48 hours in Chennai
Editor’s Note: It’s hard to know what to do in Chennai. Most outsiders have only heard of its historic neighbourhoods, iconic music festivals and, of course, beaches. Anannya Parekh and Bhargav Prasad teamed up to offer you an intimate view of a Chennai most of us don’t get to experience. So get ready to explore bookstores, boats, baked goods, beaches and biryanis—on a leisurely journey through the city. Making it all the more delightful: Bhargav’s pretty photos.
Written by: Anannya Parekh and Bhargav Prasad. Anannya is a lifetime Chennai resident and assistant news editor at splainer. Bhargav is a writer-filmmaker who has directed a number of plays, written a weekly column for New Indian Express and created one of South India’s first web series.
Over to Anannya and Bhargav…
Madras’ history stretches back to the kingdoms of Vijayanagara and the Pallavas—and even further back to the Palaeolithic era when the first humans inhabited the subcontinent. It is difficult to distil a place with such a long and colourful history into a 48-hour trip. But we have done our best to capture its essence—best described by the Tamil saying வந்தாரை வாழவைக்கும் சென்னை—Vandhaarai Vaazhavaikkum Chennai—“Chennai, a city that houses all those who come here.”
Day 1: Sunrise walks, biriyani and Swiss pizza
For most of its history, Chennai has been dotted with fishing villages along the coast, wetlands, rivers, ponds, and tanks irrigating vistas of agricultural lands. The colonial administration gathered these villages on paper, drew up boundaries, and separated the city into two parts—the North and the South. This faultline that segregates the working-class population in the north from the affluent in the south still runs through the city.
Morning beach walk: Marina Beach (map)—the second largest in the world—is quintessentially Chennai, and a perfect place to start your journey. You get an early glimpse of sunrise before moving northwards on to the infamous Kasimedu Fishing Harbour (map) and then moving onto the eroding rock-lined beaches of Tiruvottiyur (map), and finally ending your morning at the beaches of Ennore (map)—a complex wetland ecosystem on the verge of extinction due to its concentration of industries.
Breakfast: For a quick, special South Indian breakfast—you can head to the famous Rayyar Mess (map)—just 10 mins by a cab or auto ride from the beach—which has been around since pre-independence era. Their service is quick despite the morning rush and do not forget to ask for a typical tumbler of filter coffee to end your meal.
Onward to Pulicat: Having made it all the way to the northernmost boundary of Chennai, you should catch a train to Ponneri before hopping on a short bus ride to the lovely little town of Pulicat (map). What used to be a Dutch colony is now a thriving protected bird sanctuary—this town is built around the second largest brackish water lake in the country, Pulicat Lake. It’s made up of over 30 fishing villages and is a haven for birdwatchers and biriyani lovers. You can spend your morning and afternoon there, visiting Dutch cemeteries, and going on a boat ride in the Pulicat Lake (map). You will see many boat guides around town who will be offering their services, but we recommend Roy Pulicat Lake Boating (map). This group specialises in boating services for wildlife photographers but is also very family-friendly.
Biryani for lunch: After, you can head over to Rani’s Hotel (map)—a 10 minute walk away from the lake—which is a small little eatery on the main road, opposite the Pulicat Bus stop for some Prawn Biriyani. Rani's Hotel is one of the older establishments in the town. Steaming hot biriyani made with the day's catch of prawns is their speciality for its sheer simplicity in preparation and how quickly it runs out. Fried fish, parotta and meen kozhambu are other delicacies here. Make sure you get there before 12 PM or you might miss the biriyani. After a good meal, you can take a bus or train back to the city, just in time for sundown.
On to Moore Market: Your evening should begin at Lily Pond Complex—or better known as Moore Market (map)—which has been a hub for rare and second-hand books for almost a century. The marketplace is a two-minute walk from the iconic Chennai Central Station (map), and the most convenient way to get there is to take the metro. While the main draw is the extensive collection of academic books, book lovers can find pretty much any genre they want. It’s just a lovely way to spend your afternoon, wandering in and out these quaint yet delightful bookshops.
A lovely alternative: Madras Literary Society is one of the oldest public libraries in India—dating back to the 1800s. It houses thousands of books—some of which are over 150 years old—stacked on metal shelves from floor to ceiling. The ladders that help access the topmost shelves are quite Hogwarts-esque. Also, for the best pav bhaji and mouth-watering chaat items, you must head to Novelty Tea House.
Dinner: For something different, you can grab a quick bite at Writer’s Cafe, a lovely little restaurant with a Swiss-inspired menu with Italian and continental options at an affordable price. Their lovely Flammkuchen pizza with a pesto thin crust and their variety of desserts deserve a special mention. The cafe is actually a non-profit in collaboration with Higginbothams—the legendary bookstore chain. All profits from the cafe go back to the International Foundation for Crime Prevention and Victim Care (PCVC) in support of burn victims—some of whom have secured employment at the cafe.
