The review was anonymously done after paying for the meal.

Kannur is a coastal city in north Kerala. It was once an ancient trading port and played a significant role in the spice trade. Because of the strong influence of traders from the Byzantine Empire, the city has a sizable Muslim population and is the birth place of Moplah cuisine.

I land at its spanking new airport straight from Delhi’s 4 degrees C temperature to 35 degrees C. I am recommended many eating places by local colleagues but I am quite clear – it must be an air conditioned restaurant to avoid having sweat drenched biryanis. Blue Nile is the only restaurant fitting the requirement – it has a good biryani and as an added qualification, Diego Maradona has had a meal here.

The place is dark (most restaurants in Kerala are Dark) but the food is amazing. Beef coconut fry (Rs 250) is the first dish to arrive. Here the meat is yielding and cooked to perfection with a peppery tang and a smoky touch provided by the fried coconut. Beef Biryani (Rs 200) lives up to its promise. This biryani and the seafood biryani both confirm my belief that Kerala biryani is among the finest in India. The rice is small grained with a unique texture and with every grain being full of flavour. This is indeed one of the best biryanis I have had.

Among the other dishes, Malabar fish curry (Rs 300) is competent (it is impossible to have bad fish curry in Kerala) and the parottas (Rs 20 each) are flaky.

Ratings (Out of 5)  

Food: 4.5 | Ambience: 4.0 | Service: 4.0 | Value: 4.0 | Overall: 4.0

Meal for two: Rs.500 | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Wheel chair friendly: No

Address: SN Park Road, Kannur, Kerala 670001 Tel: 0497 276 0077