From street-side to budget to premium, discover the top veg restaurants in Chennai with mouth-watering dishes and various cuisines!
Top Veg Restaurants in Chennai: Affordable & Premium
1. Flower Drum
Location: Egmore, $$
When I start thinking about Chinese and vegetarian, the only place which I get reminded of is Flower Drum. It has an excellent ambience with very dim lights and the best music, which is perfect for lunch or dinner. Best place to have Chinese with mouth watering dishes. It’s one of my favorite restaurants, and my favorite dishes here are wanton soup, fried rice with chilly panner gravy and crispy cornet.
2. Green Tamarind
Location: Kilpauk, $$
It’s a family type restaurant with a good ambiance. The servers here do the best service and are friendly. It’s definitely a must try for the soups, north Indian and Chinese dishes.
3. Holy Grill
Venue: Nungambakkam, $$$
This is a place that a lot of people in Chennai keep looking forward to go to – a pure vegetarian barbeque restaurant. It has an excellent ambience with themed walls all around the restaurant. And It’s crowded at all times, so do prior booking before you plan to go! I went with my family for the new year’s, we just loved the interiors and of course food, too!I loved all the starters and welcome drinks. But all the north Indian dishes are must try!
4. Cream Centre
Location: R A Puram, $$$
It’s crowded all the time, plus with many people on the waiting list whether it’s for lunch or dinner. It has a great ambience with a calm atmosphere. This restaurant is great for north Indian, Italian and Mexican dishes. Must try are cheesy nachos, sizzlers, soups, pizza, chat items – lip smacking dishes all under one roof.
5. New Yorker
Place: Nungambakkam, $$$
It has a good ambience and also has games to play to pass your time until your ordered food arrives. The name doesn’t sound like it, but this place offers American, Italian, Mexican and North Indian dishes. But it primarily serving Italian and Mexican cuisines. Don’t forget to try their specialty – pizzas and pastas.
6. Little Italy
Venue: Nungambakkam, $$$
This vegetarian chain serves yummy Italian dishes. Right from the selection of pasta to desserts, you will find Italian flavors finding their way in every dish they serve. They also have a selection of Mexican dishes but I recommend the Italian flavour a try. Antipasti is good, and Shilpa recommends their pesto pasta with sundried tomatoes.
7. Mathsya
Venue: Egmore, $$
It’s crowded all the time, with many people on the waiting list. The ambience is fine and this restaurant serves north and south Indian cuisine. Whenever I feel hungry, even at midnight the only restaurant that comes to my mind is ‘Mathysa’. The best place to have cheese toast, with tasteful dishes such as bissimilabaad, briyani and rasam vada. My favorite is roast dosa and rasam vada. Yum!
8. New Woodlands
Location: Mylapore, $$
Great destination for all the south Indian dishes. The meals taste pleasant and the restaurant has an excellent ambiance for fine dining. Affordable, too!
9. Kaidi Kitchen
Location: Mylapore, $$$
This jail-themed restaurant surely makes an interesting dining experience and doesn’t lose focus on what’s really important – the food! From Thai to Italian to North Indian, they’ve got a range of cuisines, all of which you can enjoy while sitting in this unique prison setting. The starters are my favorites!
10. Eden
Venue: Nungambakkam, $$$
An old Chennai favorite, Eden is a great place with an excellent ambiance to enjoy a continental meal that’s all vegetarian. It mostly sees a family crowd and makes for a pleasant lunch or dinner outing. Corn on toast is a must try. Thin pastas are my favorite!
11. Annalaxmi Restaurant
Location: Egmore, $$
Annalaxmi is a lovely south and north Indian vegetarian restaurant. It offers the best mouth-watering dishes for the hungry souls! From soup to paneer butter masala gravy and south Indian meals with the variety of rice all are just awesome to taste. One of my favorites from the list of south Indian top veg restaurants in Chennai.
12. Saravanna Bhawan
Location: Anna Nagar, $$
Saravanna Bhawan is one of the largest vegetarian restaurant chains in the world that offers fabulous south Indian cuisine. It has many branches around Chennai, great ambiance with a crowd all the time. I just love the ‘sapad’ from their menu! And their ghee roast masala dosa is very popular, too. They also have great combo meals if you can’t decide what to have, taste a bit of everything!
13. Apoorva’s Sangeetha Restaurant
Venue: Egmore, $$
It’s crowded all the time with good ambience. Joggers stop by in the morning just to get a quick round of tiffin and coffee. Good place to munch on idlis and dosas and also combo meals. I’m just in love with the meals.
14. Shree Akshayam
Location: Annanagar, $$
It is a fresh and minimalist family restaurant offering south Indian mouth-watering food. If someone wants to have heavy b.fast at less price for your breakfast this is the right place for a delicious mini meal which you can try! But my favorite is the sapad with its beautiful aroma and amazing taste.
Top Veg Restaurants in Chennai: Street-Side and Budget
1. Ratna Cafe
Location: Triplicane, $
Ratna Café is a unique restaurant, crowded all the time. And mainly people come here for the side dish, sambar, then for the main dish – idli. Ever since it was started, its trump card has been its sambhar with soaked idli. My all time favorite!
2. Karthik Tiffin Center
Location: Anna Nagar West, $
One of the most famous and proper south Indian meals shop that just can’t be missed regardless of the money in your pocket.
3. Fusilli Reasons
Location: Kilpauk, $
Italian at a reasonable price? OMG! That’s your expression. And if you haven’t tried the amazing pastas, assorted garlic breads with chilled green tea at Fusilli, then you’re missing out – very badly! Good ambiance and a great place to munch on and chat with your friends.
4. Murugan Idli
Location: Kilpauk, $
Murugan Idli shop has come up with multiple locations in Chennai. It serves traditional south Indian food. And it’s really famous for idly, milagai podi, sambar and different varieties of chutnies. Lovely service and friendly staff, don’t miss out on thin onion uttapam, which Shilpa adores!
5. National Lodge
Location: Sowcarpet, $
If we are talking about budgeted yet good food, National Lodge is the best option! Rather than going to the restaurant, the best advice is to get the order packed and have a great time at home. Podi rice with gongura chutney and morekolam are a must try!
So these are the top veg restaurants in Chennai. Which cuisine and restaurant is your favorite? Lemme know! Comment below!
Pinky is a Staff Writer and Research Analyst at ShilpaAhuja.com, and an iNIFD graduate with a diploma in fashion design. Pinky’s expertise lies in the latest wedding fashion trends and hair/makeup advice. Prior to taking up a career in fashion, Pinky graduated with a B.Com (C.S) from Ethiraj College. She is also an art and a movie buff, she loves to read a lot of online stuff, mostly fashion! The girl next door trying to juggle homemaking, blogging & wanderlust! Creating insights on beauty, hair & Indian fashion trends, one article at a time… Her hobbies include shopping (obviously!), hogging food at city’s new restaurants & listening to Bollywood music.
Although Pinky is keen on taking the fitness route in 2018. For questions or discussions, email [email protected] or tweet her @coolbuddy13141