Bait - Trivandrum

If you're in the area, you definitely need to check out this place. We ended up eating here three days in a row. The vegetarian platter was amazing and the red snapper smoked on mango wood was the best fish I've ever had. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

The atmosphere and setting at Bait are lovely. However, the food is just average. We were served overcooked seafood and questioned its freshness. Even though the chef assured us it was fresh, as islanders who know good seafood, we had our doubts. The staff did try to make up for the mistakes, but it couldn't save our overall dining experience. If you do visit, stick to the prawns and curries.

This restaurant in South Kerala offers a high-end dining experience for holidaymakers. It is located at the TAJ Green Cove hotel. My wife and I both agree that it was one of the best meals we have ever had. We started with generous portions of appetizers and shared a seafood sampler, which was more than enough for both of us. The ambiance of dining outside with the sound of crashing waves was lovely. However, this experience came at a cost - our meal, along with two glasses of wine, totaled around 9000 rupees or £100.

I feel they are only selling the ambiance. A good restaurant will work anywhere provided the primary thing (food) is good. Ordered cajun chicken for starters, it was dry, not upto mark. The steak was dry not juicy n moist. The Norwegian salmon in lemon butter sauce was ok; the sauce was tilting more on the acidic side. I don’t mind paying through my nose for the food as long as it’s worth it, but this wasn’t. Also, the service was not upto the mark, somehow this was the first time that I wasn’t satisfied with Taj’s service.

The ambience is captivating. Options for food could always get better and service as well. The pizza oven gets turned down at 9pm so even if you ask 5 mins prior to 9 you will be out of luck and brutally refused even though the restaurant closing time is 10.30 pm. Very unlike the Taj service, otherwise the food is good.