At #41 on the list is The Bangala. In Karaikudi, the heart of Chettinad, food is inseparable from history. At this heritage hotel’s dining hall, with rows of teak tables, banana-leaf plates, and meals eaten by hand, you get a direct line to the Chettiar kitchen. The masalas are still hand-pounded, the flavours layered rather than bluntly fiery, and the dishes are anchored in a sense of place. Uppu kari, with mutton, shallots, garlic and gundu milagai chillies, is the kind of dish that defines the region. British-era croquettes, mint and potato, crisp-edged, remind you that Chettinad absorbed and patronised outside influences, too. What makes the experience unusual is its depth: meals are communal, but the learning can be personal. Three- and seven-day cooking courses take you through the logic of the spice blends, the stories behind temple offerings, and why certain flavours endure. For a cuisine often flattened into “spicy Chettinad curry” elsewhere, this table shows its full range: fiery, yes, but also subtle, inventive, and steeped in legacy.
#50. Zhouyu – A Chinese Kitchen, Chennai
At #50 on the list is Zhouyu. Born in Alwarpet in 2020 under the same roof as Pumpkin Tales, Zhouyu quickly became one of the city’s go-to addresses for Chinese food that doesn’t compromise on depth or comfort. Its new outpost on ECR doubles down on that reputation, but with a broader sweep across Southeast Asia: think juicy satays, ais kacang for dessert, claypot rice still steaming at the table. The space carries over Zhouyu’s blue-and-white palette, this time brightened with lanterns, artwork, and tall windows that frame the chaos of the highway outside. But the food remains the pull: crisp prawn balls, wok-tossed greens, chicken with a lick of smoke, and that claypot rice whose charred bottom grains are worth fighting for. Regulars will tell you it’s not trying to reinvent anything, it’s about doing familiar things with care and confidence, in a room that feels both polished and unfussy.
How are the top 50 restaurants in India selected?
Condé Nast Traveller curates an extensive shortlist of 1000+ restaurants from across the country. Restaurants may nominate themselves to the list by filling up a form. 100 jury members, comprising India’s foremost tastemakers, undergo two phases of voting to come up with the 50 best restaurants in the country.
Who decides the rankings?
A 100-member jury privately voted for India’s best restaurants through a rigorous, two-phase process, with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu India LLP as the process advisors. Jurors are screened for conflicts of interest, and regional diversity is built into the jury to ensure a balanced national view. Jurors include food critics, writers, chefs, fashion designers, artists, curators, and others who know and love their food.
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