When I first thought of cataloging Thali places to try out in India the sheer number of cuisines that have influenced and originated in India left me feeling amazed and a little intimidated. Honestly, everyday Indian household cooking itself is like a feast, where ever one might be in India lunch or dinner is not complete without at least three to four separate dishes being served. To compile extravagant thali places one needs to find some seriously amazing platters that do justice to the diversity of food that is available in this part of South Asia. And trust me when I say that I had to leave out a lot of names since to twenty was too small a number.
Read on to get your mouth salivating…
1 De Puttu
Situated in the busiest junction of the city of Kochi, De Puttu as the name suggests has everything related to puttu. Puttu is a traditional Malayali rice dish made of steamed rice flour which is molded like a cylinder in a traditional puttu making utensil stuck on a pressure cooker. Puttu can be made with just rice flour and salt or can be made fancy by adding herbs or spices along with the flour mix.
At Dhe Puttu they have different combinations of thali, but the Splendour Combo is by far the best. It includes five non-vegetarian and two vegetarian sides with thirst quenchers and a plate of marble puttu. End the meal with a Falooda (that comes with the thali) and you will strive to get up and go forward with the rest of the day.
Address: 1st Floor, Dhe Puttu Service Road, Near Manikandan Skoda Showroom, Edappally, Kochi, Kerala
Price: INR 250-500
2. Nawras Seafood Restaurant
Being in Kerala and not having a complete seafood experience is just not possible and at Nawras, The Samudra Meal provides just that. Incorporating prawns, squid, crabs, and fish curry; it truly offers the seafood experience of the hundreds of waterways of Kerala. Fresh seafood and an array of pickle provide a spicy affair that will make your tongue asking for more while your stomach is fit to burst open.
Address: Bus Stop, 23, Chittoor Road, Pullepady Junction, Ernakulam, Kerala
Price: INR 250
3 Mavali Tiffin Room
Even though it is ideally a snacks plac,e Mavalli Room does offer two types of Thali which brings out the authentic South Indian. The special thali has a combination of Dosa, Poori, Bisi Bele Bhaat, Sambhar, and Payasam for dessert that will give a complete experience of light and easily digestible food.
Address: 29, Ground Floor, White House Opposite SBI Bank Road, St Marks Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka
Price: INR 130-250
4 Kesariya
Kesariya is truly what we understand by extravagance. All their thalis have at least thirty two dishes including welcome drinks, starters, different kinds of rotis, rice, currie,s and a number of sweets that represent the royalty of Rajasthani cuisine. We have the usual choorma, besan kadhi, and dense raabdis served one after the other by attentive servers which can get overwhelming at times. Bring along a friend in case you cannot get up from the food coma.
Address: Goenka Chambers, 15th Cross Road, near #55, 19th Main Road, 2nd Phase, JP Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka
Price: INR 600
5 Rayalaseema Ruchulu
Offering over 25 dishes including starters, drinks, vegetarian and non-vegetarian curries along with biryani; the thali provides an authentic Andhra experience. Rayalaseema is a region in Andhra Pradesh which has a unique cuisine of itself celebrating the authentic ingredients of the Andhra state. And who can forget the famous biriyani without which no Hyderabadi can finish their meal?
Address: Plot No.481,Level 5, 36th Square, Road No.36, Opp.SVM Mall, Near Pedamma, Temple Arch Jubilee Hils, Hyderabad, Telangana
Price: INR 600-700
6 Vivaha Bhojanambu
With branches across Hyderabad, Vivaha Bhojanambu has Thalis concentrating on different regions of Andhra. The Telegu thali has Koora and Pulusu very popular everyday food which has been taken up a notch and made restaurant worthy. They serve both vegetarian and non-vegetarian thali options making it approachable for all sorts of people.
Address: 265/F, Road Number 10, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana
Price: INR 150-450
7 Ohri’s De Thali
This place is interesting especially for its availability of delivery options. Offering vegetarian food, it has an impressive number of dishes combining starters and different kinds of rice and roti preparations. Also, Ohri’s have a brand name providing a large number of cuisines throughout Hyderabad showing their expertise in keeping the authenticity of every cuisine.
Address: White house building 3rd block, Greenlands, Begumpet, Hyderabad, Telangana
Price: INR 200-350
8. Kokni Kanteen
Goa itself has a history of diverse influence in food. With the beach and the ocean, Goan cuisine has a different take on seafood. At Kokni Canteen one will find the best expression of Goan food. A spread of mussels, crabs, and chicken will await you with a serving of rice, pickle; both vegetarian and non-vegetarian, and dessert.
Address: Dr. Dada Vaidya Road, Near Mahalaxmi Temple, Altinho, Panaji, Goa
Price: INR 250-300
9 Ritz Classic
Always crowded and busy, the food at Ritz is worth waiting for. The thali especially is particularly impressive. Their fish thali includes whole fried fish, Sukat (dry prawns), clams, mackerels, and Kheer for dessert.
Address: Ground Floor, Gera Imperium Patto Plaza, Patto Centre, Panaji, Goa
Price: INR 300
10 AaoJi KhhaoJi
The portion of food served at Aaoji Khaoji does justice to the name. In the true spirit of Punjab, this place has a variety of thali options that can serve up to 9 people easily. This is the place to be for people who love paranthas. One of their thali is named after Ajay Devgn which serves 9 paranthas, 13 sabzis, 6 desserts along with huge glasses of lassi, achaar, and other accompaniments. There are others which serve rotis and rice with an equal amount of sides.
