Where to Eat in the Andamans: A First-Hand Guide to the Best Restaurants
- India
- Andaman
- Where to Eat
We only write about places we have actually eaten at, and across a couple of trips around the Andaman circuit we have worked through a lot of grilled fish, buttery crab and strong island coffee to put this together.
3 islands
Port Blair · Havelock · Neil
Fresh catch · beach cafes · rooftop dinners
25 km / 1–1.5 hr
Households
~20 total
Ideal stay
1 – 2 nights
In shortWhere to eat across the Andaman circuit, from grilled fish and crab to island coffee, based on meals we ate.
This is not a fine-dining destination in the big-city sense: what it does brilliantly is fresh seafood, laid-back beach cafes and a surprising mix of Bengali, South Indian and Punjabi home cooking, across Port Blair, Havelock (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil (Shaheed Dweep).
The single best thing you can do here is eat seafood the day it is landed: tiger prawns, lobster, mud crab, squid, red snapper, barracuda. The local philosophy leans towards light seasoning so the fish tastes of the sea: a good island kitchen grills a whole fish with just lime, garlic and a little chilli, and it is often the best plate on the menu.
The cultural mix is the fun part. Port Blair’s long-settled Bengali, Tamil and Punjabi communities mean proper dosas and filter coffee, Amritsari kulcha, and Kolkata-style kachori-jalebi breakfasts alongside the fish, with a subtle Burmese thread in the bamboo-shoot curries. And a quick orientation: all tourist dining sits on the Andaman side; the Nicobar group is closed to visitors entirely.
| Best time to eat well | October to May (peak catch, all cafes open); thinner in monsoon |
| Famous for | Tiger prawns, lobster, mud crab, squid, snapper, barracuda |
| Local influences | Bengali, South Indian, Punjabi, coastal, a little Burmese |
| Veg availability | Good in Port Blair; more limited on the islands |
| Price for two | ₹300–700 budget · ₹1,200–2,000 mid · ₹2,500–5,000 treat |
| Best sea-view meals | Havelock beach cafes and Port Blair rooftops |
01 · What to actually eat
The must-try list: grilled or tandoori whole fish; tandoori tiger prawns and butter-garlic prawns; mud crab two ways (fiery chilli or coconut curry (messy, slow, brilliant); fish curry in coconut milk with tamarind; daab chingri) the Bengali speciality of prawns cooked inside tender coconut, ordered whenever you spot it; and coconut-forward Nicobari chicken in a few Port Blair kitchens.
Port Blair: seafood and local
New Lighthouse Restaurant (near Marina Park) is the classic: an open-air rooftop where you pick your fish, crab or lobster from the day’s catch and it comes back grilled: ₹800–1,500 for two. Lighthouse Residency offers the broadest seafood spread at ₹700–1,400. Mandalay at Fortune Resort does the polished sit-down buffet with a lovely North Bay outlook, ₹2,000–3,000.
Port Blair: rooftops and drinks
Amaya by Seashell is the rooftop everyone mentions: tandoor, sizzlers, cocktails and live music with a sea breeze, ₹2,500–3,000 for two. MAVI Rooftop Lounge runs fusion and a big bar menu at ₹2,000–2,500. Anju Coco is the reliable family all-rounder at ₹1,000–1,500.
Port Blair: vegetarian and breakfast
Icy Spicy is our top veg pick: Kolkata-style kachori and jalebi mornings plus pizzas and chaat, easily under ₹500 for two. Annapurna and Kattabomman are the pure-veg South Indian standbys: proper dosas, uttapams and thalis at ₹200–400. After 6pm, the street food near Aberdeen Jetty and the Clock Tower does puchka, momos and pav-bhaji for pocket change.
Havelock: the cafe culture
Full Moon Cafe is the quintessential hangout: juices, global menu, beach access, ₹1,200–1,800. Something Different does Italian, Thai and wood-fired pizza with famously warm staff, ₹1,200–1,800. Anju Coco (the original) for big breakfasts and fair-priced prawns; Narra for the organic-cocktails treat night at ₹3,000–5,000; Cafe 4 for coffee, cake and board games at ₹700–1,000.
