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South Is Finally At The Centre Across India. Here's Why

A new generation of South Indian restaurants is bringing bolder flavours, honest stories, and a regional identity to the table.

| Siddhi Jadhav
feature (52)

South Indian flavours are having a moment across India, led by a new generation of founders and chefs who are bringing personal stories to the table. Diners today want food that feels clean, comforting, and rooted in something real, and South Indian cuisine ticks all those boxes. At the same time, people are travelling more, exploring beyond the breakfast staples they grew up with, and finding new affection for dishes tied to lived memories.

For Aaliya Ahuja, founder of Uppu – A South Indian Kitchen in Bandra, Mumbai, that connection comes from childhood visits to Matunga icons like Amba Bhawan. For Harish Rao, Brand Chef at modern South Indian Restaurant Hosa (Goa and Gurugram), it’s the flavours and rituals of home. This new movement isn’t about reinventing the cuisine. It’s about sharing comfort, nostalgia, and regional stories, each plate carrying someone’s personal history.

Regional Flavours Stepping Forward 

Mor Kuzhambu (Mor Kulambu)

People no longer want the usual dosa-idli routine. "South Indian food isn't a challenge, it's just that people don't want mediocrity," shares Ahuja. They’re curious, and the curiosity has pushed regional dishes into the spotlight. From simple dishes like kuzhambu and tomato rice at Uppu to soft, thin benne dosas and garlic crisp dosa inspired by Punjabi street flavours at Namma, a new restaurant in Chandigarh by Chef Kriti Dhiman, diners are finally seeing how deep the cuisine really is. Chef Rao, on the other hand, "skips predictable choices, leaning into coastal grills and temple-style gravies." The cuisine’s diversity is finally being seen and appreciated.

Authenticity With New Expression

How to Make Authentic South Indian Gun Powder Masala

What makes this wave interesting is how each restaurant defines authenticity on its own terms, but always honestly. At Namma, Dhaman insists on staying true to flavour, even importing ingredients from the South despite higher costs. Others keep the food deeply traditional but present it in a calmer, more modern way, like a slow Sunday meal.

Some bring authenticity with technique, elevating home-style recipes without altering their soul. Whether it’s perfecting the thickness of a benne dosa or spotlighting vegetarian Coorg comfort dishes, each founder’s personal story shapes how “authentic” translates on the plate.

Flavours Finding Their Space

Authentic Mangalorean Chicken Ghee Roast - South Indian Recipe

Across India, certain flavours are becoming mainstream in the movement. Benne dosa, podi/gunpowder, Mangalorean ghee roast masala, tomato-based rice dishes, and coconut-forward gravies are showing up more often, and people are returning specifically for them. These flavours, once hidden in home kitchens or specific regions, are now finding their place on everyday menus.

A Shift That Feels Long Term

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Everyone driving this movement, from Uppu to Namma, believes this isn’t a fleeting trend; it’s a long-overdue shift. South Indian cuisine has always been diverse and layered; it’s finally getting the spotlight it deserves.

Chef Harish Rao says diners today look for story-driven, experience-led food — something the cuisine naturally aligns with. As more people explore regionality, more chefs experiment with heirloom ingredients, and more menus move beyond clichés, this rise feels grounded and lasting

For everyone looking for new or recently opened South Indian restaurants to head to, here's a list for you to bookmark.

Mumbai

1. Uppu

Uppu is a vegetarian South Indian kitchen tucked inside Bandra’s lanes. The space serves nostalgic, homestyle dishes from dosas and soft idlis to comforting curries and filter coffee, rooted in honest flavours and family rituals. Guided by Chef Naveen’s years of experience, the menu brings together classics from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra, and Karnataka, cooked with care and meant to feel like home.

Where: Uppu, Bandra West, Mumbai

2. Tamarind Tiffin By Sunder


Tamarind Tiffin is a well-known, friendly spot for its South-Indian offerings, offering homely and fuss-free meals. It mixes Indian street food and Southern fare with continental options, all in a casual setting. Open from early morning till midnight, it works well for breakfast through late-night meals. 

