Good food has the power to completely elevate any road trip experience. Here are five iconic culinary road trips from Chennai for you to embark on authentic south Indian food trails. By Smrithi Suresh
Culinary Road Trips From Chennai
1. Chennai to Puducherry
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Have you ever wondered how would a cuisine with influences from Tamil and French culinary excellence taste? Puducherry offers you an outstanding variety of fusion recipes that will leave your taste buds satiated. From croissants to filter coffee, and popular Indian dishes, you can try it all here. The must-try food in Pondy is the Kadugu Yerra, which is made of prawns cooked in tomatoes and spices. Also, do not forget to try their mutton sambhar from a local mess. It would cost you around INR 500 for two people.
Distance from Chennai: 153 km
Trip Duration: 2 hours (approx.)
Best Time: October to March
Places to Visit: Auroville, Rock Beach, and The Sacred Heart Basilica
Where to Stay: La Villa, The Sunway Manor, and Le Chateau
Must-try Restaurants: Hotel Sri Kamatchi Biryani Veedu, Appachi Chettinad Restaurant, and Kaksha Ki Aasha
2. Chennai to Dindigul
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Dindigul is known for its delectable non-vegetarian fares. Their menu offers meals like the kari dosa (dosa stuffed with meat filling), kalakki, and country chicken varieties. The most popular eateries are Thalappakatti Naidu Biryani Hotel and Venu Biryani; these are the oldest restaurants here. All you need is INR 500 to enjoy their scrumptious meal.
Distance from Chennai: 436 km
Trip Duration: 7 hours 20 minutes (approx.)
Best Time: October to March
Places to Visit: Rock fort, Green Valley View, and Manjalar Dam
Where to Stay: Vivera Grande, Parsons Court, and Ramora Grand
3. Chennai to Mysuru
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Age-old traditional eateries in Mysuru bear many stories from the past. Their tasty cuisine includes dishes like Mysore Pak, Mysore masala dosa, and Mysore mallige idli, named after the city itself. Most popularly known for their ‘tiffin’ food like neer dosa, masala bonda, strong filter coffee and bisibele bhaat — these local staples are not to be missed. Try out these lip-smacking dishes with a budget of INR 300 for two people.
PS: This is one of our favourite culinary road trips from Chennai!
Distance from Chennai: 347 km
Trip Duration: 6 hours 31 minutes (approx.)
Best Time: October to February
Places to Visit: Mysore Palace, Brindavan Garden, and Chamundi Hills
Where to Stay: Hotel Rio Meridian, The Mansion 1907, and Hotel Heritage Inn
Must-try Restaurants: Vinayaka Mylari, Mahesh Prasad, and Gayathri Tiffin Centre
4. Chennai to Bangalore
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Bangalore has many outlets that will satisfy your hunger. Mosque Road, Shivajinagar and VV Puram are long stretches with an array of food stalls that offers a variety of Indian street food. Some of the must-try dishes here are akki roti, rasgulla chaat, cream puff, ubattus and dosa. Also do try street-style Chinese food and Mumbai’s famous dabeli at a steal price. Keep a budget of INR 200 to INR 500 for a full meal.
Distance from Chennai: 345 km
Trip Duration: 6 hours 15 minutes (approx.)
Best Time: October to February
Places to Visit: Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Nandi Temple, and Bangalore Palace
Where to stay: Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course, Courtyard by Marriott, and Holiday Inn Bengaluru Racecourse
Must-try restaurants: For traditional breakfast, check out Mavalli Tiffin Rooms, CTR Shri Sagar, and Vidhyarthi Bhavan
5. Chennai to Vijayawada
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There are many kinds of thalis in our country, but the exclusive Andhra thali tops the chart for being super hot and spicy. It includes seafood, rice, homemade pickles, dal, curd, and vegetables served with paan or sweets. This thali is ideal for people who are big on desi food and prefer tangy flavours. Locals suggest Ramayya Mess for an authentic thali. For breakfast, you can try out Babai Hotel’s idlis and upma for a price of INR 200, approximately.
Distance from Chennai: 453 km
Trip Duration: 7 hours 51 minutes (approx.)
Best Time: October to February
Places to visit: Undavalli Caves, Bhavani Island, and Amaravathi
Where to stay: Novotel Vijayawada, Fortune Murali Park, and Quality Hotel DV Manor
If you have been on any of these culinary road trips from Chennai, give us a shoutout on social media and use the hashtag #TnlRoadTrips.
Related: #TnlRoadTrips: These Road Trips From Mumbai Will Ensure You Have The Perfect Rebound Vacay
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