Where to Eat in Puri – a food and dining guide

You’ll find a good selection of eateries in Puri, from fast food chains to hotel restaurants offering international menus, not to mention local eateries serving up traditional dishes. As with all Indian towns, good value eats can be had from street stalls and on the roadside, where you can try moreish chuda ghasa – a blend of rice, brown sugar, pepper, coconut, cardamom, and golden clarified butter, served with fruit and nuts.Typical dishes

 

 

Unsurprisingly for a coastal town, seafood is the mainstay of Puri’s cuisine. You can get a real taste of the region with a spiced fish thali for lunch.

Chakra Tirtha Road

 

Once a 1970s hippy chill-out spot, you’ll still see the odd old school traveller wandering around the beach area of Chakra Tirtha Road. These days, backpackers and foreign tourists still fill the easy-going hangout spots, hordes of restaurants, and laid-back cafés around here, many of which offer plenty of home comfort dishes, like banana pancakes and pizza. One of the best is Honey Bee Bakery & Pizzeria – a cosy place with a small roof terrace and great fry-ups. For some tasty Indian or Chinese food, try The Gajapati – a modern restaurant serving good value dishes to rave reviews.

 

• Honey Bee Bakery & Pizzeria, Chakra Tirtha Road, Puri; • The Gajapati, Chakra Tirtha Road, Puri;  

VIP Road

 

Spanning the beach area between Chakra Tirtha, very much the realm of foreign tourists, and Marine Drive, a popular spot for Indian holidaying families, the area around VIP Road has some top dining choices. One eclectic spot is Wildgrass, which is a bit of a Puri institution. Funky garden ornaments, and a menu highlighting local specialities like spicy prawns and crab make it a firm favourite among tourists and locals alike. Another well-known Puri restaurant is Chung Wah, an authentic Chinese spot, serving delicious dishes for over 30 years.

 

• Wildgrass, VIP Road, Puri

• Chung Wah, VIP Road, Puri;  

Marine Drive

 

Running parallel with the beach, Marine Drive has long been the haunt of Indian vacationers. Families picnic and play on the beach here, while honeymooning couples stroll along the esplanade. If you fancy stopping for some food in this area, Radhika restaurant offers simple Indian veg dishes, while Ocean Café – part of the Hans Coco Palms hotel – offers upmarket local dishes either in their shiny restaurant or pool-side terrace. Alternatively, you can try one of their laid-back barbecues on the beach.

 

• Radhika, New Marine Drive Road, Puri; • Ocean Café, Hans Coco Palms, New Marine Drive Road Puri;  

Gopal Ballabh Road

 

A selection of good value restaurants line Gopal Ballabh Road, which runs off Marine Drive. One particular stand out is Bhojohori Manna – an Indian restaurant serving hearty fish and shellfish curries, as well as other local dishes. If you don’t mind waiting for a table – there’s limited space – it’s a reliable and buzzing eatery in this area.

 

• Bhojohori Manna, Gopal Ballabh Road, Puri; Tel: +91 675 2232 332