The cities that we live in inevitably shape our ideas of belonging, home and seep into our practices of art. A crowded corner of the street, the peaceful solace of a bookstore, or a fulfilling plate of comfort food, all of it gathers somewhere beneath our surface and reappears in unexpected ways. We begin by simply living in a city and observing it, however over time, carry its textures deep within our hearts.
Your City is a series where we ask creatives from various genres about their cities, understand their relationship with the place and how it influences their art. We have writer Meena Kandasamy tell us about her favourite haunts in Chennai.
What is your favourite quiet corner in Chennai? A place where you go to clear your head and feel lighter?
There is Brod where I go to write: Bask ECR, Chamiers and most of all, Amethyst on Whites Road if I have to meet friends. If I want to clear my head and feel lighter I check myself into the Raintree on St Mary’s Road for a day or two, and pretend that I’m not a mother, not a person with a deadline or a day job.
Tell us about a comfort meal spot in the city and what you like to eat from there.
If I wanted a mutton biryani; and sometimes I have gone there all by myself just to eat and feed my soul, it is the Buhari on Mount Road. The other place is mixed up with memories; it used to be a monthly treat with my parents and now I take my children there, the lunch-time meals at Sangeetha in Adyar. It is so simple and never once have I been dissatisfied.
L: Amethyst R: Bask
If you craved a long, reflective walk, where do you find yourself?
The beaches on the East Coast Road. I grew up on the IIT campus and went to study and work in the Anna University campus next door, and walking is something that I enjoy, love and was an integral part of me. Right now, the biggest walking stretch in Chennai is when you get out of the airport and have to go and get into a pre-paid taxi.
If someone wanted to go to a lively space for art, music, or events, where would you guide them?
I have a strange answer to this question. I’m tone-deaf and cannot appreciate music. (My biggest regret in life). Dakshina Chitra has a lot of good art exhibitions going on. [Lots of great events for art, theatre, writing do happen in Chennai but I stay away whenever I see a foreign embassy/consulate involved. Even when I have myself been a speaker, there is a part of me that feels broken that we should not have our culture arbitrated by foreign tastemakers (I do not trust their agendas) or the idea that the art-sphere has to be mediated through such collaborations. Perhaps this comes from being inside the art world.]
What is your favourite bookshop?
The Higginbothams on Anna Salai, of course. I think it is the oldest bookshop in India, the vibes are absolutely gorgeous, and what I love the most is that there are a lot of Tamil books, and an entire floor of books for children. Some of the most kind staff as well, which means I go there often.
Higginbothams
Complete the sentence: One should not leave Chennai without…
visiting the beach. Pick and choose whatever you like. The grandeur of the Marina, the Besant Nagar beach, the quiet and somewhat forlorn beach at Palavakkam. But this city needs you to have the sand and sea as a state of mind.
Words Platform Desk
Date 11.9.2026