villa maya heritage restaurant

on a recent trip to kerala ... in the city of trivandrum... i came across this signage... intrigued as i was but had other places to go... but it’s like the place had a spell cast and i had to come back... not only it was worth it but i have to say it’s probably one of the most beautiful places i have been in my life. the restaurant is built on a small pond with gold fishes on it and i lack the creativity in words to explain how the place looks, hopefully the pictures do some justice. @ villamaya#vibhorkwatra #trivandrum #villamaya #kerala #food #foodie #beautifulrestaurant #peacefulrestaurant vibhor kwatra

i visited villamayaon a december afternoon and maybe that's why the heat didn't bother me (read a lot of reviews complaining about the heat). we took a seat outside and i absolutely loved the ambience. it is hands down one of the most beautiful restaurants in the country. the food was quite decent if not extraordinary and the portion could be better. what really needs some work is their service. overall, villamayais my favorite place to visit in trivandrum. one should visit it atleast to experience the ambience if not for the food.

bumped into this place accidentally when we were around trivandrum city. but turned out to be one of the best dinner experience.
ambience - it's a palace turned into villamayawith royal decors amd interiors. i wouldn't call it a restaurant because it doesn't look like a normal restaurant. ambience is that amazing.
staff - very courteous. mr. rajesh recommended some good choices as per our preference. the main chef also made it a point to speak to the customers as far as possible and take direct feedback.
menu - they have limited items on the menu to offer. but whatever they have is a bit different and worth a try.
we ordered a sweet potato based starter, prawns biriyani and tiramisu.
we were served with lemon and pinapple mixed welcome drink which was refreshing, along with a piece of papdi chat.
the starter sweet potato balls (mathurakizhangu) was something different than the usual ones we have in restaurants. sweet potato had cheese fillings with tadka. served along with green chutney.
prawns biriyani - very well cooked with proper flavour (nothing too much). didn't feel heavy at all. by this you can make out that there is no soda or any other preservatives added to this food (soda that makes you feel heavy after eating). one biriyani portion was sufficient enough for two people.
tiramisu - is their signature dessert. it has brownie and chocolate sauce covered with a den shaped chocolate layer, on which hot caramel sauce is poured. served along with ice cream. it is definitely delicious. different experience.
the team also took care of covid safety precautions.
price - well, you will be surprised. considering this one of the best restaurants in india and with various worldwide recognitions, we felt the pricing was fair enough for such amazing taste and experience. definitely worth it.

we visited villamayaon 6th jan 2021. this was our first visit to this restaurant, i was accompanied by my wife and parents. every one liked the taste with special mention of crispy fried prawns and syrian beef fry which were awesome 👌. their welcome drink was really refreshing. the service not to mention was very accommodating considering request from my elderly parents. they had maintained social distancing and all other norms as required. being a heritage restaurant its bit costlier than others in this area. they have enough parking space in side the property.

while i was on a trip to trivandrum, i checked out few good/popular restaurants to have food. villamayatopped the charts. i went without a reservation for lunch and the staff helped me to find a table in their al fresco dining. it was too hot to actually sit outside and have food but then there was no other option at that time. i requested for a table in shade and they managed to move a table for my convenience. it’s a beautiful setup no doubt but the weather definitely screwed the ambience. they had a special christmas menu priced at 2500 pp which i politely refused and the a la carte menu was limited, hardly had much to choose from. i asked for some keralite recommendation and ended up ordering kerala kozhi roast which was a home style chicken served with kerala parotta (or rice). the food took long to reach my table but i was served welcome drink while waiting. a grape juice shot and a piece of dry cake.
the main course portion size was enough for me. the taste could not justify the price that i paid. it was pretty much an average chicken dish which was highly priced maybe because of the nice outdoor setup. parotta was mediocre and so was chicken.
i can recommend to easily skip this place and i wish i visited this place in the evening in a cooler atmosphere to atleast enjoy my dining experience.

villamaya- one of the sophisticated restaurants in trivandrum. ambience of the restaurant and quality of the food is great. a great option for an elite dine-in.

showed up on the must visit restaurant search and was definitely worth it. loved the ambience... distancing and sanitisation protocols were in place... wonderful service & mouth watering good.

