Places to Eat | Pondicherry

Pondicherry’s food culture reflects its chequered history and is a multi-cultural amalgamation of Tamil, French and Portuguese influences.

Here’s my list of the restaurants to enjoy the different variety of food in Pondicherry:

BAKER STREET – French Delicacies Store

Baker Street is a popular French style bakery started in 2008.  As Pondicherry is known for its French connections, this bakery was initially started for its French tourists and it’s originality and authentic French breads and pastries has made it one of the go to places for all tourists and residents.

All their food is homemade and range from simple breads, such as Baguettes, multi-grain loaves, whole wheat loaves and dinner rolls to pastries, sandwiches, pizzas, quiches and homemade chocolates.

Though I would recommend Baker street bakery for breakfast it is also a great option for lunch or dinner.

COST : ₹ 40 – 200 / dish

HOURS : 7 am – 9 pm

LOCATION : 123 Rue Bussy, Puducherry (Pondicherry), India.

LE DUPLEIX  – Quaint French Charm

White Town is one of the most sought after locations in Pondicherry and is a great choice for travelers interested in history, architecture and of course beaches. Le Dupleix, a designer hotel is one of the best hotels in this area and houses the restaurant – The Courtyard. 

This restaurant serves Indian, European and French cuisines. The ambience is a elegant and classy and the service is impeccable.

They also serve excellent cocktails and have a well known range of imported wines.

COST : ₹ 1500 – 2000 for 2 people (without alcohol)

HOURS : 12 Noon – 3pm ; 7 pm – 10.30 pm 

LOCATION : 5, Rue De La Caserne, White Town, Puducherry

CAFE XTASI – Best Pizzas in Pondicherry 

This pizzeria is quite a nondescript kind of cafe which offers 60 different pizzas of various sizes up to 25 inches, more than 15 kinds of pasta and salads. The rush outside this cafe is a sure indication of the popularity of this place with residents and tourists. Their open pizza kitchen at the entrance is a sight to watch as the pizzas are made with such speed and expertise.

COST: ₹ 1000 for 2 people 

HOURS: 11 am – 11 pm.

LOCATION: 245, Mission Street, Opposite VOC School, MG Road, Puducherry. 

BAY OF BUDDHA – Romantic Rooftop Dinner  

The Bay of Buddha is a Pan-Asian restaurant in the designer hotel – The Promenade located prominently on the Promenade beach.

The restaurant is located on the rooftop and the views from this restaurant of the ocean and the town’s ancient lighthouse is a perfect setting for a wonderful and romantic dinner.

COST: ₹ 1500 – 2000 for 2 people (without alcohol)                                                            

HOURS: 7 pm – 11 pm. 

LOCATION: The Promenade, 23, Goubert Avenue, White Town, Puducherry. 

HOTEL SRI KAMATCHI –  A Touch of Local 

Hotel Sri Kamatchi is a typical South Indian restaurant specializing in 7 different Biryani’s and certain special dishes – Chicken Kamatchi, Prawn Kamatchi and Fish Kamatchi. We tried their Chicken Biryani, Non Veg meals, Fish Fry, Prawn Kamatchi and Chicken 65. The food is excellent and the unbelievably value for money!

The ambience is very simple and the branch in White Town gets crowded especially during the lunch hours.

COST: ₹ 500 for 2 people  

HOURS: 12.00 – 4.30 pm ; 6.30 – 10 pm. 

LOCATION: 5, Labourdonnais Street, Near Old Law College, White Town, Puducherry. 

The town of Pondicherry has many options for food especially being a coastal area and during my trip I particularly enjoyed my meals at the above restaurants.

I hope this post would be useful for anyone visiting Pondicherry and I hope to add more to this list in the future.