Chennai - A Guide To The Capital Of Tamil Nadu
On the Coromandel coast, sits the southern Indian city of Chennai. Home to over seven million people, Chennai is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. These are the facts, cold, clinical and boring. What Chennai really is however, is a fantastic, friendly modern city, full of amazing food and incredible sights.
In contrast to the intensity of the northern cities of Delhi, Jaipur, Agra and Varanasi, Chennai feels welcoming and laid back with wide boulevards and lots of green spaces. The Chennai locals seemed, to us at least, to be more relaxed, less intense and extremely friendly.
We had arrived in the city after an epic 34 hour train journey from all the way up north in the holy city of Varanasi. When we stepped off the train the difference was immediate - it was February and we had left Varanasi in jeans and a hoodie; we arrived in Chennai and were greeted by sunshine and sweltering, over thirty degrees heat (86+ for our fahrenheit brethren), heat. After a quick un-hoodie-ing and a chug of water, we headed off into the city.
Chennai won our hearts nearly immediately, the food, people and chilled out streets, the temples, museums and sights, all of it was completely different from the rest of our Indian experiences and all of it was fantastic.
This is our complete guide to this amazing city.
In this article:
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Where is the city of Chennai?
Chennai is located on the south eastern coast of India. Right at the top of the state of Tamil Nadu. The neighbouring state of Kerala lies to the west and the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh sit to the north.
Chennai is known as the “Gateway to southern India”. The city boasts a long coastline and beach with famous food spots, a huge fishing industry and a massive industrial port.
The city itself is sprawling and varied. From tree lined avenues to crowded old markets the city changes from street to street.
How to get to Chennai?
As a fully fledged megacity, Chennai has great transport links throughout India and internationally.
Arriving by train
Chennai has several large train stations serving both local routes and linking the city to the rest of India. Trains can be caught to all over India Including routes to Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore in the north as well as south to Thiruvananthapuram / Trivandrum, Kochi and most of the other southern cities.
The main train station is Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central Railway Station otherwise simply known as Chennai Central (location). This beautiful, grandiose station serves most of the long distance routes into and out of Chennai as well as handling lots of more local lines. It also has the main metro station , just outside of the overground station (location), with more metro stations all within a short walk. Chennai Central is not the only long distance train hub in the city so make sure you check your ticket!
You can get anywhere by train in India, but train tickets sell out extremely quickly and should be purchased in advance. Either through an agency, the Ixigo app (if you have an Indian sim) or through 12Go.
Arriving by bus
As with every major city in India, there are multiple bus operators in Chennai running pretty much every route you can imagine across India. This is great, as there will almost certainly be a bus to take you to where you need to go, but confusing as there’s no real centralised way of checking all of the routes.
The buses generally fall into two categories, government buses or private companies.
Government buses
Government buses will run from centralised bus stations and are generally more “rough and ready”. Lots of them will have no aircon other than open windows and the seats will be decidedly more ‘basic’ than more expensive offerings. The government buses run more short routes (please remember that this is India and “short” is a relative term. “Short” here could still mean 17 hours!), usually within the state or neighbouring states. To book tickets or to find out departure times head to the local bus station.
The main bus station in Chennai is the CMBT bus station (location) which is easily accessible by the neighbouring CMBT metro station.
There is generally very little reliable information about these buses online. Google Maps is especially terrible; showing only a few bus routes and having completely incorrect timings. This is starting to improve however and some of the state bus routes will show up for booking on the RedBus and AbhiBus apps. Still, we would recommend getting the full picture by going and asking at the bus station.
Government buses will be the most basic but, by far and away, the cheapest way to travel.
We have used government buses to travel all over southern India and found them to be a really fun and interesting way to travel, just be aware that they can get very busy!
Private buses
Private buses are run by many different companies and serve all manner of long distance destinations. These can be booked online in advance via 12GO, Abhibus, Redbus or by Googling the specific company. These buses will be more expensive, usually air conditioned and may involve seats or beds on the longer routes. Just be aware when booking the tickets to check the pick up and drop off points as they are often not obvious.
