Mangalore - What 2 do ? Where 2 Eat ?

When a couple of friends decided to visit Mangalore, since Im not around, they ask, where do we get to eat ? what should I see?


Mangalore is a seaside town on the Konkan Coast. It is equally famous for its "Mangalore tiles" and Cashewnuts. Coffee and Pepper come in from nearby estates in coorg and Hassan. Mangalore Port handles a lot of cargo daily. The Mangalore refineries (MRPL)& Mangalore Chemicals & Fertilisers (MCF) have put Mangalore on the Industrial map. At last count, South Canara (of which Mangalore forms a major part) had more colleges than the entire USA. The Manipal Group is famous for its hospitals and forays into education and medicine.

Mangalore used to have pristine beaches until the advent of the ship breaking yard a couple of years ago. The beach attached to the Karnataka Regional Engineering College (KREC) at Suratkal (20 mins drive from mangalore) is one of the cleanest beaches around.

Thanneer bhavi near the port is one of the most easily accessible beaches from the town.

U can visit St Marys island near Malpe on a day trip (or half a day) Its just an island with the stones and mud having formed hexagons in the heat (I don’t know if u can understand what I mean by that) with nothing else on the island, so carry food and water.

In Mangalore :
Mangalore is a very small town. But definitely visit the St aloysius chapel on Light house hill. Its painted like the sistine chapel with frescoes on the walls n ceilings. Even if the main door isnt open the side door will be. ask any of the students who will b hanging around if u r around on a week day.

The managaldevi * Kadri temples with their silver doors are also worth visits.

Regarding where to eat....
Well I cant offer my mom's hospitality to each and everyone of the friends who ask for info on Mangalore. so I suggest the next best thing to home cooked food..... Restaurants that serve home styled cooking.

Best places to eat : Madhuvan's "village" on the road to the airport has these shacks (not 2 b confused with goan shacks which are actually on the beach) and serves amazing sea food. ask for the fresh catch of the day and check prices of the fresh stuff before ordering ((they dont put seasonal fish on the menu and u may b suprised when u c yr bill, they may charge u extra as they will recognise u as a non local unless u speak to them in konkani or tulu, which i presume u wont b able to but as long as u check before ordering u will be fine)

Mangala near Retreat House serves excellent fish curry meals and sea food and manglorean dishes at extremely reasonable rates. In the evenings they also dish out south indian style kebabs. He used to be slightly seedy but has gone in for a lot of renovation. We too pick up fish curries from here when mom doesnt have the time to cook. Pork is good too (not too sure if u eat pig meat, other than mangloreans n goans, not too many people do)

Theres a little kirana shop in the same complex as Jimmys supermarket who sells chilled coconut water/ chilled watermelon juice for 9 bucks a beer mug. Excellent on a hot afternoon and even better with a shot of bacardi white. the guy next door is trying to pile on to the originals business but go to the shop in the jimmys supermarket complex, he's on the left side before u enter.

Mausam near Don Bosco hall is also good for sea food, here definitely have the mussels masala fry. Royal darbar at 'bendore well' for biryani and muslim style cooking. There r a couple of places at thokkotu which r open air, individual shacks, good for sea food, but slightly out of the city. (do remeber city is very small)

Rooster on the YMCA road is good for parcelling Bunt style cooking. Chicken kori kachpu (with coconut - a dry dish) kori rotti and chicken curry. Ask them to add extra coconut milk in your dish, if u cant have very spicy food.

Woodlands is a drive-in thats ideal for breakfast or tea. Have dosas, idlis, goli bajje (mangalore speciality) They do offer meals of the strict brahmin vegetarian variety. The taj mahal cafes around the city are good. Try biscuit rotti (manglorean kachori) if u would like.

If chinese is what ur craving for, go to Hao ming or hao hao.

You have to have ice cream sundaes at either "ideals" or "pabbas". Simply amazing !!!!!

The 5 stars in Mangalore are the "taj Manjarun" and "Moti Mahal" (may b 4 star). Lots of new places have come up too and theres choice for every budget.

Have a good holiday.