India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (171 page)

Taj Connemara
This is a real city oasis, our favorite Chennai hotel by far, with discreet, efficient service yet radiating an atmosphere of leisure in this otherwise strictly business city. Although the exterior is
very
unprepossessing, enter and you are transported into another era (it’s been here since 1891, albeit much changed), with grand, gracious public spaces, wide corridors, and high-ceilinged rooms, all tastefully and luxuriously decorated. Book a room that opens onto the delightful lush courtyard where comfortable loungers are arranged around a large sparkling pool (deluxe rooms 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37 or heritage rooms 80, 82, 84 or 86)—this is the perfect place to recover after a bout of shopping at next door Spencer Plaza (or the many other Chennai options; see “Shopping,” below). Facilities are top-notch (pillow menus and the like), staff superb and food delicious: a recipe for total comfort.

Binny Rd., Chennai 600 002.
044/6600-0000.
Fax 044/6600-0555.
www.tajhotels.com
. [email protected]. 150 units. Rs 13,000 superior double; Rs 15,000 deluxe double; Rs 17,000 heritage double; Rs 18,000–Rs 33,000 suites. Extra bed Rs 1,000. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
2 restaurants; coffee shop; bar; babysitting; doctor-on-call; fitness center; outdoor pool; room service. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (Rs 125/30 min.; Rs 200/60 min.; Rs 600/day).

Taj Fisherman’s Cove
This bright, breezy resort—ideal if you have no desire for city pleasures—is set on 8.8 manicured hectares (25 acres) bordering the beach, with a labyrinth of tidy, shrub-lined pathways and, at it’s center, a gorgeous pool, replete with swim-up bar. It’s a total refuge from the city, yet within the hour you are in bustling Chennai; it’s proximity to the city means it is also one of the busiest beach resorts in India, welcoming corporate jamborees during the week and extended families over weekends, all reveling in their beachfront escape. Most guest rooms are in the main hotel block, which can be incredibly noisy; better by far to book one of the shell-shaped garden cottages scattered about the cropped lawns—these are delightful, with bamboo-enclosed alfresco showers, bright interiors and breezy patios with Chettinad swings (sea-view cottages C4–C14, right on the beach, are best). Larger luxury sea-facing villas are also available; each with semiprivate garden and palm trees supporting your own hammock. The Cove is simply a great place to catch your breath, with a vast array of activities; the seaside restaurant (reviewed below) is also a treat.

Covelong Beach, Kanchipuram District, Chennai 603 112.
044/6741-3333.
Fax 044/6741-3330.
www.tajhotels.com
. [email protected]. 50 units, 38 cottages. Rs 10,000 standard double room; Rs 11,000 standard sea-view double; Rs 12,500 cottage garden-view double; Rs 15,500 sea-view cottage; Rs 17,500 sea-view villa with private garden. Supplements charged Dec 22–Jan 8. AE, MC, V.
Amenities:
3 restaurants; 2 bars; beach volleyball; badminton; bicycles; catamaran trips; children’s activity center; cycling; ecology tours/walks; fishing excursions; fitness club; Internet (Rs 330/hr.); library; pool; spa; tennis. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar, Wi-Fi (Rs 224/1 hr.; Rs 600/day).

WHERE TO DINE

The city has a dearth of independent fine-dining options, with almost all still remaining cloistered in the city’s five-star hotels; of these the
Great Kabab Factory
at the Hotel Radisson draws a very vocal and loyal local following, despite it’s inconvenient location near the airport. The ‘Factory’ offers a fixed menu featuring five melt-in-the-mouth kebabs (two chicken, two mutton, one fish), served with a delicious selection of specialty breads; it’s challenging but try to leave space for the dal and choice of biryanis that follow.

Fine dining aside, we’d like to encourage you to experience the delicious and varied flavors of South India surrounded by Chennaites; better still, do so with your hands (see “Eating with Your Hands,” below); other than heading for a
Saravana Bavan
outlet, there is the slightly more salubrious
Woodlands Hotel
option, reviewed below—both Chennai institutions. South Indian restaurants in Chennai are usually vegetarian; if you need your protein, opt for a Chettinad restaurant, where meats are coated in intense spices. Aside from the atmospheric Raintree (reviewed below), there’s
Karaikudi
: the original is at 84 Radhakrishna Salai (
044/2491-0900
) but there are now quite a few branches all over the city. It’s by no means fine dining (for that Raintree is the ticket) but the food is good. Try the special Chettiar chicken pepper roast with
appams,
the
Kadia
(quail roast), or the
Varuval
(fried pigeon)
and unbelievably good value: an average meal here will run you a mere Rs 100 to Rs 150 per person!

If you’re bored with South Indian food, you’ll also find many of the world’s tastes well represented in the city. If you’re mood is for the richer sauces of North India,
Dhaba Express
on Cenotaph Road in Anna Nagar is one of the best; offering good hearty, reasonably authentic Punjabi food (signature dishes include the sarson-da-saag and makke-di-roti), and an informal atmosphere, with alfresco table seating on “authentic” charpoys (woven beds); prices are better than the other highly rated North Indian restaurant, Copper Chimney, located on Cathedral Road (the benefit of heading to Copper Chimney is it’s proximity to Zarra, a Spanish-style tapas bar that is a cool place to have a drink and people-watch before or after dinner). Opposite Dhaba Express is
Cornucopia,
serving a reasonable menu of European/Southeast Asian–style food, but if you’re looking for a total break from the East, head for
Bella Ciao
(4 Shree Krishna Enclave, off Water Land Dr., Kottivakkam Beach;
044/2451-1130
), run by an Italian couple. It’s a great venue—the garden of an old converted house near the beach, with outdoor seating; while it’s billed as the best Italian joint in town, this is a very relative recommendation. If you’re downtown, the new Bella Ciao venue at 140 Nungambakkam High Rd. may suit you better; it’s also alfresco (this time on a rooftop), and serves the same menu
044/2833-0085
).