We have had some tense moments waiting at 11pm on the side of seemingly random roundabouts hoping that a bus we booked would turn up! They always did show up for us but it is worth remembering that you may have to take a trip somewhere strange just to catch the bus! Similarly the drop off can be…random…on one occasion we selected a central Delhi destination online as our drop point but were heaved out of the bus on a side street near the airport 5km from our selected location. As with everything in India try to roll with the punches and be adaptable!
If you are a solo traveller please be cautious with the buses as you can be asked to wait for them in some pretty odd places. Also be aware when booking sleeper buses that the seats that are shown next to each other are not separate! You are booking one half of a double bed!
Travelling through India is an experience, no matter the method of transport!
Arriving by plane
Chennai’s International Airport is located in the south west of the city, and is a 40 minute metro ride away from Chennai Central station.
The airport serves domestic routes such as Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi as well as international routes to Kuala Lumpur, Chengdu the UAE and many others.
Chennai would make a great entry point to fly in and start a southern Indian adventure.
Getting around Chennai?
Chennai Metro
Chennai’s metro system is clean, cheap and easy to use. It is also air conditioned, which we always appreciated after coming in from the southern sunshine! We hopped on the metro as nearly the first thing we did in the city after our 34 hours on a train from the north. The metro conveniently ran between the Chennai Central Railway Station and our accommodation (Elements hostel check out the accommodation section later), near the Pachaiyappa's College Metro.
The metro currently has three operational lines, Green, Grey and Blue. The grey route runs from Chennai Central all the way to the airport. The Green runs the same route but splits off just before the airport. The Blue route runs roughly north to south, up the coast to the north and coming inland in the south.
Confusingly the official maps online show far more lines than this but they are still under construction at the moment. Google Maps shows the correct lines and departure times.
To buy a ticket just walk up to the counter and state your destination. The tickets are very cheap. Our journeys ranged from 5 rupee per person to 30 rupees depending on the distance. We believe the fare is capped at 40 rupees per journey.
The metro operates from 4:30 am to 11pm and trains (should!) run around every 7 minutes.
Chennai’s bus network
Chennai has a massive bus network with stops everywhere. The routes cris-cross the city and weave in and around every residential and commercial area. There are literally hundreds of bus routes running throughout Chennai. This many lines does, however, mean it is very hard to find out information on any specific route! Some bus stands will have a map to guide you but most will have too many routes to display. We didn't have much luck with the official MTC app but Google does show how to get between places by bus, just don't rely on its timing information!
The buses are very cheap with the most expensive journey still only costing around 25 rupees.
Uber, taxis and ride hailing
When we explored Chennai we mainly used a combination of the metro and Uber to get around. The metro is so convenient and cheap and for anywhere not covered, there are taxis.
We always recommend booking taxis or rickshaws on a ride hailing app. This way there is no “confusion” about destination, no haggling over price and you get to enjoy the safety features and peace of mind the app’s tracking systems allow.
Also, if things do go a little sideways, we have found Uber’s customer care to be great (call us cynical, but this came as a pleasant surprise). On one occasion we got an Uber rickshaw from a shopping centre, our driver got lost, had no phone reception for maps and refused our attempts at navigation. We got out and, after a very brief online chat, had been refunded with extra credit!
Uber is not expensive in India and a great way to get out and about in the city. We found some really cool neighbourhoods with a board game cafe, lots of cool shops and amazing food just by taking an Uber to a local camera repair shop!
On the Uber app you can order both car taxis and rickshaws to get you around.
To use the Uber app you will need an Indian sim card. If you would like to arrange your SIM card in advance of landing in India, why not check out the eSIM packages available on Airalo.
Where to stay in Chennai?
Backpacker accommodation options
Elements Hostel - Book here
During our stay in Chennai we booked into a private room at the Elements hostel. Located on a quiet street a short walk from a metro station, Elements hostel was a perfect base for exploring the city. Our private room was massive, air conditioned, comfortable and even had a tiny balcony!
