We love surprises. Imagine walking down the lane and tumbling into a lovely bistro hidden from the view. It’s like having a delicious secret of your own, a place you can go to unwind. Chennai is truly beautiful city, with its long flawless beaches, pleasant long-lasting weather and a taste for lip-smacking food. Over the last few decades Chennai has seen a lot of modernization. It’s no longer that quaint coastal town rather it has become a site for tall skyscrapers that forms their own concrete jungle. Nestled amongst the jungle is a small charming restaurant called ‘East Coast at Madras Square’ which is our delicious secret. Tucked into Sundeep Road at Neelangarai area, East Coast at Madras Square is the local’s mini getaway. The restaurant is a popular dining destination for those who are looking for perfect ambience, mouth-watering food and a smooth service.

East Coast at Madras Square represents everything Chennai stands for. Its enchanting red brick façade is quintessential southern India. The restaurant resembles somebody’s beloved home and is designed in a typical South-Indian manner which means, it comes with a wraparound veranda and a patch of lush garden. The look is completely regional with inclined roofs and a row of curved pillars to support it. It’s unbelievable that such a nest of tranquillity exists right in the centre of modern block. To dine you have two options – indoors or outdoors. Inside the décor is eye-soothing with distressed white walls covered with small interesting framed artwork. Colourful rugs are the only pop of colour in a pure untouched kind of room. But if you want some romance, sit outdoors on the veranda. Garden is beautiful at night and seems inviting by the addition of some cosy outdoor furniture.

You may think that such traditional and regional ambience calls for a South-Indian or regional menu but here you are in for a surprise. The menu is European, Continental, Italian and totally economical. As you open the menu, you will notice that appetizers are paid a lot of attention to so it’s only fair to order a few. Mushroom & feta bruschetta, spinach & roasted apple salad, panko chicken, cheese & potato croquettes and devilled chicken sausages are the best. In mains go with, crab slider, basil walnut pesto, diavola pizza, moussaka, steak & chips, arrabiatta with prawns, pizza margherita and grilled fish. East Coast at Madras Square is a cosy and intimate place with a rocking menu.