Arippa — Restaurant in Kerala

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I recently had the opportunity to dine solo at Arippa, Kochi — and as always, it didn’t disappoint on the culinary front. I’ve visited multiple times, often requesting a table for one, and I must say the ground floor ambiance holds a distinct charm — quieter, cozier, and more personal compared to the livelier upper floor during peak hours.

The Food

Arippa is a celebration of Kerala cuisine, staying true to traditional flavours while presenting them in a clean, rustic style. On this visit, I tried:

Malabari Chicken Curry – The heart of Kerala on a plate. Rich coconut-based gravy, perfectly spiced with roasted dry chillies and curry leaves. The chicken was tender, juicy, and bursting with flavour that lingered long after the last bite.

Beef Ularthiyathu (Kerala-style Beef Roast) – Absolutely outstanding. Soft, juicy, and slow-roasted beef infused with deep notes of black pepper, fennel, and dry-roasted coconut. The caramelized onions added a beautiful umami sweetness. The long, thick beef chunks stood out from the usual minced or small pieces.

Fish Fry – Perfectly seared fresh sea fish without any overpowering smell or aftertaste. Garnished with sautéed cabbage, carrots, green chillies, and capsicum for a satisfying crunch and balanced heat.

Steamed Basmati Rice – Served hot and fluffy. A pleasant change from the usual Kerala red rice or matta, complementing the rich gravies beautifully.

Arippa’s consistency in flavour and authenticity is admirable. Many recommend their Arippa Kanji and Nadan non-veg meals, which I’ll definitely try on my next visit.

10th August Visit – An Honest Update

While the food remained extraordinarily good, this visit was marred by a hygiene and service lapse that overshadowed the experience.

The Incident

I always prefer a finger bowl, especially when travelling with my elderly parents. Upon arrival, I politely requested one, but the staff refused, saying, “We are at full service; you may use the washroom.” Even after I requested again, they declined — forcing us to use the hand wash station.

The issue? The hand wash is right outside the restroom, next to where people urinate and defecate. The stench of urine was overpowering and lingered in my mind while eating seafood soup and dishes. Guests must also pull open a common wooden door after washing — completely defeating the purpose of handwashing.

To make matters worse, our table was left unattended for extended periods. We were ignored.

Additional Discomfort

During the meal, my father’s pants were torn by a chair — something I immediately reported. The response? A repeated “It’s ok, nothing much ”, with no meaningful attempt to address or apologize or rectify the situation.

My Takeaway

Arippa has a gifted chef and delivers phenomenal food, but basic guest comfort, attentiveness, and hygiene must not be overlooked. No matter how exceptional the food, the overall experience matters.

If finger bowls are not provided and service attentiveness does not improve, I would personally reconsider...

Sometimes it’s difficult to choose your restaurant when you have so many options available.

This time I had decided that I was going to sadhya(meals). So I bought my search down to places those offered the same. I was on the NH66 palarivattom road and was searching for places. Well that’s that one person suggested this place “Agrippa”. I dint know about the place, they pointed out the place for me. I couldn’t see the facade of the restaurant as it had some trees in front and it was covered with it.

I walked a bit to come in front of it. I could see a juice Center next to it. There was good crowd, so I knew I had to wait a bit to get my seat. I opened the door and the staff asked me my name and asked me to wait for around 20mins. In around 10 mins they could locate a table for me. The place was good, the seating was different, arrangements were different.

It had a high roof. And it looked classy, I was waiting to taste the food. I ordered a veg sadhya and a chemboli fish fry. Had to wait for a bit before the food came. The leaf was served and then the sides to the sadhya. I eat less of rice and more of curries.

I started tasting each side and my taste buds kept rising up overwhelmed. I enjoyed the sadhya. Every side was equally good. The fish fry was too good. It was a big one, properly fried. My focus was all on the food. After finishing the sadhya and the fish, I could still feel that I was not overly full. Sometimes when you have good food, even if the quantity is good, you will not feel bloated. I could enjoy the taste even after I finished .

The Semiya payasam was good too.

This Rates were decent, not overly priced. The fish was priced as per the size.

If you wanna have some good sadhya, then this is the place for you.

You can choose this place without any doubt. It’s tasty, ambience oriented, and good...

We had high expectations visiting Aripa, given its popularity, but unfortunately, the experience turned out to be extremely disappointing.

We were a group of 8 family members. After waiting for 40 minutes outside, we were finally seated in a private dining area. Among us, 6 people ordered Valluvanadan Kerala Sadhya, and the rest ordered Schezwan Vegetable Noodles, Vegetable Fried Rice, Fish Fry (₹1600), and Fish Curry with Mango.

The Sadhya items were kept behind us on a table, and despite reminding the staff twice, it took a very long time to be served. When it was finally served, the server was literally throwing the dishes onto the banana leaf instead of respectfully serving them. Some items even spilled on our clothes and mobile phones kept on the table. We had to request them to serve properly and respect the food and the guests.

To make matters worse: • When we requested a refill of a particular dish, the server brought an entirely different one. • The Payasam (dessert) was extremely watery, and even before we raised it, the head chef himself acknowledged it, which clearly showed they were already aware of the poor quality. • The Fish Fry, priced at ₹1600, lacked even basic seasoning—no salt at all. • The Fish Mango Curry was nothing more than a basic fish curry with a few slices of mango thrown in.

Given the long waiting time, poor service, lack of hygiene, and low-quality food, this experience was not at all worth the hype or the cost. When a restaurant gains a name for itself, the quality of food and the professionalism in service should match the reputation—sadly, Aripa failed on both counts.

Would not recommend this restaurant based on...