Where: Tamarind Tiffin By Sunders, Andheri West, Mumbai

3. Malgudi 

Malgudi by Shankar Mahadevan is a stylish resto-cafe that blends South Indian nostalgia with a modern, vibrant space. The menu mixes heritage dishes with creative twists like the Mulbagal Legacy Dosa, Ven Pongal Arancini, and comforting regional plates. With its signature Filter Kaapi bar and warm design, Malgudi brings soulful South Indian food to the city in a contemporary way.

Where: Malgudi, Borivali West, Mumbai

4. OOR

OOR is a warm, home-style South Indian spot started by husband–wife duo, inspired by their own kitchen. The menu celebrates honest, comforting classics, soft idlis, crisp dosas, chutneys, and sambhar, made with cold-pressed oils, in-house masalas, and no colours or soda. With specials like Pineapple Rasam, Irulli Uttappam, and their Walnut Sheera, OOR serves food that feels pure, nostalgic, and truly made with love.

Where: OOR, Dr D. N Road, Fort, Mumbai

5. Tarrai

Tarrai is a modern South Indian restaurant that focuses on authentic flavours presented in a simple, approachable way. Known for its crisp dosas, rich chutneys, and homestyle rice dishes, it combines traditional recipes with a fresh, contemporary feel.

Where: Tarrai, Tara Road, Juhu, Mumbai

6. Nanna House

Nanna House brings a warm, homely interpretation of South Indian food, focusing on slow-cooked flavours and family-style dishes. The menu leans into traditional recipes, simple stews, chutneys, soft idlis, and comforting curries, served with a nostalgic touch. It’s the kind of place that feels personal and rooted, offering food that’s straightforward, honest, and deeply satisfying.

Where: Nanna House,16th Rd, Bandra West, Mumbai

Thane

Dakshinayan

Dakshinayan remains one of the city’s most reliable names for honest, traditional South Indian food. And now, it has expanded to Thane. Known for its simplicity and authenticity, it serves classics like crisp dosas, hearty sambar, and homestyle South Indian favourites without any frills. Its steady popularity and consistent flavours have made it a benchmark for true South Indian dining, even as new-age restaurants join the wave.

Where: Dakshinayan, Naupada, Thane West, Thane

Haryana

1. Hosa

Hosa (from Goa) opened recently in Gurugram and brings inventive South Indian cuisine to the NCR crowd. Under the guidance of Chef Harish Rao, the menu blends tradition with modern flair, offering bold flavours, seafood, cocktails, and a thoughtfully designed dining space. It’s a full-service restaurant with lunch, dinner, drinks, and a comfortable ambiance for group dining.  

Where: Hosa, DLF Ph-V Sector 43, Gurgaon

2. Draavin Canteen 

Chef Ruchira Hoon brings a warm, home-style South Indian experience inspired by the flavours she grew up with. The menu blends Tamil, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra community recipes, from coconut rasam to kothu parotta and regional curries. Set in a canteen-style space, it also features Sunday biryanis, festival specials, and a small shop for podis and pickles.

Where: Draavin Canteen, DLF Cyber Greens, Gurgaon

Chandigarh

Namma

Namma is a South Indian eatery in Chandigarh offering traditional staples like Benne dosa, garlic crisp dosa, and filter coffee. Under the guidance of chef Kriti Dhiman, the restaurant focuses on simple, homestyle preparations, bringing authentic South Indian flavours to the city in a casual, approachable setting. 

Where: Namma, Chandigarh Road, Chandigarh

Pune 

We Idliwale Barroom

We Idliwale Barroom blends Bengaluru and Kerala's vibrant pub and toddy shop culture with inventive food, craft cocktails, and a lively, design-forward space. The menu showcases expressive regional flavours from Cut Sausages with mutton pepper fry, Injipuli Wings, Natukodi Pepper Fry and Syrian Catholic Chicken Roast to classics like Idli Chicken and Chicken Ghee Roast – alongside standout mains such as Buff Mappas, Karwar Prawns and flavour-packed biryanis, finishing with a Filter Coffee Éclair. The bar elevates familiar ingredients with cocktails like the Raw Mango Picante, Coconut Negroni and Haldi Highball, while the space pairs terrazzo, Athangudi tiles, stainless steel and Channapatna bead accents to create a vibrant, contemporary ambience that captures the spirit, memory and evolution of We Idliwale.

Where: We Idliwalle Barroom, Baner, Pune

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