All You Can Eat In Gokarna #TM2021

"Laughter is the brightest where food is the best". My husband and I have been living this Irish proverb every single day of our lives together. Our vacations always begin on a hungry note,  be it the hunger or appetite for exploring nature's bounty or simply pulling up a chair and savoring the local deliciousness. And Gokarna, was a thorough treat for our souls, senses and palettes alike.

So here's a list of places we enjoyed eating at and recommend all our friends and family if and when they travel to Gokarna.

The second I stepped in here, my olfactories did a happy dance! This humble thatched setting offers the best fish and seafood delicacies I have had in the recent times, from Clams, Crabs, Prawns to Surmai and Bangda, every dish is a treat. I tried a Surmai Thali with a generous side of Masala Tawa Crabs while my husband settled for his go-to Prawn Thali.

Relaxed, vibrant, breezy and spacious are some words that just randomly pops up in my mind when I think about Chez Christophe. The hippie beachfront vibe of this place is infectious and it's food, finger licking good. Their pastas are handrolled and breads wood fired. If French and continental cuisine is  what you pine for, then this cafe is a must-visit. They have a limited and uncluttered menu and they ace each one of them. This cafe is run by Christophe, a French native who brings you the best of his family and country specialities. Don't miss the weekly French movie nights in the evenings if you are here.

Note: It's on the Gokarna Main Beach but the Google maps can be a little a tricky. You will have to walk through the local residents' front yards to reach this cafe, which can be very awkward and confusing but  honestly, they don't mind.

We reached the Om Beach mid afternoon, pretty famished and heatstruck, so we decided to take shelter in one of the cafes to fill our stomachs and wait for the sun to mellow down. We walked right past the over hyped and outrageously priced Namaste Cafe and parked ourselves at the cute and uncrowded Dolphin Bay Cafe. We ordered Rawa Fried Calamari and Prawns served with a generous portion of fries and salads, that we gulped down with a bottle of chilled beer in no time. Besides being value for money this cafe guarantees you freshness and taste. If your order is taking time to be served, know that it's being freshly prepared just for you!

On our last day we decided to take a dip in the sea one last time early in the morning and finish with a beachside breakfast. Mostly all shacks on the Kudle Beach offer the same breakfast menu but we tried the Little Paradise Inn because they were the first to open that morning. We ordered for an English breakfast that included the basics like fried eggs, bread, jam, butter, roast potatoes, tea and juice. While the food tasted just fine, it's the waves, the view and the breeze that elevated our breakfast experience.

The last on our list is not a cafe or a shack, but the much ignored and less mentioned beach vendors. You'll be surprised to know that Kudle Beach offers some amazing beach snacks served by the local vendors on carts and cycles and we are glad we didn't miss any. From the juiciest pineapples, to spicy bhelpuri and paanipuri to delicious matka kulfis and sweet nariyal paani, you will be spoilt for choices when you want to eat something quick after a tiring swim in the sea. To add, they are all Gpay enabled, so one need not bother carrying cash on the beach. Please do buy from them not just to show support for local but also to savour the finest.