Best Restaurants in Munnar: Top Places to Eat, Veg & Non – Veg Restaurants
A vacation to Munnar also means a chance to try delicious food at various restaurants. Whether you want traditional Kerala food or something different, Munnar restaurants offer a great selection, so everyone can choose the place that suits them best. From small family-owned restaurants to more elegant venues overlooking the tea estate hills, finding restaurants in Munnar has never been easier. With a great range of places to eat, it has become easier to discover tasty foods in Munnar today. Searching for places to eat in Munnar these days also allows using online reviews that make finding good restaurants far easier than it used to be.If you are planning your trip, you can also explore a PlanYourTour Munnar Package to enjoy a well-planned holiday while discovering the best food, attractions, and experiences Munnar has to offer.
Best Restaurants in Munnar
Speaking about the best restaurants of Munnar, visitors usually choose a specific place to have dinner based on a combination of factors like cuisine type, restaurant location and price level. The closest restaurants to the main town in Munnar are usually more budget-friendly and are better for fast meals, while the most upscale restaurants are located either in the hills or attached to resorts in Munnar.
There are several Best Restaurants in Munnar that you can choose to visit to enjoy the top food:
Saravana Bhavan
One of the top pure veg restaurant names in Munnar serving traditional South Indian food on a banana leaf plate is the Saravana Bhavan. Its famous dishes include ghee roast masala dosa and filter coffee, making it an ideal choice for vegetarians.
Rapsy Restaurant
Both residents and tourists alike for its parathas, biryani, and Kerala parotta love this restaurant located just in the Main Bazaar. It can easily be found because of its convenient location at the center of the town.
Tea Tales Café
A cozy cafe that serves a variety of beverages like tea and coffee along with homemade cakes and sandwiches. This cafe is known for its soft lighting and tranquil ambiance. Hence, people usually visit here when they want some time off between their sightseeing trips.
Arabian Grills Munnar
This is the perfect place for those who are looking for Arabian dishes like shawarma and al faham served freshly and quickly. This is especially convenient for travelers who do not have much time.
Hill Spice
This restaurant is hidden in the hills near Pothamedu and hence, provides a tranquil dining place surrounded by nature. It serves a variety of Indian dishes that are ideal for a relaxed meal after a sightseeing tour.
KTDC Tea County Restaurant
This restaurant is situated inside the KTDC Tea County resort. It is renowned for offering beautiful valley views along with Indian, Chinese, and continental dishes in its menu. In particular, its buffet breakfast is famous.
Copper Castle
Situated on the way to Bison Valley in the middle of lush greenery, Copper Castle is one of the top restaurants in terms of Indian cuisine and scenic surroundings.
Rivulet Restaurant
It is situated right next to the Muthirapuzha River and hence, offers a wonderful dining experience with its scenic ambiance. Its menu includes local Kerala dishes and Chinese and continental dishes.
Purohit Restaurant
Purohit Restaurant is considered as one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Munnar known for its thalis in Gujarati style.
Taste The Brews
This café has been created for the sole purpose of experiencing various types of tea of the region along with some breakfast items and sandwiches in its simple menu.
Explore these restaurants and try the best food in Munnar. You will definitely get a variety of food options here.
The following criteria distinguish the best restaurants in Munnar from the others: freshness of ingredients (especially when it comes to seafood and vegetables from nearby farms), consistent taste of foods offered and the service that is not in a hurry even during the busiest days of the year. It also helps to mention that many of the best places to eat in Munnar have gotten their fame thanks to word of mouth from visiting tourists. After enjoying the local cuisine, visitors can also explore best shopping spot in Munnar, where they can pick up fresh spices, tea, homemade chocolates, handicrafts, and other local products as memorable souvenirs of their trip.
Types of Restaurants in Munnar
As mentioned above, the dining scene in Munnar has evolved significantly over the past decades, offering people a wider range of dining options in the area than just traditional Kerala-style restaurants or small roadside eateries.
There are also quite a few pure veg restaurants in Munnar offering vegetarian food to visitors, mainly due to continuous demand from domestic tourists. There are also some non vegetarian restaurants in Munnar offering Kerala seafood dishes and North Indian and Chinese dishes to visitors.
Best Food to Try in Munnar
The signature dishes of Kerala cuisine include coconut, spices, and rice, which is reflected in the local restaurant menus. The list of the dishes you should try in Munnar includes:
- Appam and stew, a fluffy rice pancake usually eaten with a vegetable or meat curry cooked in coconut milk.
- Kerala-style fish curry prepared with tangy tamarind and spices.
- Puttu and kadala curry consists of steamed rice cake and spiced black chickpeas.