Vegetarian honesty
Neil keeps it small and charming: Dugong by Seashell for premium chilli crab and live music (₹1,800–2,500), Avisa for the daily catch done casual-fine (₹1,200–1,800), and Elephant and Four Wise Men: the backpacker gem doing homemade pasta and fish curry at a remarkable ₹400–700 for two. For the memorable one: fresh fish or a coconut at sunset near Laxmanpur.
You will not go hungry, but plan
Port Blair is easy, with dedicated pure-veg spots. On Havelock and Neil every cafe keeps a veg section (paneer, pasta, pizza, fried rice), but menus are seafood-led and stock runs low late. Strictly veg or vegan? Base more meals in Port Blair and tell island kitchens early.
Budget days
₹500–800 pp/day
South Indian meals, seafood dhabas and cafe breakfasts keep a backpacker eating very well. The best cheap plates are often the least decorated rooms.
Mid-range days
₹1,000–1,500 pp/day
Beach cafes for lunch, one nicer dinner, real coffee in between. This is the sweet spot for most travellers.
Treat nights
₹3,000–5,000 for two
Amaya or Mandalay in Port Blair, Narra on Havelock, Dugong on Neil: lobster, cocktails and a view. Save one or two evenings for these.
Our picks at a glance
| Restaurant | Island | Known for | Price for two (₹) |
| New Lighthouse | Port Blair | Pick-your-own grilled catch | 800–1,500 |
| Amaya by Seashell | Port Blair | Rooftop tandoor & cocktails | 2,500–3,000 |
| Icy Spicy | Port Blair | Veg, kachori-jalebi mornings | under 500 |
| Full Moon Cafe | Havelock | Beachfront all-day dining | 1,200–1,800 |
| Something Different | Havelock | Pizza, Thai, warm service | 1,200–1,800 |
| Narra | Havelock | Cocktails & Mexican (treat) | 3,000–5,000 |
| Dugong by Seashell | Neil | Chilli crab, live music | 1,800–2,500 |
| Elephant & Four Wise Men | Neil | Budget pasta & fresh fish | 400–700 |
Eat the catch early
Fresh fish sells out and kitchens shrink their menus when the ferry has not delivered. Seafood at lunch or early dinner beats a 10pm disappointment.
Carry cash
Card machines and internet are patchy on the islands, and many of the best small kitchens are cash-only. Withdraw in Port Blair.
Order the whole fish
Grilled with lime, garlic and chilli, it is the best-value spectacular on every menu. Ask what the boats brought in that morning.
Kitchens close early
Most island kitchens wind down by 9.30–10pm. Island evenings start at sunset, so should dinner.
Chase the specialities
Daab chingri when you spot it, Nicobari chicken in Port Blair, kachori-jalebi for breakfast, and mud crab any way they will make it.
Where the food fits your route
The classic circuit eats in this order: Aberdeen Bazaar street food on arrival night, Havelock cafes for the middle days, Neil’s catch-of-the-day kitchens for the slow-down, and a Port Blair rooftop for the farewell. The 5-day itinerary lines the meals up with the ferries.
Sea-view meals worth planning
Full Moon’s beach tables on Havelock at lunch, Amaya’s rooftop at dusk in Port Blair, Mandalay over North Bay, and the simple sunset stalls near Laxmanpur on Neil. None need dressing up; all need arriving before the light goes.
June to September, some Havelock and Neil cafes cut hours or close, and rough seas make the fresh catch less reliable. Port Blair keeps most kitchens open: plan flexible meals and expect shorter menus on the islands.
Coffee and cafes
Easy everywhere
Counter seats & book shelves
Three dinners to book
High turnover wins
Havelock does proper coffee (Cafe 4’s bakes, Full Moon’s slow breakfasts) while Port Blair leans filter coffee with its dosas. Neil is a chai-and-coconut island, and better for it.