The staff were fantastic, helping us plan our stay in the city and route out without ever trying to push a sale. We found out all the local bus information we needed from the guys at the front desk and where others would have tried to push a tour or private transport to get to the nearby site of Mahabalipuram, Elements just told us which bus stop was best for a quick and cheap journey.
The hostel offers breakfast and a common area as well. Elements Hostel costs a little more than we were used to coming from hostels in South East Asia but compared to other local offerings it was very reasonable and definitely worth the money.
Also there is a fantastic cheap biryani place a five minute walk away!
Hostel Ghandi - Book here
This small hostel is located within walking distance of Little Mount metro station and offers both dorms and private rooms. We haven't stayed here but have heard good reports! It is also one of the only other backpacker hostels available in the city!
Other low cost options:
You can have a look here for the cheaper end of the accommodation budget in Chennai. As with anywhere, double check the reviews with Google and check you are not saving money on accommodation only to then spend it on transport!
More comfortable stays in Chennai
Just because we are backpackers doesn't mean we don't Google some nicer places to stay! Chennai being a huge hub of a city means that it has a vast range of hotels for every price point.
For international brands you have the Hilton Chennai as well as Citanes OMR Chennai and the Ibis Chennai City Centre
For all the accommodation choices in Chennai, from dorm to luxury apartment, check out our map below:
What to do in Chennai?
Fort St George
Fort St George was built in 1639 and was the first British fort in India. Starting life as a military and trading outpost for the British East India Company, the town (known then as Madras not Chennai) grew and spread away from the fortified heart of Fort St George. The fort itself played a crucial role in establishing British presence and the expansion of the Empire into India.
These days the walls of Fort St George still stand, but its interior buildings have been taken over by government offices. It now houses, perhaps fittingly, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and is the official seat of the Tamil Nadu Government.
There is a great museum inside these fortified walls explaining the history of the fort and preserving antiques and artefacts from across its past. On the ground floor there are weapons, coins and military uniforms, the first floor has oil paintings and prints and the top floor held an amazing display on the original “rebellion” flag. Raised in the early hours of the morning on India’s Independence Day in 1947, the flag has been lovingly restored and holds pride of place in its own exhibition room.
One ticket costs 300 rupees (£2.86 or $3.62) for a foreigner, but if you book online this drops to 250 rupees. You can book online from just outside the museum using QR codes as long as you have data on your Indian SIM Card or eSIM (check out Airalo for international eSIMs).
As the museum is located within close proximity to the government buildings there is a very strict entry process where you need to present your ID (passport or driving licence). Photocopies are accepted.
You cannot take photos within the museum itself but outside in the grounds is fair game!
Chennai Lighthouse and viewing platform
(location)
On the shore of the Bay of Bengal rises a strange triangular structure. One hundred and fifty feet tall and painted in angular blocks of red and white the Chennai Lighthouse.
It is not a “tradtional” looking lighthouse!
This is actually the third or fourth lighthouse in Chennai (depending how you want to count them). The first was a lantern on the walls of Fort St George which was replaced by lanterns on a column in the grounds of the High Court building. Then, the ornate dome of the High court was converted into a lighthouse, guiding warships through World War Two. Finally in 1977 the current tower was brought into service.
Today you can visit the tower and take an elevator to a viewing platform. The view from the top is great with the sea spreading out eastwards and the city on all other compass points around. The view spread out below, a sea of crowds and colour; apartment blocks with their roofs filled with drying washing butted up next to the working shoreline and busy roads of the city.
Whilst we were at the top of the tower we were lucky enough to be joined by a hunting eagle (maybe a hawk, we are no natural twitchers), who soared around the viewing platform a few times before diving into scattering flocks of pigeons below.
Chennai is….not small…
The lighthouse costs 50 rupees per person (£0.47 or $0.60) and a further 25 rupees per camera (phones do not count). It is definitely worth the price for the high rise perspective!
The lighthouse is open between 10 am and 1pm and then again from 3pm until 5:30pm every day except for Mondays when it is closed. As always these times can be affected by any of the many festivals in southern India so check before you go!
