The Fern — Restaurant in Tamil Nadu

Spread across 8 acres, Sterling Fern Hill welcomed us whole heartedly. The D&E Impressions at Fern Hill were deeply rooted in local heritage. The life-size replica of a Toda hut, the symbolic Marriage Stone, the spice table, and an entire wall of Toda art and artefacts made us feel like we were stepping into the cultural heart of Ooty. Sterling’s collaboration with NIFT students to highlight the region’s tribal legacy through installations is truly commendable. We visited the hotel twice for its restaurant.

Interestingly, our Toy Train station was very close to Sterling Ooty Fern Hill and we decided to cherish another meal there. The welcome drink was refreshing, and we were served a tandoori non-veg platter and a veg platter with Hara Bhara Kebabs, Kashmiri Paneer Tikka, and Stuffed Tandoori Aloo. The salads included Indian tossed greens, kachumber, and raw mango salad. The mains comprised Murgh Tikka Masala, Dal Makhani, Malai Kofta, Paruppu Usili, Jeera Peas Pulao, and soft Indian breads. Dessert was indulgent—Jamun with rabadi, chocolate brownie, and fried ice cream drizzled with honey and nuts. We completely enjoyed our meal post which had another cherish able experience. We spent the evening sipping tea in the lawn at Fern Hill, watching the toy train pass by—a scene straight out of a postcard.

We also visited the restaurant for dinner on another date and was delighted to have a magical private candlelight affair. The setting was picture-perfect. We began with Vetrilal Nectar as our welcome drink, followed by starters like Kaya Varuval, Paneer Kondattam, Nilgiri Mushroom & Carrot Shorba (a creamy green soup), and a vegetarian tandoor platter featuring Malai Broccoli, stuffed Tandoori Bell Peppers, and Dahi ke Kebab. It was a yummy spread.

In the main course, we were served Masala Kuzhi Paniyaram with chutneys, Veg Kushka in banana leaf, spicy Tapioca with green chutney, Mint Pulao, Keerai Paripu Curry, and soft assorted rotis. Mocktails included a Niligiri Tea Cooler and Strawberry Nilgiri Breeze. For dessert, we had Gulab Jamun Cheesecake, Strawberry Tart, and the traditional Ooty Varkey with honey—a perfect blend of innovation and tradition. A special mention to Ramya, our server, for making the evening even...

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay with delicious food from The Fern, offering both buffet and à la carte options. Over our 3-day stay, we had breakfast, lunch, dinner, and in-room dining, and overall, the food was quite good. The lunch and dinner buffets had a decent spread, though we noticed there was no biryani on either menu, and the non-veg options were limited to just three dishes. While the spread was convenient and reasonably but it was priced high , it felt a bit less spread for the cost. The service and ambiance, however, were excellent. Must try...

This is a huge hotel, but the restaurant's condition is pathetic. They had to look for at least 10 chairs to find one which is not dirty. Poor service, even poor food. They serve Al a carte from the buffet servings. Ajwain fish tikka, green salad was the only dish which was good. We spent 4400 rs for lunch of 3. 2 starters, 3 dishes in total for mains. We were celebrating an ocassion which turned something else. Road side food would have been better than the food they serve. Regret...