Chimney Restaurant — Restaurant in Kerala

🔥 Chimney Restaurant, Varkala – Where the Fish is Fresh and the Crowds are Fresher

Stumbled into Chimney Restaurant during a post-beach hunger crisis, lured by the promise of fresh seafood and a board that said AC Restaurant (which, in Kerala heat, is enough to make you walk in blindly).

We tried to order the much-hyped Fish Thali, but plot twist—it was already sold out by around 2 PM. So if you’re planning to go for it, be an early bird. Or risk ending up like us—just a couple of disappointed souls staring at a waiter who said, “over aayi sir” with no remorse.

We settled for the Chicken Thali instead. It was… there. The rice was hot, sambar was passable, and chicken looked like it had survived some kind of existential crisis. Not bad, not great—just ok. You know that dish you order and instantly regret but finish anyway because you paid for it? That.

But then came the Chemballi Fish Pollichath—ah, redemption! A perfectly fresh catch, hugged by a delicious masala that knew what it was doing. Moist, flavorful, and clearly the star of the menu. This one whispered, “Forget the thali, I got you.”

To sip? We tried the Mint Lime—which was basically mint-flavored confusion in a glass. Felt like the mint and lime had a fight and we were the casualties.

We wrapped it up with a Brownie and Vanilla Ice Cream—which turned out to be the peace treaty. A warm, gooey brownie and cold vanilla scoop that didn’t try to impress but ended up doing just that.

Ambience? Interiors were nice, clean, a bit artsy—if you manage to notice while elbowing through a sea of sweaty tourists. Come in the afternoon and it’s basically Varkala Beach, indoors.

Parking? Yes! A luxury in Varkala. Points for that.

Hospitality? Staff were… present. Not rude, not warm. Just there. Like background actors in a Netflix series.

Price tag: Around ₹1000–₹1500 for two. Not wallet-shattering, but you might think twice before ordering an extra fish. Let’s say, you’re paying for the freshness and the crowd.

Verdict? Come for the seafood—especially the fish items. They know what they’re doing there. Skip the generic thalis and meh mocktails. And if you’re going for the Fish Thali, show up before noon—or bring tissues...

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars) Chimney Family Restaurant — Near Varkala, Trivandrum

When you walk in, you’re greeted with an ambiance that says, “Hey, we tried!” And honestly, they did — lovely seating, cozy vibes, and the staff makes eye contact like they’ve watched motivational TED Talks. But once the food arrives… well, so does the plot twist.

🎣 Seafood expectations: HIGH 🫠 Seafood reality: Masala massacre.

I ordered a seafood meal and fish fry. My friend went with ghee rice and chicken curry. What we got was… a full-scale masala explosion. The kind where your tongue goes numb, your soul whispers “goodbye,” and you start seeing mirages of biryani in the distance.

Listen, spice is fine. Spice is lovely. But spice ≠ taste. This wasn’t “flavourful.” It was “fight or flight.” The fish? Fresh. The masala? Unforgiving. The curry? Fried into an identity crisis.

🥹 I felt like the fish and I both suffered together.

✅ What I liked:

The rice was decent. The papadum gave me hope.

The payasam tried to save the meal — bless its sweet little heart.

Ghee rice? Surprisingly good.

The chicken? Nice. The gravy? Another spice thriller sequel.

🙃 If you're from Malabar, your tongue might file a formal complaint. This isn't our vibe. This is the kind of food that thinks it's impressing you, but it's actually just slowly assassinating your mood with every spoonful.

✨ Final thoughts: Chimney Family Restaurant is like a beautifully wrapped gift box — that turns out to be full of fireworks and chilli powder. Come for the ambiance, smile at the staff, eat cautiously, and bring a fire extinguisher for your tongue.

Three stars — one for the ghee rice, one for the ambience, and one...

We had a requirement for a huge order on the eve of the new year, where it was decided to approach Chimney to exchange details of the order a day prior about the food itinerary. The order was placed and we were asked to come and collect at stipulated time.As and when we went to collect the parcel, it was all prepared and stacked, which was so alluring to see.At the last moment, we had to place three more schezwan fried rice as the fear of running out on the rice was looming on us.

The restaurant wasn't that crowded, so we asked for three more of the items, the initial expression and reaction from the person who was at the billing was not at all savoury. He did put a hesitant face, where I was forced to ask him over ' if it was difficult to cater', rightly a waiter came up, and courteously affirmed that the order will be executed in ten mins.

So the whole idea of this post is, irrespective of whether you are the owner or not the quintessential aspect is to treat customers with glee, warmth and zeal. You may be worn out, exhausted and filled up, but the crux is not to winch a dismay at the customer whatsoever the situation be, and it kind of shook me to know that this is coming from the owner of the restaurant.Thanks again Roy for making sure we were placed complacent. Something that one of the stakeholders can take note of.

The food was true to the core, rightly hitting...