Getting to the lighthouse will require either a walk, an Uber or a local bus as it is not near any metro stations. There are overground train stations - Light House Railway Station (15 minute walk) and Mundakakanni (20 minute walk), but we are unsure how often the trains run to and from them.
Kapaleeshawara / Kapaleeswarar Temple
(location)
South of the lighthouse, sits the incredible Kapaleeshawara Temple. This amazing holy site was one of our favourite places we came across in our time in Chennai.
If you walk to the temple like we did, you will be winding through small side streets, tall buildings either side when suddenly the view opens up and you are greeted by the amazing sight of the temple entrance. Steps of blue rise up and up in a tall flat topped entrance pyramid (called a Gopura). Each step is crowded with beautifully sculpted figures.
The figures depict gods, demons, stories and legends from the sacred texts of Hinduism all brought to life in vivid colours. You can look forever at these gateways and still see new things!
To the left of the entrance (before you go in) is a little kiosk to store your shoes. We donated 100 rupees to store our shoes. This donation was the only “expense” of seeing this temple and you could give whatever you want.
As you pass under the Gopura the temple courtyard opens up in front of you. Kapaleeshawara temple is an example of Dravidian Hindu architecture, iconic of southern India. Four massive colourful Gopura gate houses sit along the square walls surrounding the courtyards and inner temples and sanctuaries.
It was amazing to walk barefoot through the holy grounds. Everywhere we turned there were stunning carvings, sculptures and buildings. The site of the temple is meant to be over 1300 years old, having its foundation somewhere in the 7th century CE. The Kapaleeshawara Temple is one of the oldest in Chennai and highly revered as a place of worship.
Like many temples in India the central holy sanctuary is for Hindu’s only and some areas are not to be photographed. The dress code for the temple is, as with all holy sites, strictly enforced - no shorts, no short skirts, no crop tops and shoulders are to be covered. It is an active site of worship so do not be surprised if you are turned away or given a cover up if you turn up without the proper clothing! Seriously, we are always surprised how many tourists seem to think the rules do not apply to them. If you cannot dress appropriately then don't go to a holy place. Thailand to Lao, Italy to India it is not that difficult!.
The Kapaleeshawara temple has a final treat to those who do come there. On the opposite side to the main entrance is a doorway that leads to the temple tank. This is not some kind of Hindu military equipment but rather a beautiful reservoir. The tank is a massive square of stone steps leading down to the water's edge. On every side of the reservoir, small shrines pop up from the bank whilst in the centre of the lake sits an ornate white building. It is just another beautiful treat from a stunning temple.
You can get to the temple on foot or by Uber. We combined a walk from the Lighthouse with the temple and the nearby Santhome Cathedral. Speaking of which…
Santhome Cathedral Basilica
(location)
Close to the shore in the south of Chennai lies the impressive Catholic Santhome Cathedral. Originally built in 1521-1523 by the Portuguese. The site was chosen as it is the supposed resting place of St Thomas the Apostle who was said to have travelled to South Asia to spread Christianity. The Cathedral is also a Basilica - a church elevated by a Pope to confer special status.
The Basilica was remodelled / renovated by the British in 1896 into its current form. It sits, slightly incongruously amid the India businesses and massive Tsunami Township apartment building. The Santhome Cathedral sticks out amongst its neighbours, a towering white neo-gothic cathedral amid apartments and Indian streets. Its presence is a reminder of the strong catholic community in southern India.
Inside the cathedral is a large vaulted ceiling and rows of wooden pews sitting under electric fans. Paintings stare down from the walls and multicoloured light shines through stained glass windows. The familiar saints and Maria are all there, but in deference to their Indian location, they are decked out in wreaths of colourful flowers.
Behind the cathedral is the Tomb of St Thomas itself. We did not go there on our exploration as a queue of the faithful were waiting and we didn't really think it was our place to interrupt their prayers.
The cathedral is open every day between 6am and 11pm with services being held at 6am, 11am and 6pm Monday-Saturday and 6am, 9am, and 5pm on Sundays (celebration days may be different).
