In a city that’s seen multiple F&B trends reshape the culinary and restaurant landscape, there’s one discernible trend. Chef Ajit Bangera, who steers Firo, likes to call it ‘Indian reimagined’; restaurants like Jolly Indian and Poppadum equate it with familiar cuisine through a playful, almost irreverent lens. Pan-Indian cuisine as Chennai knew it is being rejigged at multiple venues.
The city’s well-heeled and gourmands are seeking new dining experiences. This includes twisted versions of Indian cuisine that are using a blend of international cooking techniques and ingredients to reinvent comfort food. It’s familiar, yet it’s different, and it’s sparked a series of new restaurant openings over the last few years. Each restaurant is creating its own template for modern or progressive Indian. That also means that each one of these restaurants brings their own perspective to the city’s ever-evolving dining scene. You might find your flavour profile out here:
Poppadum
Photo Credit: Poppadum
Poppadum is the newest venue to celebrate stories of food around India through a lens of familiarity, playfulness, and discovery. Located in Kilpauk, this vegetarian restaurant seeks inspiration from the humble poppadum that can be both comforting and versatile. It’s why the restaurant focuses on making the unfamiliar feel familiar. Tall mirrors and warm colours create a vibrant yet warm vibe that sets the platform for the restaurant’s sharing plates and platters. Nostalgia intersects a modern twist with their signatures like the Burrata “Masala Papad” and Thattai Tostada.
Where: Ormes Road, Kilpauk
Firo
Photo Credit: Firo
Also Read: Who Wants to Eat in the World’s Smallest Restaurant? Not Me
It remains one of our favourite upscale Chennai restaurants since its debut in 2025. Firo offers a fascinating new take on Indian cuisine with sharing plates and craft cocktails. The interiors – with earth-toned walls – elevate the dining experience. From their ‘palak no paneer‘ to crispy dosa tacos filled with Goan-inspired pork, Firo takes you on a culinary journey across India with never-ending detours and twists. Firo has just started a monthly chef’s table where their culinary team curates an all-new menu paired with beverages.
Where: Second Main Road, RA Puram
Bombay Truffle
Photo Credit: Bombay Truffle
Traditional Indian dishes and Mumbai street food classics get a makeover with a creative, modern edge at this vegetarian diner in Anna Nagar. The contemporary interiors offer a perfect setting for family-style meals and catch-ups with friends and co-workers. All the focus is on their innovative plates that blend unexpected ingredients in comfort food – the jalapeno cheese kulcha with oodles of melted cheese is one such surprise. Regulars swear by their palak patta chaat and a long list of dishes with truffle infusions, like the truffle sweet potato fries
Where: J Block, Anna Nagar East
Jolly Indian
Photo Credit: Jolly Indian
Almost everything is larger than life at one of the city’s newest modern Indian restaurants. Hand-painted murals, bright red walls and an OG payphone are among the many props that have made their way to Insta feeds in the city. You will be encouraged to announce your arrival with the Punjabi dhol at the entrance. It sets the mood for a fun dining experience with zero ABV cocktails (like the Tinder Coconut) and food with a twist, like the Chettinad Shepherd’s Pie.
Where: CP Ramaswamy Road
Also Read: Moringa Rice: Simple And Healthy South Indian Rice
J-Hind, Grand Chennai by GRT Hotels
Photo Credit: J Hind
A high-energy setting sets the tone for this immersive dining experience within one of the city’s popular luxury hotels. J-Hind is a contemporary take on Indian cuisine that doesn’t alter the soul of the dishes. The décor seeks inspiration from the finest Indian art while the menu leans on modern cooking techniques that present Indian cuisine in a whole new context. From bottle biryani to chocolate rasagulla pops, expect to be surprised.
Where: Grand Chennai by GRT Hotels, Sir Thyagaraya Road, T Nagar
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