After two weeks of home-cooked, traditional Keralan food we were intrigued to see if the restaurants and cafes of Fort Kochi would be just as delicious. Now nothing beats homemade food of course, especially in India, but we had some amazing food in beautiful places for the last part of our India trip.

Fort Kochi is a small place and although you don’t need to spend long there to see the sights, we found it a nice place to chill out for nearly a week and a good base to travel into Kochi. There are plenty of homestays and hotels, we stayed at Gloria Homestay and they were so lovely and helpful, we would really recommend it. There’s an abundance of art cafes which we love. We could sit and get some work done or watch the world go by. The only thing to be aware of though is that some places did buy reviews, we have noticed this in a few places we’ve travelled to now, so just make sure to look at the lowest reviews and believe the people saying the good reviews are false.

Now onto the restaurants, starting with our favourite.

Pandhal

We ate at this restaurant twice during our time in Fort Kochi and both times were excellent. The staff were very attentive and welcoming and helped us with our order and Martin our waiter recommended some dishes that were delicious. He also talked to us about the restaurant and how they develop their menus and train the staff, you can tell they want this to be a great experience for the customers. Nidhal was another waiter who spoke to us about the local area and some more recommendations. The staff spoke to us in Malayalam and English so we could both easily understand. Coming from hospitality I always pay attention to how things are run, what the staff are doing when there’s less to do, if you can tell the owners are passionate about a place and if that has been passed on to the staff. In the case of Pandhal, I think that’s the case. When it was quiet the staff were cleaning and making sure we were happy with everything and the way they spoke about the place was very positive.

There is also a selection of cakes in the cafe area and they have amazing sourdough here. We had a truffle cake and nearly ordered a second piece because it was so good. This was my favourite coffee I had during our stay in Kochi and the mint and lime granatina is very refreshing, perfect when the temperature is in the high 30s. As it is outside there isn’t A/C of course but there are multiple fans and the garden area was very pleasant to sit in. It feels tucked away and secluded by all the greenery. There’s a mix of cuisines on the menu and it’s served from breakfast until dinner. We had shakshuka, Kerala beef fry and dry-rubbed pork ribs and it was all brilliant. I love Shakshuka and this one was so fresh with the salad on top and the taste of sourdough after a month without ‘normal’ bread was incredible. Ash actually had the Kerala beef fry twice he liked it so much and so did I, it was actually a taste of home for us because it is just like the curry his mum would make. And the ribs were so soft and the flavour was so smokey and tasty, especially with the spiced beans and freshness of the slaw.

Not only is this place a restaurant and cafe but it also has an art gallery at the front. There are three rooms of paintings in lots of different styles. We enjoyed having a wander around after we had eaten before the short walk round the corner to the seafront. I would highly recommend this place and we are so glad our homestay owner told us about the place because it was our favourite in Fort Kochi.

Canvas

We ate at Canvas on our first night in Kochi, it had been a long drive from the mountains and we were starving. Pizza in India might sound like a crime but after a month of eating Indian food we were ready to mix it up and lower the number of spices. Canvas was actually the most highly-rated restaurant we could find on Google so we had to try it.

It was pretty quiet when we arrived and at one point we were the only ones in. The staff were very friendly and even let us go behind the counter to see the pizzas being made which was cool. We both had lime sodas which were the right amount of sweet and citrusy. Lime soda is our official drink of Kerala because it is so refreshing in the heat and you can find it in every restaurant. It isn’t just pizza they do, but starters, pastas and desserts. The pizzas came to us quick and even though we were the only ones in I still think they would have been quick if it was busier as they use a stone pizza oven. They were very good pizzas with lots of topping choices, veg and non-veg, and came with chilli flakes, herbs and oil to add on top. They actually grow their own basil which is cool.

The interior was nice and slightly rustic with a bit of a Mediterranean vibe going on with lots of white, blue and patterned tiles. It was simple but clean. We really appreciated the ethos of the restaurant with homegrown herbs and the use of solar panels. The price was reasonable for the quality of the food, we would definitely recommend this place.

Trouvaille

We needed to get some work done and have something to eat so we found Trouvaille. The iced coffee I had was really good and there were lots of choices for coffee. This place was the most interesting of the art cafes we visited as the the artwork was rather eccentric. Peep the eyes on the wall. It had a cosy feeling as the lights were slightly dimmed and pointing at the artwork so although it was a big open space it felt intimate. The tables were big enough for laptops and there was a bench at the window which would have been good to sit at and watch the world go by. There were quite a few other people also on their laptops, it was fairly quiet with lots of space so that made sense.