Kaalikambal Kamadeswarar Temple and the Mannadi district
(location)
We love a bit of impromptu exploration, so one day we decided to just pick a temple from Google maps and go for a wander. We picked the Kaalikambal Kamadeswarar Temple and set off. We hopped onto the metro and rode it to Mannadi Station. From there we headed off of the busy main road and into the Mannadi district.
We hate to be vague and wishy-washy but Mannadi just had a fun feel to it. Stuffed full of shops and traders selling everything from colourful scarves and sari’s to delicious samosas and metalwork. It was a thriving busy area full of noise and people but we loved it. It had so many of those “Indian moments” where you are reminded that; where you are is not like anywhere else in the world.
We were wandering down a side road, eating delicious newspaper wrapped vegetable samosas (that cost less than 10p each!) when our way was blocked by a traffic jam of bull drawn carts. The massive steers with their huge, sharp pointed horns wandered lazily along the road towing their flatbed trailers. On the towed carts a few men lounged in the morning sun sharing a smoke. I’m sure we are romanticising this and it was definitely a common sight in Mannadi, but for a couple of Londoners it was a beautiful reminder of where we were - a very long way from Streatham High Road.
A common traffic hazzard in India!
Cows and Bulls always have right of way!
The Mannadi district winds away from the Metro and main road and there are loads of shops, restaurants and small temples to explore. It is not an upmarket or trendy destination, just a genuine friendly neighbourhood. We loved wandering its streets, especially when they held a (probably not really) hidden treasure.
The Kaalikambal Kamadeswarar Temple is stunning, smaller than the Kapaleeshwarar Temple to the south but sharing in its architectural style. Large gopura entrances rise up on the two street side entrances each one crammed with sculptures and carvings in all the colours of the rainbow.
We loved finding temples in the south of India, they all seemed so colourful and impressive, Holy yet welcoming. We cannot recommend our exploration strategy enough. Just find a temple that looks interesting on Google maps and then explore your way there!
Chennai Beach
Ok let's get the obvious point out the way first. Chennai beach is not one we would recommend for sunbathers and swimmers. The vast beach stretches all along the coast of the city and, at various points, is an industrial dock, fishing port and container terminal. The beach, unsurprisingly, is not always pristine to put it mildly. We did see people standing in the surf and a couple of swimmers but despite the 35 + degree heat (that is 95 + to our Fahrenheit friends), we had no desire to join them.
The beach itself is enormous, stretching both up and down the coast as well as from land to sea. You can walk for several minutes from the road and still not get your feet wet. The further south you get the more…used.. the beach becomes with fishing boats, nets and the aftermath of catches strewn across the sand. Areas of the beach are better maintained than others with some being relatively clean but others having rubbish dumped everywhere.
So you are not swimming at the beach, what are you doing then? The answer is eating! The beach in the evenings comes alive with stalls, restaurants and snack vendors. It is almost an unofficial town square for the city!
Fairground rides open up and thousands gather on the sands in the evening. The most popular spots are Marina beach and Ghandi Beach (location) running up north of the lighthouse and south of the container port. During the day they are quiet and the stalls are shut but once the sun goes down everything opens up!
The stalls are closed during the day, just waiting for the evening!
The beach is massive so how you get to it depends on where you want to be, one thing to bear in mind however is that the station “Chennai Beach” is not on or near the beaches we are talking about (or any other beaches really). Chennai beach railway station serves the port and container terminal, not the beaches themselves.
We would recommend taking the Metro to the Government Estate stop (Blue line) then either walking (25 minutes) or Ubering to the beach from there. This would get you at the top of the night time strip and you could walk your way downwards. Alternatively you could do this in reverse, and get an Uber down to the lighthouse and wander upwards!
Shopping in Chennai
Chennai is a great place to refresh your wardrobe or treat yourself to a present. A thriving modern city, Chennai has all the major chains, outlets and brands as well as plenty of local artisan shops.
We needed a few clothes items and so made our way to the VR Mall (location).
Once inside and past the rigorous security (no cameras allowed) we found ourselves in a huge but calm shopping mall. There are Apple stores and other electronics, hairdressers and all manner of clothes shops, both international and Indian.