Anju Coco (both islands) is the family default: big menus, quick dosas, unfussy staff. Beach cafes welcome kids; rooftops are fine before the band starts.
Know Before You Go: Eating Essentials
- Eat seafood at lunch or early dinner: the catch sells out and kitchens close by 10pm
- Carry cash: many of the best small kitchens take no cards
- Vegetarians: base breakfasts in Port Blair and flag needs early at island cafes
- Busy rooms mean fresh fish: follow the locals’ queue
Put the meals on a route
The 5-day plan strings these kitchens along the classic circuit: ferry timings included.
Drinks and bars
Full Moon and Cafe 4 are built for solo lingering: books, charging points, unhurried tables. Street-food circuits in Aberdeen Bazaar are the social option.
Booking tables
Eat before the boats
Worth a wander
Round up, smile
Bottled or filtered
Amaya’s rooftop on arrival, Narra’s cocktails mid-trip, Dugong’s chilli crab on Neil. Three islands, three very different candle-lit evenings.
Freshness varies with the ferry and the day’s catch: eat seafood where turnover is high, drink bottled or filtered water, and let the busy rooms guide you.
Ten orders we would repeat tomorrow
Slightly: supplies ship in and lobsters know their worth. But ₹500 a day still eats well, and the treat dinners undercut any mainland five-star with a view half as good.
02 · The must-eat list
Nightlife is minimal by design: rooftop cocktails in Port Blair, beach-cafe beers on Havelock, and Neil’s coconut water under actual stars. Kitchens and bars close by 10pm almost everywhere.
From ₹40 street puchka to ₹5,000 lobster nights
Mostly unnecessary: walk in. The exceptions: Narra and Dugong on peak-season evenings, and Amaya for a window-side sunset table. A same-day call does it.
Whole grilled fish
The day’s reef fish, flame-grilled with lime and garlic. The single best plate on the islands: order it everywhere.
₹300–800 by size
Tandoori tiger prawns
Big, sweet, hard to ruin, worth the splurge. New Lighthouse does the definitive version off the ice display.
₹400–900
Mud crab, chilli or coconut
Messy, slow, brilliant. Dugong’s chilli crab on Neil is the flagship; Port Blair’s dhabas do the coconut-curry version.
₹600–1,200
Daab chingri
Prawns cooked inside a tender coconut: the Bengali speciality that is not on every menu. Order on sight.
When you spot it
Fish curry & rice
Coconut milk, tamarind, the day’s catch: the local staple done superbly in the Bengali kitchens.
₹150–350
Kachori-jalebi breakfast
Kolkata mornings, Port Blair edition: Icy Spicy’s counter before a ferry is a small institution.
Under ₹150
A proper dosa
Annapurna and Kattabomman keep the South Indian standard flying: crisp dosas, real sambar, filter coffee.
₹80–200
Aberdeen street food crawl
Puchka, momos and pav-bhaji near the Clock Tower after 6pm: dinner for two for the price of a juice elsewhere.
Pocket change
Wood-fired pizza on the beach
Something Different’s macrame-decked garden proves islands and Italian can coexist beautifully.
₹400–700 a pizza
Sunset coconut at Laxmanpur
Not a restaurant at all: a stall, a shell-strewn beach, and the best table lighting in the territory.
₹60 well spent
If you eat only two meals well
A pick-your-own grilled catch at New Lighthouse, and a Havelock beach-cafe lunch with your feet in the sand. The islands, on two plates.
Line the meals up with the route
The 5-day itinerary times every dinner around the ferries: no 10pm empty-kitchen surprises.
Breakfast to last orders
Ferry mornings start early: Icy Spicy’s kachori in Port Blair or an Anju Coco stack on Havelock beats the jetty’s packaged snacks by miles.
