KOCHI: It’s 12 in the night and there is this sudden craving for momos. Just back from office after a hectic day and have no energy to cook, suddenly friends come home to surprise you but you have nothing to offer them to eat. All these problems now have a solution. You might not believe this but Kochi does have a very happening night life for the foodie’s.
With most restaurants, hotels, cafes and hangout joints shutting down by 11pm, Kochi seems dead after 11. But few joints still try and keep the it alive by remaining open till wee hours.
From thattukada to rich cafes, serving varied dishes including dosas, noodles, pastas, brownies and more, people can have lip-smacking delicacies at affordable prices.
French Press Cafe located at the heart of the city at MG Road is open till 2 am. It has some amazing tasty Italian delicacies, a variety of coffees and irresistible desserts. What makes it even more tantalising is how they personalise the dish to suit your taste buds. A simple pasta is garnished with garlic bread, some celery leaves, so beautiful that you want to just keep staring at it. The ambiance is calm and quiet. The price range is slightly on the higher side. An average three-course meal for two would be around Rs 1200 but we say its a value for money hangout. Ideal for a romantic date.
Kahawa, a cafe located at Ravipuram with a chic and sporty look, attracts the youth more to the place. Music on the speakers, books on the shelves, walls decorated with graffiti and cakes on display, this place is a perfect spot to hangout with friends. A bite of melt-in-your-mouth chocolate cake along with a glassful of cold coffee will be any night owl’s delight. A cup of cappuchino with a blackforest cake and croissant would come up to Rs 300. “Now-a-days youngsters in Kochi like to have late night outs and with the changing lifestyle, their food habits and timings too have changed. We had a lot of customers frequenting in after the last movie shows at malls and during football matches. So we started to keep it open on weekends till 3.30 am. Both youngsters and families come here,” says Mithun Mathew, owner of Kahawa.
Kochi Darbar, located at the Pipeline junction, Palarivattam, is another saver which is open all night. The joint is a budget hotel that offers tasty food and friendly environment. The average cost for a meal for two would be Rs 200. The place is usually filled with travellers and the aroma of the unique masala coffee and tea is inviting.
Specialised in North Indian cuisine, Kochi Darbar also offers hot momos and spring rolls. For those who want to relish these delectables sitting at home, the restaurant has an all-night home delivery service as well.
Chillax, located at Vytilla and Ernakulam South, offers a variety of cuisines including Indian, Chinese and French. Besides main course meals, one can also savour burgers, French fries, cakes, cold drinks, coffees, teas and more. It is medium priced and a decent place to hang out. Arjun Sharma, a regular night customer at Chillax says, “Even at 3 in the night fresh and hot food is served. The place is neat and the staff is warm and welcoming. They generally don’t push us out and allow to hang out till the time we wish to stay. They also provide everything listed on the menu which sometimes some hotels at day time fail to have.”
Want to have hot and spicy pav bhaji or chaat with fresh fruit juices, then Haji Ali is the place for you. With outlets at various locations in Kochi, Hajji Ali is a famous juice, sandwich and chaat corner. Open till 1.30 am, this is another joint that offers you home delivery.
Carnival Court’s Red Bubble, located next to the Infopark at Kakkanad, has a multi cuisine menu. They have snacks, coffees and full course dinner to offer. The place is mostly frequented by IT crowd during the break hours at Infopark. Aneesh George, Manager, says, “We keep it open as the people working at Infopark have no other option. On weekdays we have a 90 per cent young professional crowd and on weekends we have family diners. We offer our customers coffee, burgers and sandwiches.”
Apart from these there are a lot of thattukadas like the ones at Edappally Junction, MG Road and some outlets at Marine Drive are open till 4 am. Arun, a student in the city says, “As students we depend on our parents for financial needs and pocket money generally dries out within first two weeks of the month. So thattukadas come in handy at that time, they give you homely food and are not heavy on your pockets.
“The best part is, the food from these places are hot, fresh and made in front of you that make it easy to customise it also. The cleanliness can be a slight problem but it doesn’t really matter when the food is tasty.”