Eating Out Near Thousand Lights: Types of Places to Choose From

What kinds of food places can you expect?

We do not name individual restaurants here, because we have not verified current names, menus or timings. This is a guide to categories, so you can ask the reception and find places that match your taste.

Tamil Nadu Tourism lists murukku, idli and vada among traditional foods of the region. In a city like Chennai, you can usually find tiffin places serving breakfast items, full meals places serving rice with sambar, rasam and curries, bakeries and sweet shops, juice and tender coconut stalls, and larger restaurants serving North Indian, Chinese and other cuisines.

Hotel Royal Inn has 24-hour reception with restaurant service, so ask what is available at odd hours.

How do you choose a place that suits you?

Look for a busy place with steady customers, since food turns over faster. Look at how food is covered and handled, and whether the kitchen looks clean. Ask the hotel staff where they would eat, since they know the lane.

Check whether the place is vegetarian or non-vegetarian if that matters to you. If you are with older relatives or children, choose a place with seating and a quiet corner. If someone has dietary needs, ask in advance and follow their doctor's advice. This is not medical advice.

If a place looks crowded and rushed at mealtimes, go a little earlier or later.

• Busy and fresh beats empty and cheap
• Ask the hotel staff for local picks
• Choose seating that suits older relatives

What about malls and food courts?

Express Avenue in Royapettah has a 50,000 square foot food court called EA Garden with 25 counters, according to Wikipedia, and a large cinema complex. Spencer Plaza on Anna Salai is a big mall with over 700 shops. Food courts give variety if a group cannot agree, and they are air conditioned.

They are best for an outing, though, not a daily habit. A mall visit takes time and transport, and prices are usually higher than at a street-side tiffin place.

Check opening hours on the mall's own channels before you go.

How can you eat safely?

The World Health Organization's Five Keys to Safer Food are: keep clean, separate raw and cooked, cook thoroughly, keep food at safe temperatures, and use safe water and raw materials. When eating out, that translates to choosing places where food is cooked fresh and served hot, avoiding food that has been sitting out, and drinking sealed or treated water.

WHO notes that unsafe food affects many people each year, and that children bear a large share of the burden. Take care with young children and older relatives. If you feel unwell, seek medical help.

Wash your hands before eating, and carry a small bottle of hand sanitiser.

When is cooking in the room the better option?

If you stay a week or more, eating out for every meal becomes tiring and expensive. The 1BHK Room has an in-room kitchenette with a stove, sink and counter. A simple breakfast and one cooked meal a day, with eating out for the rest, keeps variety and cost balanced.

Ask the reception what cookware is provided, and buy groceries in small quantities. Our earlier post on cooking in a hotel kitchenette suggests easy meals.

Rates: Rs 2,800 per night for two guests in the 1BHK Room, and Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,500 for the other rooms. Please reconfirm when booking.

How do you order in, and what should you budget for meals?

Delivery apps are widely used, and many guests order for late evenings. Share the full address with the app, and add the hotel's phone number in the delivery note. The address is 14, Gulam Abbas Ali Khan 9th Street, off Model School Road, Thousand Lights, Chennai 600006.

Check the packaging when it arrives, eat hot food soon and avoid keeping cooked food for hours in the room. If you have a kitchenette, a simple breakfast at home and one ordered meal a day is often enough.

Ask the reception where delivery riders should wait, and let the desk know when you expect someone, so the person is directed to the right place.

We cannot quote prices, since menus change, so use your own experience. A useful method is to track what you spend on food for the first three days, then average it and multiply by the length of your stay. Add a small buffer for treats and delivery charges.

Compare this with the cost of cooking in the room. Groceries for a simple meal are usually cheaper than a restaurant meal, but they take time and effort. Many guests settle on a mix.

Keep small change for tea stalls and juice stands, which may not take digital payment. Always check a bill before paying, and ask for a receipt if you need one.