, making Little Tibet the perfect place for a light bite. Share a plate of Momos or try their momo soup. Only downside is food can take a long time as everything is made to order and momos are an intricate food. Momos turned into our favourite snack, which turned into an even bigger addiction in Nepal! This place is where the addiction started!
Dinner
God's Own Country Kitchen - This was the first restaurant we visited when we arrived in Varkala, and it'll likely be one of your first stops too. This is by far the most popular restaurant/ bar on the cliff front & you'll see that there's no surprise why. The atmosphere is great and the food is even better. Jordan had been dreaming of crab and cocktails on the sea front for WEEKS and her dreams came true here! They have great Indian dishes and the freshest selection of seafood on display. God's own really is a crowd pleaser!
NOTE: The government are trying to turn Kerala into a dry state, so don't be alarmed when you have to decant all beer into a mug and hide your bottles under the table.
Darjeeling - 100% visit with 2 or 3 of you and order the fish platter. You'll be taken down to choose/ be shown your fish and they'll then give you a price for your meal (menu states market price), but what they show you and what they quote you is very negotiable! Our friend was a master at haggling and we ended up with almost double the amount fish they showed us for the same price. The meal was incredible, some of the best fish and spice mixes we've ever had! It's a little pricey, but you really do get what you pay for. The platter is made and quoted for 2 people but there's more than enough to feed 3.
TIP: Be a bit cheeky! Say the 3rd person isn't eating but then share the plate between 3. They'll quote you a higher price for the same amount of food if they know more people are eating (this happens everywhere, not just here).
Cafe HBR - After some more expensive meals, help out your budget by eating at cafe HBR. The ambience isn't as great as the cliff front restaurants, but that's made up for by the quality and amount of food you'll get at a ridiculously cheap price! A full set Thali will set you back Rs.80 (85p) and you'll leave absolutely stuffed! This place became a group favourite, and you'll definitely see why.
You'll never have an empty stomach whilst you're in Varkala, and if you do then you're doing something wrong! The food here is what made our trip so amazing and we'd 100% visit again just for the tasty treats! That said, there's also loads of ways to spend your day doing different activities and sightseeing - click here to read our post on what you can get up to in Varkala (other than eating and drinking!).
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