InDa Cafe — Restaurant in Kerala

Overhyped cafe, I would admit that the setting is awesome, but the food served is very bad, and it's over priced. Well I appreciate that goes into the research you do , to post a reply to all the 1 star or negative reviews. To start off, yeah you guys are doing something right , to get into the league of the likes of the food joints you mentioned in your reply, you are serving the absolute worst food I've had in my entire life. To mask the quality you are concentrating on the presentation, well I guess that would help you always, but didn't help in my case. And yes I appreciate you , giving me kuddos to rating 5 star to a small business that sells , cat food , I understand what you meant. Another tip I would give to you for free is concentrate on animal control,rather than letting dogs roam around freely in and around the cafe, it was and is my doubt whether the same happens in the kitchen, pantry and dishwash areas. This is To the people who understand,that is to support a small business and this review is to help people gain an insight of what they would face in a overhyped food joint

Updated after the Cafe's Updated reply:

Anyone who goes through your replies to the negative reviews, can clearly understand who is taking things personally. You are displaying it all over under the replies to negative reviews. Being reviewed in a public platform is part of being listed on it, if you can't stand the thought of getting a negative review, please delist.

Expressing doubts isn't an act of accusation. Please understand the difference between the two words.

Thank you for being worried about my life, in return i seriously hope you don't get anymore 1 star reviews, since you are unable to take one.

"Exaggeration" is a word you cannot post under most of the negative reviews, how can you quantify what others feel and only they can express

I guess, I know what is causing so much frustration to you, " getting 1...

We stayed at Inda Hotel in Varkala and really enjoyed the hotel part of our experience. The place has a beautiful Bohemian vibe, with aesthetic decor, lush greenery, and a calm, peaceful ambiance. The hotel manager was friendly, respectful, and treated all guests equally, whether they were locals or foreigners. His attitude really added warmth to our stay.

Unfortunately, the experience at the café attached to the hotel was the complete opposite. The staff, including the café manager, showed clear bias—foreigners were treated kindly, while locals like us were met with rudeness and indifference. It was quite disheartening and awkward to witness such behavior.

We had paid for a breakfast that was called “complimentary”, and arrived at the café on time. We ordered from their menu, only to be told that only one item was included, and everything else would cost extra. This was never communicated properly beforehand, which felt misleading.

That said, the food was genuinely delicious and beautifully presented—we have no complaints about the quality or taste. But good food alone isn’t enough when the attitude of the staff makes guests uncomfortable.

We were also told there would be a 40-minute wait just to get pancakes. We honestly wouldn’t have minded the wait—if the behavior was respectful. But the combination of the long delay and their dismissive behavior was frustrating.

Even something as simple as asking for a glass to drink water took ages. We had to ask twice, and only after a long wait did they bring it. It felt like basic hospitality was missing.

In short, while Inda Hotel offers a beautiful place to stay, the café needs serious improvement in both service and attitude. Until then, we’d recommend staying at the hotel but skipping the...

The positives - the property itself is stunning, a tropical paradise , butterflies fluttering around. However, even as a family of cat lovers, we were disappointed to find cats roaming near the customer seating area. The cats were VERY intrusive, attacking us throughout our meal and the seats had a lingering smell of cat litter and paw prints. The servers did nothing after we informed them.

In terms of the food, it was below average compared to other places we tried in Varkala. This was the only downside of our visit to Varkala. I noticed the owner’s comment suggesting that the cuisine might not suit the Indian palate, but I live in the US and can confirm it would still be considered bland here. Additionally, the service was lacking.

I would perhaps recommend visiting to enjoy the property and order a drink, but I would advise against having a full meal there.

Although this review is a bit late, as I was going through my Kerala vacation photos, I remembered I had to write this review.

Edit - I noticed the owner's somewhat sarcastic comment now. In Seattle where I live, many restaurants are pet-friendly, but they don't allow pets on indoor chairs or near the kitchen. If you Google 'FSSAI guidelines on pets in dining area,' you'll find a clear mention that pets are not allowed on dining chairs and tables. If the restaurant ensured cleanliness before each meal, this issue might have been less of a problem( refer my 2nd photo). Caring for hygiene doesn't mean hating pets. Hope the owners take this in the right sense. I have been seeing the same sentiment in Instagram...