We were only there for H&M and to have a nose around the Sketchers and Levis stalls but the Mall has over 200 shops as well as loads of international and local restaurants, arcades and cinemas. If you have children and have museumed them out then this would be a great little reward for them!
For us it was a useful place to restock on t-shirts and other essentials…we definitely didn't have a Mcdonalds…no…definitely not….
Parks in Chennai
Like Delhi, Chennai is a surprisingly green city with plenty of public parks providing a break from the sun soaked streets.
Shenoy Nagar / Thiru Vi Ka Park
(location)
Our accommodation was nearby to the Shenoy Nagar park (also known as Thiru Vi Ka Park) and it became our go-to park to wander around when we needed some greenery. In the north there is a separate skating park (roller not ice!) with a large rink. The main park is a large oval surrounded by roads. The park is well maintained and has play areas and sporting arenas. Shenoy Nagar park is open in the mornings and evenings (usually around 5-9am and then 5pm until late) as there are schools that use the sporting facilities. In the evenings the roads around the park have lots of street vendors and food to graze on.
If you are staying at Elements hostel it is a short walk to the park, if not then the Metro is the easiest way here as it literally comes out into the park. The metro station is Shenoy Nagar (big surprise) on the blue line.
Chennai Botanical Gardens - Semmozhi Poonga
Honesty time, we did not get to go to the botanical gardens! We ran out of time but we wish we had, they look really lovely and would make a great escape from the city heat.
The botanical gardens are in the south of the city and sit equidistant between the Thousand Light (18 minute walk) and AG DMS (15 minute walk) Metro stations on the Blue line.
The opening times of Semmozhi Poonga Botanical Gardens are:
10am - 7:30pm every day except Tuesday
Tuesday - Closed
The ticket prices (according to the internet :P) are very low with adults only reportedly costing 15 rupees with a camera charge of 25 rupees
Other Chennai attractions
We did not have enough time in Chennai, not by a long shot. We were there for 3 nights and could easily have spent a week or longer in this amazing city. If we were to visit again here are a few more things we would do:
The Botanical Gardens - As we mentioned above the botanical gardens would be a fantastic way to escape the city and wallow in a bit of nature.
The Chennai Railway Museum (location) - We unironically love a little railway museum, we have been to the Delhi National Railway museum as well as the Sri Lankan Railway Museum at Kadugannawa and made a trip to the Demodara loop in the Sri Lankan central Highlands. We are not anoraks and couldn’t tell a diesel from an electric engine but for some reason we always like wandering around trains!
We missed out on the Chennai Railway museum but if we have a spare morning next time we will definitely check it out!
Also if you have small humans with you, the ticket includes a ride on the toy train!
The railway museum is, ironically, not really near any metro or railway so we would recommend catching an Uber / Taxi there. The nearest stations seem to be a good 45 / 50 minute walk away.
The Chennai Railway Museum is open every day except Monday and festival days between 10am and 5:30pm
Entrance costs are listed on the website at 40 rupees for those above the age of 12 and 15 rupees for those between 3 and 12. Cameras cost 100 rupee more to bring in.
Other museums:
There are scores more museums to check out in Chennai, from photography to bronze work, policing to palaeontology there are far too many museums to list here. Chennai is a massive city and has something for just about anyone. Here are just a few:
Sightseeing and tours in Chennai
If you are after a little more knowledge and want to be shown around the sights with a local expert, or if you want a good way of combining attractions without having to sort it all out yourself, consider an organised tour. Get Your Guide has lots of tour options within Chennai that can whisk you around all the most interesting and important sights. Have a look below for some ideas:
Day Trips from Chennai
Chennai is very well placed to be a base for day trips in South India, there are a couple of great destinations you can easily get to within a day from the big city. We would highly recommended the following:
Mahabalipuram
A 2 hour bus journey from Chennai CMBT lies the amazing cave temples and ruins of Mahabalipuram.
Mahabalipuram is covered in ancient temples, rock reliefs and shrines.
