Where to Eat in Rameshwaram? Hotel Guru, Gujarati Bhojanalya and more!

Reached #Rameshwaram!! 

Any suggestions for good pure veg restaurant yummy food?

~ @artisdiary.

I checked into my budget hotel in Rameshwaram Brindavan residency sometime in the afternoon around 12, dead tired from an overnight train journey. By the time I and my family freshened up, 2 more hours passed away, and now I heard butterflies prancing around in my stomach. Weary as I was, I was dead hungry too. Realizing that we were well past lunch time already and neither of us had any time nor the energy to go scouting for a good pure vegetarian restaurant, I decided to approach the ever - helpful twitter experts for their recommendations on good pure vegetarian hotels in Rameshwaram (see the tweet above) and within a matter of minutes, I had from 2 highly esteemed Indian travel bloggers, what I would say, really the crux of the foodie scenario of what one can expect during their jaunt in the town!

Where to eat in Rameshwaram? What did the bloggers say:

Anu Shankar @anushankarn: Yummiest would be at the priests house! But there is a pure veg Gujarati hotel on road leading from the temple to beach. There are some small south Indian hotels on the same road. And on the one along the temple. Messes too. But don't remember names. Ask at the temple about messes.

Shrinidhi Hande ‏@enidhi: Hotel Tamil Nadu is one option, There are more around the main temple. Not super high class, but just okay. Hotel Guru is where we went... but they don't have any rice item in the evening.

Anu Shankar ‏@anushankarn: Many of these places don't offer rice in the night. Esp those near temples.

Shrinidhi Hande ‏@enidhi: Hotel MCM towers near temple also has good restaurant - haven't tried though.

When in Rameshwaram, don't forget to keep yourself well hydrated with one of these!

If you are planning a trip to this sleepy little town, I am sure these points will come in handy. And so will my food guide for Rameshwaram presented below. Read on!

1. HOTEL GURU

Located in the lane adjacent to the main temple, hotel Guru is a typical eatery that will serve you hot and fresh south Indian meals – breakfast / lunch and dinner at descent prices.

If you keep aside any expectations of fancy cooking, cultured hygiene or a quiet relaxed ambiance, then you are just about good to go. It’s a good place to have tasty delicious freshly made chutneys, sambhar, idlis and dosas that address the needs of the hungry soul as well as the belly.

Service is quick and prompt but be alert on what’s on the menu (applies in the case of a full meal) and if you are rightly being served all the items in the fare.

What to eat?

For all the time I was in Rameshwaram, Guru was my go-to eating joint. Though they have a long way to go in hygiene, the food was still flavorful and mostly fresh which is why I loved the food here. During breakfast times, order their Idlis, Wadas or Dosas (Rs. 40/- per plate) that come with hot piping sambhar, and 2 types of red and white chutneys.

For lunchtimes, opt for their meals (Rs. 80/- per head) served on a banana leaf with a generous helping of rice in the centre topped with hot lentil curry and surrounded by an assortment of vegetable curry and papad. Don’t forget to ask for your sweet buutermilk or chaas towards the end of the meal!

Complement your meal with a glass of South Indian style filter coffee, served hot and frothy, a must have as it tastes like heaven especially after a weary hot day of wandering in the town!

How to get there?

When walking up from Agni Teertham towards the main Ramanathaswamy Shivlingam temple entrance, take a right. A few meters away is the hotel.

Remember: Rice/meals are generally not served in the evenings.

Address: E Car St, Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu 623526.

Timings: Open throughout the day / Items on availability.

2. ANAND BHAVAN.

Another joint situated close to the temple is Anand Bhavan. It is a similar eatery to Hotel Guru in many ways and one can expect the regular South Indian fare of dosas and idlis.

A crowded Hotel Anand Bhavan in Rameshwaram

We walked in this eatery one evening and found it was crowded with a good amount of people. A good place for families, friends, everyone!

What to eat?

We ordered a plate of idlis and dosas which came with a bowl of sambhar and 2 types of chutneys. The dosa was crisp and overall the food was pretty descent. It’s a It’s a good place to satisfy your food cravings in Rameshwaram but if given a choice, I would still go for Guru.

How to get there?

This hotel is situated in the lane diagonally opposite the temple's back entrance. To get to the back door entrance, you can take an autorickshaw from the Agni Teertham for a minimum fare.

3. GUJARATI BHOJANALAYA.

If having south Indian food tires you while you are enjoying your jaunt in Rameshwaram, this is the place to go for tantalizing your taste buds with north Indian cuisine. Gujarati Bhavan is situated in the lane leading to the main temple from the beach area of Agni Teertham and is one of the rare places in this southern town that boasts of food from northern India.

It’s a seated area and caters to family dining; the atmosphere is local and homelike. You have to take a coupon at the counter before you take a seat inside the room, the food is pretty satisfactory.

What to eat?

Typical Indian Vegetarian Thali is what is served here for lunch and dinner and that’s what you will eat! We were here on the New Years eve and the thali cost us Rs. 100 per person.

We had a couple of puris, mixed vegetable curry, dal, rice, bondas and papad which I wouldn't call a lavish affair but fairly descent in taste and quality. The meal was topped up with a rasagulla (sweetdish) and the buttermilk finally was a cool and refreshing way to wash down all the extra calories.

How to get there?

Gujarati Bhojanalaya is tucked within a pale yellow coloured building in the lane leading from the beach area to the main temple. A few paces from the Rameshwaram beach, Gujarati Bhojanalaya will be towards the left hand side. Keep an eye out for a board at the entrance gate acting as an indicator.

Address: 15/16, Sanadhi Street, Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu 623526.

Phone: 04573 221 301

Timings: Breakfast (7 AM – 10 PM); Lunch (12 – 2 or 3 PM depends on availability); Dinner (6 to 9 PM).

Rameshwaram is a small town but due to the touristy rush, there are a lot of messes and hotels that you can find to satisfy your taste buds. Basically, there is a lot to choose from! Just be a tad bit careful on the hygiene and you are good to go. And as always, remember the golden rule: Where there is a crowd, the food can generally be trusted!

Have you been to Rameshwaram?

Are there any pure vegetarian restaurants that you would like to recommend?

Please do so in the comments section!

Previous Posts from the trip:

1. Planning Rameshwaram: An Introduction, How to Reach, Where to Stay.

2. The Sweeping Healers of the Agni Theertham in Rameshwaram!

3. Shri Ramanathaswamy Shivlingam Temple Darshan and 22 Kund Snanams, Rameshwaram.

4. What to do in Rameshwaram? Walk the Shores of Agni Teertham!