After a lovely meal, you can walk to the iconic ‘SPI’ Sathyam Cinemas—in about 2 minutes—and end the day with a relaxing movie night combined with the yummiest (no joke) popcorn in the world! The flavour-it-yourself popcorn, creamy cold coffee, large screens and cushiony seats with a powerful aircon make this day end on a comfy note. Hey, the nibbles are so good they inspire memes–and even art:)
Day 2: Heritage walks, street shopping and iconic fish fry
Bird watching: Today, we head south. Your day begins with a visit to the Adyar Estuary. You can check out pelicans and ducks—and if you’re lucky you might also spot black kites and the black-headed Ibis—as river fishermen cast their nets. You will also see Chennai’s broken bridge from a distance—which used to be infamous for its isolated eerie nature. A hop and a skip and you cross over to the other side of the river bank—which is Besant Nagar (map). A serene neighbourhood by the beach, with streets lined with trees, and home to the Theosophical Society.
Breakfast: You can grab steaming hot idlis, vadas, dosa, chapathi kurma or the likes of it from Vishranthi (map)—an eatery that is 10 minutes away by walk from the Besant Nagar beach. Alternatively, you can also head to Mash Resto Cafe (map) which is on the same road, with most importantly—a great beach view and yummy continental options.
A lovely alternative: The Adyar Poonga (Park) (map) is a trail that goes around the biodiverse and recently restored Adyar River. Head there for a peek into the riverine ecosystem of Chennai which houses a host of medicinal flora and fauna. Plus, if anything wrapped and cooked with beef is your calling, visit Dasa Mahan (map), a neighbourhood/food street known for its beef cuisine.
On to lunch: Nair’s Mess is a legendary, but humble eatery that has made itself comfortable in Chennai’s diverse culinary landscape since 1959. Its signature fish fry and South Indian meals on banana leaves never go wrong, especially at that price point. Be sure to ask for their omelette options and some extra portions of their creamy mutton gravy.
Another excellent choice: Sukkubhai Biryani—their beef biryani was a star at the Chennai Food Festival! Fair warning—neither of the places are particularly known for their ambience but every glorious review they have received always gets a mention of the friendly and affectionate staff.
Time to walk! Historian Rebecca Solnit puts it eloquently, Walkers are 'practitioners of the city,' for the city is made to be walked. When golden hour kicks in and the afternoon sun has finally cooled down its rage, you can wander through the remains of Chennai’s colonial past which is best preserved in the quaint quadrants of these areas—Royapettah (map), Gopalapuram (map) and Mylapore (map). Each neighbourhood has its own quirks and they are not too far from each other, but one should be more than enough for your exploratory walk. We recommend you check out Madras Inherited that offer heritage walking tours in different parts of the city—including the areas mentioned above. Starting from Rs 450, these walks are usually for 1-2 hours. Below is a photo of a quintessential house in Mylapore found during one of these walks:
An evening shopping plan: T Nagar offers fantastic choices for heirloom silk sarees. Check out the lovely Sundari Silks (map) store which always has the most divine collection of sarees and is housed in a large, white Tamil-style building with sea green Athangudi floor tiles. They also sell authentic home decor pieces and handicraft items. T Nagar also offers thrifty knick-knacks and beautiful accessories across smaller vendor-led shops across the entire street of Pondy Bazaar (map), which always lives up to its hype—for small and big budget shopping.
The shops in the Corporation Shopping Complex (map) display endless rows of bangles in all colours and sizes with smaller accessories like hair clips, pins and bottu/bindi packets which will catch your eye. Specific shops in this area include Noori Lace House (map) where you can buy all kinds of lovely laces and zari borders to deck up an old boring saree—and the iconic T Nagar branch of Narayana Pearls for its famous silver and imitation jewellery options. There are also plenty of food carts selling jackfruit, maanga (raw mango), boiled peanuts and sometimes even ice cream in this area.
Dinner: If you’re still hungry after all that grazing, you can end Day 2 with a nice meal just 10-15 minutes away from you by a cab or auto ride. If you are looking for a light Udupi style dinner option—there’s the famous Geetham restaurant (map)—known for its juicy butter dosa with the most delicious sambar. Another one is Mathsya restaurant (map) which deserves a special mention for its multi-cuisine menu. For the meat lovers, please do not miss out on the New Pattukottai Kamatchi Mess (map) famous for its South Indian meals, but if you are feeling adventurous—check out their Mutton Keema Pizza Dosa. For a romantic, fine-dining experience with European food—head to Basil with a Twist (map)—and be sure to try their lovely chocolate mousse for dessert:)
We hope you will fall in love with our Chennai—which fills our lives with joy everyday.