Three food personalities
7.30am kachori-jalebi or a dosa → 10am island coffee → 1pm beach-cafe lunch, feet in sand → 4.30pm coconut at the sunset point → 7pm the day’s catch, grilled whole → 9pm jalebi if you found some, stars regardless. Kitchens sleep by ten; so will you.
The menu is a suggestion; the ice display is the truth. The best kitchens steer you to what the boats actually brought.
Eat where locals queue
The unglamorous rooms with a wait (Annapurna at lunch, the bazaar stalls at dusk) out-cook the decorated ones night after night.
Match the meal to the island
Aberdeen Bazaar’s evening stalls and Havelock’s market street show you what the kitchens are working with, and feed you for pocket change while you look.
Widest choice
Rooftops, seafood dhabas, pure-veg institutions and street food. The best vegetarian eating in the territory.
Cafe culture
Beach-facing kitchens, global menus, proper coffee: the best island for a long lazy lunch. See the Havelock guide.
Catch of the day
A handful of charming kitchens cooking whatever the boats brought. Stay over, hotels compared here, and eat at sunset.
Street-food HQ
Puchka to pav-bhaji after 6pm, plus the morning sweet shops.
Havelock’s food street
Most of the island’s cafes within a fairy-lit ten-minute walk.
The sunset table
Simple evening stalls with the best view in the Andamans.
| Island | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
| Port Blair | Icy Spicy / Annapurna | Lighthouse catch | Amaya rooftop |
| Havelock | Anju Coco | Full Moon, beachside | Narra or Something Different |
| Neil | Guesthouse chai | Avisa | Dugong or the Four Wise Men |
One ordering rule
Light seasoning is the local genius: resist drowning fresh fish in gravy. Grilled first; curries for the second night.
Season notes
The catch, the crowds and the open kitchens all follow the ferry seasons.
| Window | Kitchens | Catch | Call |
| Nov–Jan | All open | Peak variety | Book the treat tables |
| Feb–Apr | All open | Excellent | Best overall |
| May & Oct | Most open | Good | Relaxed shoulder |
| Jun–Sep | Island cafes thin out | Ferry-dependent | Port Blair carries the trip |
February: every kitchen open, the ice displays full, and a beach-cafe table without a wait.
Know before you go
Know before you go
Cash for the small kitchens, seafood at lunch, dinner before nine, and one saved-up treat night per island.
Cash-only kitchens
Many of the best small rooms take no cards. Withdraw in Port Blair and keep small notes.
Early last orders
Kitchens close 9.30–10pm island-wide. Sunset dinner is the move, not the compromise.
Veg travellers
Base breakfasts in Port Blair’s pure-veg rooms; flag dietary needs early at island cafes.
High-turnover rule
Busy rooms mean fresh fish. Empty rooms at 8pm mean yesterday’s.
Keep planning the trip
The rest of the Andaman library: first-hand, commission-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the famous food in Andaman?
Seafood is the headline: fresh grilled and tandoori fish, tiger prawns, mud crab and lobster, lightly spiced so the fish tastes of itself. Also look for coconut fish curry, the Bengali daab chingri (prawns in tender coconut), Nicobari chicken, and excellent dosas and kachori-jalebi in Port Blair.
What are the best restaurants in Port Blair?
For seafood, New Lighthouse Restaurant and Lighthouse Residency. For a rooftop dinner with drinks, Amaya by Seashell or MAVI. For a polished sea-view meal, Mandalay at Fortune Resort. For vegetarian, Icy Spicy, Annapurna and Kattabomman.
What are some famous restaurants in Havelock Island?
Full Moon Cafe for beachfront all-day dining, Something Different for pizza and Thai, Anju Coco for breakfasts and prawns, Narra for a cocktails-and-Mexican treat, and Cafe 4 for coffee and cake.
Where can vegetarians eat in the Andamans?
Port Blair is easiest, with pure-veg spots like Icy Spicy, Annapurna and Kattabomman. On Havelock and Neil every beach cafe keeps a veg section, but menus are seafood-led and veg stock runs low late: order earlier and flag it on arrival.