went with gattu ki galauti... a melt in the mouth pumpkin kabab with semolina flat bread. very flavourful and tasted amazing with the pineapple, mint and apple chutneys.
thai soup with chicken and mushroom was a bit heavy for my liking, add some rice and voila you have some thai red curry. can't complain on the taste though.

for main course we had the villamayamutton biryani and kodumpuli fish curry. biryani was flowy and well cooked however lacked the character of a nice hyderabadi dum biryani.. for 800 bucks a plate, was a bit on the expensive side.
the fish curry though with generous amounts of cocum and wel cut pieces was a sea food delight.
chocolate coffee fudge with caramel and ice cream was what was suggested and didn't disappoint. the

overall experience was 4.5/5.

villamayais definitely a delight to dine at given the rustic decor and the royal ambience. the restaurant is well-designed and the staff are polite and courteous. the food, however, does not meet the hype that the setting promises. however, it's great for a romantic outing, a dinner date or for a quiet family dinner.

if you are looking for a fine dining place......villamayais definitely the one. i visited this place few days ago and to be honest i loved it. so so beautiful and great hospitality. they have everything in their menu including bar menu. approximate price for two people is 1500 but worth the price because the food,the aura,the service.... everything is just great♥️ highly recommended for couples and families.

my family and i visited this place on the 1st of january to kick start the new year and also celebrate my dad’s birthday. this place is aesthetically really pleasing. we were really tempted to be seated at the patio or al fresco in presence of the fishes but gave it a pass since it was a sunny day.

they welcome you with a complimentary dish which includes a lemon amla shot and papdi chat. it was really refreshing. the dishes we ordered were-
1. chicken makhmali
2. gulabi tikki
3. chicken fricassee
4. kappa with fish curry
5. nalli biryani
6. coffee chocolate fudge with salted caramel sauce
7. apple and blueberry crumble pie with vanilla ice cream

every dish made us happy. the pineapple chutney that was served along with the starters definitely needs a special mention. don’t give it a miss. the mutton in the biryani was so succulent, soft and falling off the bone which is the way i love it the best.

the next time i am in the city, i’ll definitely visit in the evening to dig on the outdoor experience !

great job team villamaya!!

we went to villamayafor lunch. the ambience was great and the service was brilliant. special mention for mr.nikhil(apologies if i'm getting the name wrong). he walked us through the menu very patiently and helped us make our choices. i'm a vegan and hence had certain restrictions. he was wonderful with understanding my requirements. he made our experience extremely enjoyable and memory. my husband loved the meal. he had this look of extreme satisfaction when he was done. will definitely recommend this place to anyone who is looking for professional and courteous staff along with a great culinary experience. great going folks. ofcourse i would request you to have more vegan options.

villamaya- a heritage villa turned into a restaurant - is a hidden gem. yes, the prices are slightly on the higher side, but the taste and the aroma definitely make up for it.
each bite, especially of the nalli biriyani, was packed with a variety of flavours.
slow traditional music and the lovely outdoor seating makes it a perfect place for a day out with friends.

villamayatakes fine dining to a whole different level. the ambience is to die for. it's quite unbelievable to think such a space exists among the hustle and bustle of the city. the service is excellent and the food is delicious. great portions too. they are on the higher side of things when it comes to price but i feel it's worth to dish out a few bucks for a memorable gastronomic experience!

today was my first visit to villamayaafter they changed their menu few months back. started off with their complimentary pani puris :d tried the chicken fricassee, sea salt crusted fish fillet, crispy fried prawns , buffalo chicken wings and chicken pasta. all the items were cooked to perfection. the service was great too, special mention to mr. vishakh, who was extremely helpful and also had detailed knowledge of the food we ordered. we were there to celebrate a wedding anniversary and the special gooey chocolate cake given by vm was amazing too.

a couple of days ago, i had come to villamayafor dinner. the food was great, no doubt. but the mosquitoes, oh lord!!! your incense burning is not much of a health. with today's technology, there are many ways to eradicate mosquitoes and the management is not attending to this. there is even an app that sends out sound that. mosquito killer lamps are available too.

how on earth can i enjoy the food and ambience, when i have blood sucking insects giving me pain and discomfort.

and lastly, you lighting is poorly designed. you don't need lights from the floor shooting up to your eyes, in areas where we need to step up or step down. the lighting at the entrance is blinding.

wish i could enjoy your food and ambiance in peace.

patric rozario