- Karimeen pollichathu, a pear spot fish cooked inside the banana leaf and enjoyed by the non-vegetarian visitors.
- Sadya, a festive vegetarian dish served on banana leaves.
There are also great options for vegetarians in Munnar, as there are several restaurants specialising in thalis and South Indian breakfast dishes like idli, dosa, and vada, which you can find in almost every vegetarian restaurant in Munnar. Some of the best vegetarian restaurants in Munnar are popular among domestic tourists just because they concentrate on these everyday staples, not on the variety of the cuisine offered.
Street Food and Local Eateries in Munnar
Besides the standard restaurants, there are some local eateries and street stalls offering the most authentic dishes in the city. They are usually located along the main market road and near popular viewpoints and sell various snacks at reasonable prices. Among the most popular dishes you can find in these local places are hot bajji and bonda, freshly fried banana chips, and steaming chai, which will go perfectly well with the chilly mountain air.
The local eateries are the places where you are likely to meet the residents of Munnar, which makes the experience at these eateries more authentic than the one at the formal restaurants.
Average Food Prices in Munnar
Munnar caters for different budgets, and it is reflected in the food prices. In local eateries and smaller Kerala-style restaurants, a full meal is expected to cost between one hundred and two hundred fifty rupees per person. Mid-range restaurants in Munnar, including all multi-cuisine and pure veg restaurants, generally cost around three hundred and six hundred rupees per person. In higher-end restaurants, which include dining places in resorts with special menus or scenic views, the cost can be between eight hundred rupees and above per person.
The above prices may change a bit during peak season; hence, it might be helpful to know the current prices or look up recent reviews if you are on a tighter budget.
Tips for Eating Out in Munnar
A few tips for a better dining-out experience in Munnar include:
- It is good to try local eateries at least once during your stay as they usually serve the freshest, authentic Kerala cuisine.
- For those searching for pure veg restaurants in Munnar, it is good to inquire in advance during the peak seasons since some of the smaller restaurants tend to get booked in the evening, especially the best vegetarian restaurants in Munnar.
- For street food stalls, carry cash since they do not take digital payment options.
- Request recommendations from your homestays or resorts, as the hosts may be aware of small but good restaurants in Munnar which are not advertised.
Reserve a table in advance at restaurants on weekends or holiday seasons.
How to Choose the Best Restaurant in Munnar
With the abundance of restaurants in Munnar, sometimes picking the right place can be difficult. One way of making the decision easier is to first identify whether it is a quick, budget-friendly meal or a slow one that requires a scenic location or a curated experience. Based on these criteria, you can then review recent ratings, determine if it suits your dietary needs, and whether it is near the location of your stay. These steps should make shortlisting easier.
The majority of top-rated restaurants in Munnar owe their popularity to the recommendation of returning travellers instead of the listings on the internet. One of the best things you will find during your stay in Munnar is the family-owned restaurants, which offer the friendliest and most memorable experience, rather than the large commercial eateries in the area. It always helps to read the recent reviews, because the quality of food and service may change with time, especially in small places.
One alternative that can make meal planning easy when you are not familiar with the city is to book an organised meal along with your sightseeing via a website like PlanYourTour.
FAQs
Q. What food is Munnar famous for?
The major culinary specialities of Munnar include Kerala-style dishes like appam and stew, fish curry, puttu and kadala curry, and karimeen pollichathu, along with its tea plantation tradition.
Q. Are there good vegetarian restaurants in Munnar?
Yes, there are quite a few vegetarian restaurants in Munnar, including some pure veg restaurants in Munnar that serve South Indian thalis, dosas and other vegetarian dishes.
Q. Are there budget-friendly restaurants in Munnar?
Yes, there are a few budget-friendly restaurants in Munnar that provide complete meals at budgeted prices, usually ranging from one hundred to two hundred fifty rupees per person.
Q. Are there restaurants with a view in Munnar?
Yes, there are a few restaurants in Munnar that can offer a good view while enjoying the meals. They mainly consist of resort restaurants and hillside restaurants offering views of the tea estates and valleys.
Q. Can I find North Indian food in Munnar?
Yes, most multi-cuisine restaurants in Munnar offer North Indian dishes in addition to their special Kerala dishes.
Q. Do restaurants in Munnar accept online reservations?
Yes, most of the mid-range and upmarket restaurants nowadays offer online or phone-in reservations facilities, especially during peak tourist season. However, local restaurants do not provide such facilities.
Q. Are restaurants in Munnar open late at night?
Most restaurants in Munnar close relatively early compared to larger cities, usually by 10 or 10:30 at night. It is best to plan dinner earlier rather than expecting late-night dining options.