How much does it cost to eat in the Andamans?
Budget travellers eat well on ₹500–800 per person per day; mid-range with beach cafes is ₹1,000–1,500. A premium seafood dinner for two with lobster and drinks runs ₹3,000–5,000.
Do restaurants stay open in the monsoon?
Many do in Port Blair, but some Havelock and Neil beach cafes cut hours or close from roughly June to September, and rough seas make the fresh catch less reliable. Expect shorter menus.
What seafood should I definitely try?
A whole grilled reef fish, tandoori tiger prawns, mud crab (chilli or coconut curry), squid, and daab chingri whenever a menu lists it. Order seafood at lunch or early dinner, when the catch is freshest.
Which restaurant is best on Neil Island?
Dugong by Seashell for premium chilli crab and live music, Avisa for the daily catch done well, and Elephant and Four Wise Men for remarkable budget pasta and fish curry at ₹400–700 for two.
Are there good cafes for coffee and working?
Havelock leads: Cafe 4 for coffee and cakes, Full Moon for slow breakfasts with charging points and books. Manage expectations on wifi: island internet is patchy everywhere.
Is street food safe to eat?
The busy evening stalls near Aberdeen Jetty and the Clock Tower turn food over fast, which is the best safety signal. Stick to hot, cooked items and bottled water and you will be fine.
What is daab chingri?
A Bengali speciality of prawns cooked inside a tender green coconut, the flesh and cream becoming part of the gravy. It is not on every menu: order it on sight.
Do island restaurants take cards or UPI?
In towns and bigger cafes, usually; at small kitchens, shacks and stalls, often not. Internet outages also knock payment machines out: carry cash as the default.
What time do kitchens close?
Early: most island kitchens wind down by 9.30–10pm, and menus shrink late in the evening. Sunset-hour dinners are both the practical and the scenic choice.
Is alcohol available with meals?
Yes at licensed restaurants and rooftops in Port Blair and the bigger Havelock cafes and resorts. Neil is quieter: expect beer at a few spots rather than cocktail lists.
Which meal views are worth planning around?
Full Moon’s beach tables on Havelock at lunch, Amaya’s rooftop at dusk, Mandalay over North Bay, and the sunset stalls near Laxmanpur on Neil.
Is the food expensive compared to the mainland?
Slightly: supplies ship in and lobster earns its price. But ₹500 a day still eats very well, and the best plates (whole grilled fish, street food) are the cheap ones.
Can I eat well as a family with kids?
Easily. Anju Coco on either island is the family default, beach cafes welcome children, and dosa-thali rooms handle fussy eaters without drama.
What local breakfast should I try?
Kolkata-style kachori and jalebi at Icy Spicy in Port Blair, or a crisp dosa with filter coffee at Annapurna: both before the morning ferry.
Is there any food scene on Nicobar?
No, the Nicobar Islands are closed to tourists entirely. Every meal of your trip happens on the Andaman side: Port Blair, Havelock and Neil.
Sources & references
- 1Food guide: what and where to eat in Sri Vijaya Puram
Incredible India · incredibleindia.gov.in
- 2Best restaurants in Andaman
Go2Andaman · go2andaman.com
- 3The locals’ guide to seafood in the Andamans
Cross-checked against Incredible India: Port Blair food guide, Go2Andaman and the locals’ seafood guide, plus our own meals across all three islands.
Carousel photographs: Davidvraju (CC BY-SA 4.0); Amritachattopadhyay10 (CC BY-SA 4.0); Vinayaraj (CC BY-SA 4.0); Harvinder Chandigarh (CC BY-SA 4.0); Vyacheslav Argenberg (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.
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Paul
Founder · Offbeat Peak
The meal we still talk about cost ₹520: one red snapper picked off the ice at New Lighthouse, grilled while we watched the harbour lights come on. The lobster tables around us were having a lovely time too, but the snapper knew something they did not.