Just hop on any of the many daily buses from the CMBT (location). Enjoy the ride down the coast and jump off at Mahabalipuram junction (location). From the junction it is a short walk into the town and the all the sights. The bus is very cheap, costing only 65 rupees per person each way.
The town itself is full of restaurants, resorts and beachfront activities. The ruins are incredible and a real treat to explore. Entrance for foreigners was 600 each (£5.69 or £7.21) for all of the historic sights. Mahabalipuram was amazing and a fantastic day out from the city.
If you do not want to organise this all for yourself you can definitely get a tour to Mahabalipuram from Chennai - check out the links below for some ideas:
Pondicherry
South of Chennai lies the old French colonial town of Pondicherry / Puducherry. To do this as a day trip would be a long day but, with an early enough start, you could definitely make it. Jump on the bus or train from Chennai. The bus takes around four hours and costs 190 rupee each (£1.80 or $2.28). The trains are more limited in departure times but can, if you get the right one, get you there in 3 hours. Depending on what class tickets you get and on what train you can pay anywhere from 95 rupees (slow train 3rd class) to 555 rupees (fast train 1st class). Just check and book ahead of time as they only run a few times a day and the slow train can take six hours! You can book online with IXAGO (with an Indian sim or eSIM, or with 12GO
Pondicherry is a beautiful town full of quaint streets, fantastic European style architecture, cafes, bakeries and restaurants. It is 100% worth a visit and if you don't have time to stay there like we did, then you should make the effort for a day trip!.
The French Quarter of Pondicherry is stunning!
Another option if you want things arranged for you or you are short on time is an organised tour. Check out these for example:
Where to eat in Chennai?
Chennai, like so much of India, is an absolute treat for foodies. From high end to low end, back alley biriyani, to posh poke bowls, fisherman’s restaurants to fine dining the city always has something to offer.
In our short time in the city we ate at some incredible places here are some of our top recommendations for dining in Chennai:
Meenavan Unavagam Seafood
(location)
This is a special one! Located very much south of any of the touristy attractions, this busy little restaurant came to our attention via YouTube. One of our favourite foodtubers, Max Mcfarlin had clued us into this small fisherman’s restaurant.
Out of the way and set far from any metro station (we had a hot long walk down a rather unlovely stretch of the beach to reach it), this restaurant attracts a dedicated clientele and rewards them with incredible seafood.
Like so many great food places, it doesn't look like much from the outside. Just another very busy little restaurant on a working piece of seafront. We managed to wedge ourselves onto a little table inside and were quickly greeted by a friendly man with a plate full of enormous fish.
We selected our fish from the plate and it was sent off to the tawa for frying. We also opted for some masala shrimp to go alongside it. A banana leaf was placed in front of us and filled with rice, a boiled egg, veggies and two types of curry. This was swiftly joined by our main dishes. It was a glorious sight.
The fish has been basted, more like plastered, in masala and spice then grilled on the tawa until it was crisp and charred on the outside but flakey, sweet and soft within. The spice coating turned the whole fish a deep crimson orange. The prawns were nearly black in their sauce and were utterly delicious, we learned that the prawns are a signature of the restaurant and we can see why. Deeply spiced and rich but with the perfect prawn sweetness.
The meal was eaten greedily and with our hands. The sweet fish mixing with the prawns, rice and curries on the banana leaf was perfect. It is to this day one of our favourite meals on our entire adventure.
Two banana leaf curries, rice, chutneys, sambal, prawns and whole cooked fish big enough for two cost us the princely sum of 530 rupees (£5.03 or $6.37)!
We cannot recommend this enough. If you have an adventurous soul you are definitely rewarded. We can imagine lots of people would walk past this kind of restaurant or chicken out at the thought of shellfish fresh in the Indian sun; these people will lose out and never get to try such wonderful fresh seafood as this!
Safa Biriyani
(location)
If you are staying at Elements hostel (or even if you're not!) Safa Biriyani is an essential dinner stop. Five minutes walk up the road brings you to this unassuming biriyani joint. We have not eaten nearly enough biryani to claim this as the best in the city or the south but what we can say is that we did not eat any better!
