Skip the tourist traps, eat like a local while visiting Kochi Biennale

The sixth edition of the Kochi Biennale is in full swing, and with it comes the familiar flood of food lists. Cafes, popular restaurants, hotel buffets, and thattukadas have all been mapped, bookmarked, and reposted. You have probably seen most of them already.

This guide is for those who want to step off that circuit.

If you are willing to travel a bit, cross a ferry, or eat at odd hours, Kochi opens up in different ways. The places below are not quick pit stops. They are everyday food stops for locals, shaped by routine, geography, and habit. Each one offers a taste of the city as it is lived, not packaged.

Breakfast: Balan Chettante Kada (Hotel City Star), Mattancherry

• What to eat: Mutton chaps, Maniputtu
• Distance from Aspinwall House (Biennale main venue): 1.4 km

Tucked into Mattancherry, Hotel City Star has been around for over three decades, and very little has changed inside. The cooking style remains the same, the staff has stayed on, and the food follows an age-old rhythm. That consistency has fans.

Over time, the hotel picked up a second name. Locals began calling it Balan Chettante Kada. Word of mouth did the rest. The mutton chaps are robust and pepper-forward, best eaten early in the day with soft maniputtu and you have a breakfast that feels firmly rooted in Mattancherry.

Lunch: Nettoor Toddy Shop, Nettoor

• What to eat: Crab roast, Fish Thalakkari, Duck curry
• Distance from Aspinwall House: 15.3 km

This is a lunch stop meant for unhurried eating. Nettoor Toddy Shop serves bold, coconut-heavy dishes that pair naturally with toddy. The crab roast is the clear favourite, followed closely by the meat-based curries that change with availability. Also go for the Shappu-special Thalakkari aka the SPICY fish head curry. This is comfort food for regulars, not curated plates. Go hungry, eat patiently, and let the meal stretch.

Evening drinks and 'touchings': Kadamakkudy Toddy Shop

• What to drink & eat: Drink the day's Toddy. Eat Prawns masala, Fish curry, Pork masala
• Distance from Aspinwall House: 22.6 km

Getting to Kadamakkudy involves a ferry ride, and that is part of the charm. The islands are lush, quiet, and feel far removed from the city, even though they are not. The toddy shop here is a working local space, not a polished dining room.

If you value flavour and atmosphere, it is worth the journey. The prawns and fish curry taste like they belong exactly where they are eaten, close to water, cooked without fuss.

Late-night food: Shibu’s Puttukada, Kumbalam

• What to eat: Puttu with Mutton or Beef
• Distance from Aspinwall House: 19.7 km

Kumbalam’s late-night puttu shops exist for a reason. They feed fishermen and night workers who finish long shifts in the early hours. Shibu’s Puttukada is one such place, open late into the night and early morning.

The space is simple, closer to an old tea shop than a restaurant. Seating is basic, and the setting overlooks the quiet edges of the lake. Order puttu with mutton if you want something dependable after a long day of walking through galleries.

A slow day with food: Njarackal Fish Farm, Vypin Island

• What to eat: Karimeen pollichathu, Fish molly, Crab roast
• Distance from Aspinwall House: 10.1 km

Run by Matsyafed, this brackish water fish farm offers more than just a meal. Visitors can spend the day boating, angling, or walking around the ponds before sitting down to lunch.

A women’s self-help group handles the food, and the menu focuses on fresh, farm-reared fish. Karimeen or pearl spot is the highlight, cooked in traditional styles. The setting is calm, green, and unhurried. Packages need to be booked in advance.

Stay and eat local: Pizhala Pokkali Farm Homestay, Kadamakkudy

• What to expect: Traditional meals, Canoe rides, Farm walks
• Distance from Aspinwall House: 12.6 km

If you want to step entirely away from the city, Pizhala offers a gentler pace. Set amid pokkali paddy fields, the homestay brings together food, farming, and water travel.

Meals are traditional and seasonal, boating is part of the day, and walks through coconut groves and fields are encouraged. This is less about ticking off dishes and more about spending time in a landscape that still shapes how Kochi eats and lives.

Why this list works during the Biennale
The Biennale draws attention to Kochi’s art spaces, but the city’s food life continues on its own terms. These places do not change with the season. Some require effort, others odd timings. What they offer in return is a closer look at Kochi beyond the Biennale venues.

If you are willing to travel a little, eat at odd hours, and skip familiar names, this is how Kochi opens up.