Address: Shop 31, Raghukul Nagari, Opposite Patil Complex, Ambedkar Chowk, Bopodi, Aundh Road, Pune, Maharashtra
Price: INR 200-1700
11 Mavala Darbar
This again has a wide range of thalis but providing mutton and other non-vegetarian thalis as well as the vegetarian ones. They provide biryanis with unlimited serving of Tambda Rassa and Pandhra Rassa – a type of curry that is distinctive of Kolhapuri cuisine. Akkha Masoor and Pithala Bhakari are types of lentils or dals that are available in vegetarian options.
Address: Baner – Balewadi Road, Baner, Pune, Maharashtra
Price: INR 240-360
12 Ahilyadevi’s Thali
Pune provides one of the interesting places with lots of thali options from various cuisines. This place with a Maharashtrian spread is known for The Maharaja Thali fit for a king. It has mutton, chicken, and fish dishes with rice and bhakri options with three types of desserts. They have individual thalis that will suit all types of eaters. It is a place worth the visit.
Address: Sr No 62/3, Old In Front Of Om Dairy, 411046, Satara Road, MH SH 114, Mangdewadi, Pune, Maharashtra
Price: INR 220-550
13 Shree Thaker Bhojanalay
Boasting an impressive spread of Gujarati cuisine, this vegetarian place has thalis that will make any foodie tired by eating the sheer quantity it has. It showcases the different types of rotis that Gujaratis make and unlimited servings of starters and sides. It is a combination of Gujarati and Jain cuisines exploring the traditional notions of cooking in India making it a well-known hub for celebrities and foreigners.
Address: Building No. 31, Dadiseth Agiyari Lane, Kalbadevi, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Price: INR 400-1400
14 Mini Punjabs Masaledaar
Everybody knows about Masaledar for it ‘Dara Singh Thali’ hailed as one of the biggest thalis available on Punjabi cuisine. It boasts over 40 different dishes consisting 40% non-veg and 60 % vegetarian options for the non-vegetarian thali. It is amazing as it has a sheer variety of starters, accompaniments, and desserts the people of particular regions have concocted. It has everything from Dal Batti Choorma, Murgh Mussalam, Fish Dishes, Biryan, and large servings of Rotis and Paranthe typical of Northern India.
Address: Thane Club, 1st Floor, Mohan Kopekar Road, Opposite Teen Haat Naka, Raheja Gardens, Thane West, Mumbai, Maharashtra
Price: INR 1400-1900
15 Aheli
Serving in traditional Bengali style of plating food, the thali spread has different kinds of traditional Benglai dishes. From Fish Cutlet and Chingri Machher Malai curry (Prawns in cream and coconut) to Chicken Kosha and Mutton Kosha, they have it all in the special non-vegetarian thali. Along with the Rasagullas and Mishti Doi, the meal is amazing.
Address: 1st Floor, The Peerless Inn, 12, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, New Market Area, Kolkata, West Bengal
Price: INR 650-1900
16 Kasturi
Their food has a homely touch that is reminiscent of the combination of Bangladeshi and West Bengal cuisines. They have the traditional poppy seed paste with potato curry or Alu Posto along with prawns, crab, and chicken dishes which are neither too spicy nor bland. A really good place to try out Bengali cuisine for a relatively cheap price.
Address: 3/6B, Anil Maitra Road, Ballygunge Place, Ballygunge, Kolkata, West Bengal
Price: INR 180-800
17. Paradise
The Seven Sisters in the North-eastern part of India has a concentration of rich food history that is very different from rest of the India. With tribal and indigenous food, it is only expected that Guwahati is one of the major cities whihc will have thalis typical of that place. The Parampara Thali designed to provide the unique flavors of the area provides an array of vegetarian dishes that are simple but has a depth of flavor. Along with fish curry or steamed fish and dishes made of bamboo shoot, they have desserts made of sticky rice and jaggery leaving you full by the end of it.
Address: Maniram Dewan Road, Krishna Nagar, Silphukuri, Guwahati, Assam
Price: INR 500
18 Nagameez
As the name suggests, this place provides Naga cuisine with a Special Thali that incorporates the usual Naga dishes. Serving pork, chicken, and fish with chutney and other accompaniments those interested in trying out different cuisines should definitely try this place once.
Address: Tripura Road, Near Agile Hospital, Jaynagar, Chariali, Guwahati, Assam
Price: INR 120-400
19 Ardor 2.1
The commercial capital has this place with offers a 56-inch thali called Khalibali Thali that has 32 dishes from all over North India. It is considered as Delhi’s biggest Thali platter. With Kebabs, Naan, and Biryani served it can easily fill up 3-4 people making it one of the must visits.
Address: 55, 56 & 88, 89, Connaught Circus, Block N, Connaught Place, New Delhi
Price: INR 1600-2000
20 Matamaal
A little bit of Kashmiri cuisine found in Delhi. Another legendary cuisine of royalties, Kashmiri weddings are known for their overwhelming number of non-vegetarian dishes. The thali at Malamaal is a fraction of what is available with mutton and chicken items like Yakhni, Charwaan, and Masc.
Address: 203-204 DLF City Court, Sikandarpur, Gurugram, Haryana
Price: INR 800-1200
21. Rajasthali
This is another impressive Rajasthani Spread that is well known among localities. With 10 different curries, 6 desserts, breads and rotis along with starters like Dhokla, Dahi-Bhalla, and Buttermilk, it is must visit place,
Address: C – 26, Ground Floor, Middle Circle, Connaught Place, Delhi
Price: INR 400
So go ahead on the Thali Trail and discover India through its food.