The food menu had a mix of cuisines and the carbonara pasta I had was delicious, it was thick and creamy and a really good portion size. It was so garlicky and fresh because of the herbs. They make their own pasta so if you are in Fort Kochi and craving some, this is the place to go. My fiancé had the chicken curry which was a big portion and came with lots of garnishes which was nice as it added some crunch and extra flavours. Everything was beautifully presented and tasty and we sat in for a few hours. There was a good selection of cakes and tarts, we had a Belgian chocolate cake and a beef puff, both of which were okay, the beef puff wasn’t very traditional if that’s what you prefer. Everything was reasonably priced for the quality of food and the artwork was really cool and interesting. The interior was clean and the staff was always close by to add to our order. I would put this place as my second best, the atmosphere wasn’t quite as welcoming as Pandhal and Canvas but I’m still thinking about the pasta and coffee.

Qissa

We only had drinks here which were good, and we sat at a bench along the window which was a great spot to get some work done and people watch. I had a coffee which was good but not the best I had in the area and Ash of course had lime soda which he enjoyed. The menu for drinks and food was pretty big. The interior was very nice and open. They have successfully done upcycled shabby chic without just painting every bit of furniture a pastel colour and then sanding it. It felt very open and welcoming which was helped by the design and the windows that are huge and let in so much light. I would describe it as an easy, comfortable space. I can see exactly where the counter is, it’s easy to get around the whole place (granted it’s small) and see if there are free tables. Everything looked clean and the artwork was nice although there wasn’t as much here as other places if you are specifically looking for art. Achu, the owner spoke to us about the cafe and told us about the other cafes and restaurants in the surrounding area which was interesting and it felt nice that he made an effort to talk to us. We didn’t eat here so can’t comment on the food but the coffee was good and we ended up sitting for ages.

Kochi Kapital Kafe

We came here for brunch and it was delicious. I had a cappuccino which was pretty good and my partner had a coconut, ginger and lime drink which was amazing and I don’t usually like coconut. There were lots of tea options as well. We had a chicken burger and chicken tacos which were both really tasty and a good size portion. It seems we ordered a lot of non-Indian food but to be honest most places in the area aren’t traditional restaurants. We were able to sit in for quite a while and the interior was nice and clean, there weren’t loads of tables but it was quiet when we went so that wasn’t an issue. We first sat at the table in the window but it was boiling hot so we had to move. The decor was simple but nice and there was some artwork on the walls. There were quite a few things that weren’t available on the menu but there were still lots of options to choose from. The service was also satisfactory, we didn’t have to wait for our order to be taken and they checked that everything was fine with our meal. It is in a good location, near Princess Street and lots of shops.

Rasoi

After struggling to find somewhere to eat we came across rasoi and we were able to have some wonderful food. It was North Indian food, we had chicken tikka, parotta and biriyani which were all big portions and tasty. It was really flavourful and rich. They had a big menu to choose from but we are creatures of habit and usually order the same thing from Indian restaurants. The biriyani wasn’t too spicy and had big pieces of chicken. Extra condiments were also provided which was a nice touch. We asked to take some back with us because we couldn’t finish it all which they packaged up for us no problem.

It is connected to a hotel and is easy to find on the street. The decor was colourful and everything was tidy. Again, it was quiet, so service for us was good and quick so I can only presume it’s the same when it is busy. We really liked Rasoi, it was delicious food.

Kashi Art Cafe

Somewhere I wouldn’t really recommend is Kashi Art Cafe. The cafe interior is beautiful with lots of interesting art. However, the service could be a lot more welcoming as weren’t even sure if they were open or serving. There was a light being fixed so an area was partially blocked by ladders so after we walked in and no one was around apart from the person fixing the light we nearly left. Then we saw other customers sat down so we went in a bit further and found a memeber of staff. The drinks we had weren’t great, we had to add in a lot of syrup to add flavour. We think we may have come at the wrong time as it was very quiet and we didn’t have any food or cake, which we did go for but ended up not wanting to stay. The reviews were predominantly positive which maybe affected our visit because of high hopes but we did see some negative reviews about the drinks but we presumed it might have been an off day or personal taste. I would still give it another go because there were great reviews about the cakes so maybe we went on the wrong day and it is a lovely place to sit in. But for us, from this visit, we wouldn’t highly recommend it, there are better place to go.

There are loads more cafes and restaurants in Fort Kochu to go to that we just didn’t get time to go to them all. One in particular was Lila – Curated Experience that looked amazing on the pictures and videos I saw. It is another art cafe/restaurant but the interior looked really elevated and cool in an old building that also had a shop in it. Loving Earth Cafe is a Vegan cafe where the food looks fantastic, vegan or not. It is also attached to a yoga studio if you are into that as well. I also saw a lot of positive reviews for French Toast which is right by the sea.

Fort Kochi has so many places to eat it’s slightly overwhelming so hopefully this has helped in deciding where you can go. I enjoyed our time in here and although there isn’t loads to do, its great for just chilling out and cafe hopping.

You can see more of my travels here on the blog, over on my Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok as well Ash’s YouTube channel. We are just over two months into our year-long adventure and it feels like we are finally settling into it and figuring out our new routine of no routine.