South Indian cuisine is primarily rice based. Rice is combined with lentils to make wondrous dosas, idlis, vadas and uttapams. These food items are glorious and delicious besides the fact that they are rich in nourishment and easily digestible (due to the fermenting process). They are combined with sambhar (dal), rasam (tamarind dal), dry and curried vegetable and pachadi (yogurt). Their rice preparations are truly masterpieces. South Indian dals and curries are soupier than North Indian dals and curries and the chutneys are made of tamarind, coconut, peanuts, dal, fenugreek seeds, and cilantro. Coconut milk straight from the nut is a common beverage and a frequent sight in South India. Their meals are generally followed by coffee, which is very popular, and the striking feature is the Madras coffee which is popular in South Indian restaurants as well as the world over. South Indian food contains a brilliant blend of flavors, colours, seasoning, natural balance, fragrance, taste and visual appeal.

The Malabar Coast in the South India is famous for its spices of pungent aromas that lured many foreign invaders like the Dutch, the French and the English. Cardamom, pepper, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg are some of the notable spices, which are found in abundance in the South. The availability of coconut, fish and root tubers have influenced the culinary creations of the South.

The Andhra cuisine has a great measure of Moghul impact and food is known for its pepperiness and heat. An amateur to the south Indian delicacies cannot afford to miss the kebabs, homemade pickles, pappads and dry chutney powders to be used with dosa or idli or rice that are the famous culinary traditions of this region. the south indian cuisine is not limited to the above snacks which are very popular. The south indian food is not limited to the idlis and dosas. The andhra food, the chettinad food, the hyderabadi nawabi styles, the mangalorean style and the kerala foods add a totally new dimension to the cuisine.

Though sharing some common features, the South Indian restaurants have their own specialties.

List of South Indian Restaurants:
Café Mysore:
Cafe Mysore is the oldest authentic South Indian eating joint in Mumbai. They serve dosas, vadas, sambar, and rasam. The food cost generally ranges upto Rs. 50.The truest attraction of this place is its south Indian "Filter Coffee" (Coffee with chicory is used in a filtering process and then is boiled and aerated with sugar and Buffalo milk). The Udupi style south Indian Thali is its hallmark.

Dosa Diner:
Dosa diner is a chain of restaurants in India and abroad. The specialties of this restaurant include excellent uttapam (Indian pizza, made with the same fermented rice flour as dosas) and, a knockout chole bhatura (spicy tomato chickpeas, served with a puffed-up fried bread, home-made yoghurt, and bitter lemon pickle). Chole bhatura is a famed Delhi specialty, but this south Indian dive gets the dish pitch-perfect.

Udipi:
Café Udipi is a well-known chain of restaurants fanned out across all the major cities of India. The aspects of personal, attentive service, combined with exceptional food quality are their hallmark. The food here is uniformly excellent and tasty. The atmosphere in these restaurants is bright and lively along with moderate prices, quick and friendly service.

Café Madras:
Café Madras is well known for its dosas and idlis. The sheer variety in dosas like : Ullundu Dosa Presarriettu Dosa ( thick dosa made from unshelled pulses and has filling of chopped anf fried onions and coriander), Neer Dosa ( unique..made using Green Coconuts water and its flesh…….. amazing ….. must have), Mulgapudi - ( dry chlli powder and coarse gram flour mixed and roasted then served with hot butter) are the admittedly, best delicacies of this restaurant. The banana fudge here, made from jaggery & banana is sweet delight. Be it anything, the food served here would certainly remind one of Chennai.