Pondicherry/ Puducherry, a former French colony is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Other than the beautifully designed White Town, it hosts the world renowned Universal city, Auroville. With increasing popularity, people from various countries have migrated to Pondicherry along with visitors traveling to this formerly colonized union territory annually. With so many cultural influences, the food in Pondicherry in unique and different than anywhere in the nation. Majorly, the food here is influenced by Indian spices and recipes fused to be incorporated into the French cuisine. Although one would expect to find Indian/ French cuisine here, you’d be surprised to find out that the versatility of food has no bounds. So here I present my list of 20 Best Restaurants in Pondicherry.
1.
Cafe Xtasi
As the most popular restaurant in town, it is specialized in Italian, although located in a French Colony. They offer a variety of choices of pizzas and pastas, most of which are their personal recipes. If you’re in town, you absolutely cannot afford to miss the much talked about wood fired pizza in Cafe Xtasi. Other than that, you may have a difficult time choosing your pick from 60 different types of pizzas and up to 20 different types of pastas, they have to offer.
Where:
24, Mission Street, MG Road,
Must Have:
Pasta: Napolente, Tuna ; Pizza: Algae, Lambretta
Cost for Two:
Rs 900
2.
Le Cafe
Located on the beach itself, this cafe brings your dreams to life. It is just the beach cafe you’d have in your mind all this while. Located just at the beach, this is not a difficult one to locate. Finding a table might be difficult during peak seasons as it is full during most part of the day. The feeling of having grilled chicken/marinated fish on their rooftop while enjoying the picturesque view it has to offer of the sea., is irreplaceable and hardly replicable.
Where:
Beach Road, Near Gandhi Statue
Must Have:
Coffee, Grilled chicken, French Quiche
Cost for Two:
Rs 600
3.
Rendezvous Cafe Restaurant
With its plush interiors, chic lighting and foreigner customers, you’d hardly feel like you’re in the country while you’re there. This cafe organizes special ladies nights where they let the ladies be their own bartenders. So ladies, bring your game face on! As dedicated this restaurant is to serving its customers with delighted faces and beautiful conversations, their mastery and experience over the exquisite French cuisine, tops it off.
Where:
30, Rue Suffren, White Town
Must Have:
Mixed Meat Sizzler, Ratatouille
Cost for Two:
Rs 1300
4.
The Indian Kaffe Express
Tucked away, this cafe may get unnoticed. Located near the Church of ‘Eglise Notre-Dame des Anges’, this cafe serves a variety of snacks originating from different parts of the country. This is a perfect destination for eggetarians as their non-vegetarian menu has a lot of egg specialties.
This is the best isolated place for you to have a good time with your book, with a good cup of coffee, and the best waffles in town on the side.
Where:
3, Rue Dumas, White Town
Must Have:
Chicken Omelette with cheese, Waffles
Cost for Two:
Rs 600
5.
Right Path Cafe
Located in Auroville, this pretty cafe is all about the ambience. Mostly with an open-air seating arrangement, you would probably visit this cafe while on your way back from Matrimandir. With a change in specials every day, the unique taste of each of those dishes will pleasantly surprise you. Pick any item of the day and you will not be disappointed. Other than the food, the Auroville handicrafts and gift store surrounding the cafe is a plus to this restaurant.
Where:
Visitor’s Centre, Auroville Main Road, Auroville
Must Have:
Spaghetti in Mushroom Sauce, Thai Chicken Salad, Day’s Specials
Cost for Two:
Rs 800
6.
Dreamer’s Cafe
Another cafe in Auroville, Dreamer’s Cafe is a major attraction for tourists. Always swarming with people, it is located near the Visitor’s Centre and has served customers from various nationalities. Although they specialize in mostly snacks and beverages, this is a refreshing spot for all visiting the Matrimandir. Apart from the delicious food they have to offer, they provide a 20 percent discount to those who avail their services and pay with an AuroCard or Auroville Account.
Where:
Visitor’s Centre, Auroville Main Road, Auroville
Must Have:
Bakery items, Coffee, Sandwiches
Cost for Two:
Rs 500
7.
Le Dupleix Restaurant
The restaurant located in the Le Dupleix hotel itself, deserves all the rights to be on the list. Although it is not one of the budget restaurants, their specialty of fusion cuisine wins their customers over. The mix of Europe and Indian flavours will be a treat for your taste buds. They also have a few great choices in their fish and shellfish section with dishes inspired from various parts of the country.
Where:
5, Rue De La Caserne, White Town
Must Have:
Rasam aux crevettes, Poricha kozh, Bacon wrapped prawns
Cost for Two:
Rs 1500
8.
Villa Shanti
This restaurant has the perfect mix of minimal decor and soothing lighting to provide its customers with some ‘Shanti’ while enjoying a good meal in peace and quietness. Other than the Continental meals, they offer some great choices for breakfast here too.
Where:
14, Suffren Street, White Town
Must Have:
Pan seared Barracuda, Trio Halwa, Chicken with oranges
Cost for Two:
Rs 1500
9.
Bay Of Buddha- The Promenade
What do you do when you have some Asian food craving in a French Colony in South India? You come to Bay of Buddha! With cuisines from Vietnam, Japan and Korea, the restaurant sure has a compilation of Asia’s best in a mini palate!