The chicken biriyani is divine, with spice and rich chickeny flavour coating every grain of rice. Served with a boiled egg alongside yoghurt and onions it is a near perfect mix of comforting rice, deep spice and refreshing crunch. The grilled chicken is also incredible, with juicy meat and crisp skin all paired with amazing sauces.
You know it looks good!
The portions are huge and we felt so greedy but we each easily polished off a whole biriyani each!
It is also very backpacker budget friendly with two biryanis and two waters coming in at 290 rupee (£2.75 or $3.48), you cannot argue with dinner and a drink for less than £1.40 per person!
Lyfe Cafe
(location)
sometimes you need a little home comfort in an air conditioned room. Sometimes in India you just want a fresh salad or some pasta. For us this hit after 34 hours on a train eating Idli from trays on our knees.
Luckily for us our hostel was very near to the Lyfe cafe which serves all manner of salads, hummus, pizza and pasta. Alongside the Western fare it serves Indian favourites and even some Mexican offerings!
We had a lovely fresh feta salad and plate of pasta arrabiata and it was just the ticket after a long long train journey full of Indian snacks and not enough food!
Lyfe cafe is considerably more expensive than the other offerings on this list but sometimes you do need to treat yourself to something familiar! Our meal of a huge salad, plate of pasta and two special iced teas cost 1145 rupee (£10.86 or $13.76)
Brew and Sip Coffee
(location)
If you are in the area around the Cathedral or Kapaleeshwarar Temple and are in need of a caffeine fix then we highly recommend this little roadside coffee shop.
We were tired, we were hot, we hadn't had a coffee in 48 hours and were having withdrawal symptoms. Just as we were starting to despair we spotted Brew and Sip on Google maps a few streets away.
We sat in its beautifully air conditioned (again over 35 degrees C / 95 F on that day) little cafe room whilst the lovely owner made us two cups of speciality Madrasi drip coffee. Served in small metal cups inside little metal trays these coffees hit the spot instantly. That wonderful bitter combination of nutty chocolatey coffee with rich roasted flavour was just what we needed.
We have no idea why hot coffee is so good on a sweltering day but it really is! Our stop at Brew and Sip was just what was needed. Fully caffeinated and with a few selfies with the owner later we were back to exploring the city.
The coffees in Brew and Sip are very reasonably priced. Our Madrasi filter coffees cost us 85 rupees each (£0.81 or $85.00). This may seem a lot considering the above options but proper coffee in India always comes at a premium!
Street stalls and street food
Chennai is a city stuffed with street eating options. As we have said before, just get stuck in and you will be rewarded by more flavours than you can ever hope to have if you just stay with Western hotel food.
There are loads of tasty vendors around Shenoy Nagar park and station. Including one (no Google listing) that served us up an amazing banana leaf thali from his cart. We were charged only 100 rupees each (and this was still probably the foreigner price) for a massive meal of rice, 3 types of vegetable curry all served with pickles and chutneys.
If you ever are a little peckish in India, look for the bakeries! We have some delicious samosa stuffed with spiced potato and coriander from a random hole in the wall in Mannadi. The crispy yet soft samosas were under 10p each and a perfect hearty snack to keep us exploring.
We have said it before in our food articles, just be brave, and exercise common sense and street food truly is some of the best cuisine in the world.
If you want to be guided through and taken to some off the beaten path eats check out the street food tours available on Get Your Guide. We didn’t have a chance on our stay but next time we 100% will be going on a food tour. Chennai is just too delicious.
Final thoughts
Chennai blew all of our expectations away. We had come from the amazing holy city of Varanasi unsure of what to expect in southern India and Chennai had charmed us with its people, entertained us with its sights and bewitched us with its cuisine. We did not spend enough time in Chennai but this is a mistake we plan on correcting on our next visit. The city is huge, alternately modern and ancient and has a beautiful, friendly and young seeming population.
From historic sights to modern architecture, seafood to street food and excellent transport Chennai made for a brilliant introduction to the south of India.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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