Vegetarians be damned, the seaside city of Pondicherry is a traveler’s golden opportunity to experience seafood done right in India. A lazy walk up and down, scanning menus, perusing the dining areas and asking locals for recommendations is what this laid back, miss mash city begs from tourists.

Rendezvous, a Lonely Planet pick, was the preferred choice among the myriad of options after said afternoon. My travel partner and I were looking for a relaxing, breezy atmosphere in hopes of escaping the stifling heat. What we found was a roof top covered “garden” with views onto the street below. Potted plants added a touch of nature and ceiling fans blowing at full speed were just what was needed after a day of sun and sweat soaked sightseeing.

Although we were early for the dinner crowd, the seating area steadily filled to capacity by the end of our meal. You’ll be hard pressed to find an Indian employee here as nearly all the servers, cooks and odd job employees were of Asian nationality. Their no-nonsense personalities were somewhat off-putting yet we weren’t there for a show, just some good food. I asked about that evening’s “Seafood Harvest” special which was described as a sampling of fish, oysters, shrimp…a little bit of everything.

Comically, what arrived was an array of various seafood on a platter large enough for the Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing. The server didn’t mention the portion size was easily enough for 4, leaving me to forage through 3 types of fish, 2 types of shrimp, 2 types of calamari, oysters on the half shell, scallops and real escargots still in their original shell. It was overwhelming but deliciously superb fare. Surrounded by foreign tourists at every other table and eating seafood prepared every way but Indian, all I could do was shake my head. Another layer of India had exposed itself to me this night; This was a side of the country seemingly so far from the dusty dhabas which line the highways between her major cities and the narrow cement walled, dimly lit eateries of every wayward town.

Under the canopy of darkness and somewhat cooler ocean breezes, my travel partner and  I laughed at the Rs 600 cost for the feast that had been prepared. The recommendations for Rendezvous were spot on.

End the evening with dessert at L’Orient, a Pondicherry must.

TIP: Tuk Tuk from your accommodation site to the restaurant for Rs 30 or less and leisurely walk back afterward. The cooler breezes will have set in by nightfall allowing a decent walk without the sun and humidity combo.