Food Festivals & Food Events in Kochi
Food festivals, pop-ups, tastings and food walks in Kochi are listed below and refreshed daily. Much of the city's organised food calendar runs through its hotels: the Kochi Marriott at Edappally, Crowne Plaza and Le Méridien at Maradu and the Grand Hyatt at Bolgatty hold regional and international food promotions through the year, and their brunches are the centrepiece of Christmas and New Year. Three seasons stand out. Onam, in August or September, is about the sadya, the banana-leaf feast of two dozen or more vegetarian dishes that restaurants and caterers sell by advance booking; Thiruvonam next falls on 12 September 2027. December brings cake mixing, plum cake and wine at bakeries and hotels, and the Cochin Carnival includes food stalls in Fort Kochi. During Ramzan, expected to begin around 8 February 2027 subject to the sighting of the moon, snack stalls and biryani houses in Mattancherry and elsewhere stay busy after sunset. Outside the calendar, the fish stalls beside the Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi sell the day's catch for nearby kitchens to cook, and Mattancherry's Gujarati sweet shops and biryani houses are the usual stops on a food walk.
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Good to know
- Book Onam sadya days ahead. Restaurants and caterers stop taking orders well before Thiruvonam.
- At the Fort Kochi fish stalls, agree the price for the fish and the cooking charge separately before you buy.
- Hotel food festivals usually run for a week or more; weekday dinners are easier to book than Sunday brunch.
- Alcohol is served only at licensed hotels, bars and beer-and-wine parlours, and the first day of every month is generally a dry day in Kerala.
Frequently asked questions
Where are food festivals held in Kochi?
Mostly in the five-star hotels at Edappally, Maradu and Bolgatty, with pop-ups in cafés and malls and food stalls at fairs on Marine Drive and during the Cochin Carnival.
Where can I eat Onam sadya in Kochi?
Restaurants, hotels and caterers across the city serve sadya around Thiruvonam by advance booking, and the Thrikkakara temple serves a community Onasadya during its festival.
What food is Kochi known for?
Seafood such as karimeen and prawns, Kerala meals on a banana leaf, appam with stew, Malabar-style biryani and the snacks and sweets of Mattancherry's trading communities.
Are there dry days in Kochi?
Yes. Kerala observes a dry day on the first of every month and on certain public holidays, when bars and liquor outlets stay closed.
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