Where:
23, Goubert Avenue, White Town
Must Have:
Khmer roasted chicken, grilled squid with tuk meric
Cost for Two:
Rs 1500
10.
L’été Indien
The name literally translating to White Summer, it is one of those restaurants you wander off into, on a lazy summer day. As a budget restaurant, this is a one stop solution to all hunger cravings. They serve a variety of choices including Indian, Chinese, Continental and other European cuisines.
Where:
21, Lal Bahadur Shastri Street, White Town
Must Have:
Al Fahm Chicken, Karachi fried chicken, Karaikudi mutton
Cost for Two:
Rs 500
11.
Disdis & Co
If you are looking for a romantic place for two, then you have found it. Located along the beach in a near perfect like setting, this place provides both outdoor and indoor seating. The restaurant is sort of fashion cafe with a bar, a fashion store and outdoor seating which takes up about 2000 square feet. Other than being a great restaurant, they solve the unconditional problem of married couples with kids dining out, as they provide cribs, children’s room and even nanny services for its customers.
Where:
45B, Rue Romain Rolland, White Town
Must Have:
Bombay Calamari, Beef Stroganoff, Coq Au Vin
Cost for Two:
Rs 1500
12.
Café Des Arts
Emphasizing its name with the beautiful graffiti on the exterior, this is a cafe for all artists run by artists themselves! Their crepes are the best with a choice of both sweet and savoury. Also, for those in a hurry, they can grab a quick breakfast combo. And for those customers who intend on shopping they have a wonderful collection of items and handicrafts as well.
Where:
10, Suffren Street, White Town
Must Have:
Ham, cheese and tomato pesto Crepes, Forest Tartine, Banana and Lemon Crepes
Cost for Two:
Rs 900
13.
Tanto Pizzeria
A pizzeria of many flavours and choices, they have a pizza for everyone. Tanto’s mostly feeds visitors of Auroville, their extraordinary flavours of the Italian cuisine. Even as a pizzeria, they do popularly make a variety of items with fish as an element. In fact, the customers get to choose their choice of fish and they’ll cook them however they want it to be! Perfect, isn’t it?
Where:
ECR Main Road, Auroville
Must Have:
Seafood Risotto, Ravioli of the day, Fish( any style)
Cost for Two:
Rs 600
14.
Surguru
If you’re bored of the Italian and the European cuisine in Pondicherry, and are craving for some homelike food then this is the place you want to be for some good old Indian food. Serving both North and South Indian food, it will bring your Indian buds to life. So when in South India, you know where to be for some delicious Idlis and Dosas.
Where:
12, Jawaharlal Nehru Street, White Town
Must Have:
Palak Puri, Surguru Special Lunch Thali
Cost for Two:
Rs 500
15.
Satsanga
The dishes they serve although majorly French, have a slight Indian touch to them. So for a lovely French meal induced with flavours of the Indian heritage, Satsanga should be a favourable choice. And for those absolute steak fanatics, you won’t regret a taste of their best served steaks!
Where:
54, Rue Labourdonnais, Beach Road, White Town
Must Have:
Calamari Frites, Filet A La Biere Et A L’ail
Cost for Two:
Rs 1100
16.
Cafe Ole
For a light and easy meal, this cafe provides you with the right choices! This is the perfect place to spend some quality time after a stroll by the sea. Also a fact to be noted for coffee lovers; their coffee has gotten praises all over town.
Where:
319, Mission Street, MG Road
Must Have:
Limetta Chicken Sandwich, Fish N’ Olive Sandwich, Chocolate Sandwich
Cost for Two:
Rs 900
17.
Mutton Samosa
Located across the Pondicherry railway station, this is a ‘blink-and-you-miss’ stall. They serve the ordinary Indian snack – samosa with a twist to it. What’s so extraordinary about it is that instead of the potato stuffing, they use a tender mutton stuffing which is nevertheless delicious. No wonder they get sold out within few minutes of sales..
Where:
Opposite Pondicherry Railway Station
Must Have:
Mutton Samosa
Cost for Two:
Rs 100
18.
Carte Blanche
As a restaurant owned by the Neemrana Group of Hotels, this restaurant will take you back in time with its delicate yet impressive interiors. The food here will entice all gourmands with its range of delicacies. So to enjoy a great meal in an open to sky garden sort of an ambience, this should be on top of your list!
Where:
17, Rue Romain Rolland, White Town,
Must Have:
Poulet a la crème et au Citron Confit, Grilled chicken
Cost for Two:
Rs 1200
19.
Zuka Chocó-la
This is the right place to go for desserts and chocolates. Other than bakery items, like the rare chocolate muffins which by the way are nevertheless extraordinary, they sell a variety of types of chocolates in various shapes and sizes and themes. A unique gourmet restaurant of its kind, nothing can beat its hot chocolate in the winters, with which they serve the dissolvable chocolate spoon. So go be Charlie in this Chocolate Factory.
Where:
319, Mission Street, MG Road
Must Have:
Hot Chocolate, Chocolate
Cost for Two:
Rs 400
20.
Gelateria Montecatini Terme Gmt
Well, had to end the list with an ice cream store! This store right across the corner of the beach is a one-stop solution to all your dessert problems. With a variety of natural flavours, keep your stomach empty for each of the serving is sometimes too heavy for one to even finish!
Where:
Goubert Avenue, White Town
Must Have:
Blueberry, Watermelon
Cost for Two:
Rs 200
