What to Eat in Varkala Today?

Famous Food to Eat in Varkala

Kerala food is built on rice, coconut and spice, with seafood at almost every meal on the coast. Try these dishes during your stay.

Karimeen Pollichathu

Pearl-spot fish rubbed with a spicy masala, wrapped in banana leaf and cooked on a pan. The leaf keeps the fish moist and gives it a smoky flavour. It is one of the signature dishes of Kerala.

Chemmeen (Prawn) Curry

Prawns cooked in a tangy, coconut-based gravy that is often soured with kudampuli, a dried fruit similar to kokum. Eat it with rice or appam.

Kerala Fish Thali

The everyday lunch on the coast: rice with fish curry, a piece of fried fish, a vegetable thoran, pickle and papadam. It is filling, cheap and one of the best ways to eat like a local.

Appam and Stew

Soft rice-flour pancakes with lacy edges, served with a mild stew of vegetables in coconut milk. It is a classic Kerala breakfast and a good choice if you do not like spicy food.

Kerala Sadya

A vegetarian feast served on a banana leaf, with rice, sambar, avial, thoran, olan, pickles and payasam. It is the traditional meal for Onam and weddings, and some restaurants serve it at lunch.

Cafés and Seafood on the Cliff

The North Cliff is lined with cafés serving everything from Kerala curries to pancakes, smoothies and fresh juice. In the evening, look at the fish on display, ask what came in that day, and agree on the price and the cooking style before you order.

Food Tips for Travellers in Varkala

• Ask for the day's fresh catch rather than ordering from the full menu.
• Agree on the price of a whole fish before it is cooked.
• Kerala food can be spicy, so ask for less chilli if you prefer.
• Eat a banana-leaf meal with your right hand, as locals do.
• Many cliff cafés close or cut their hours during the monsoon, so check before you walk over.
• Carry some cash for small eateries in the town.