Best Craft Beer Bars in Varkala for Serious Beer Drinkers

You will not find a sprawling craft beer scene in Varkala the way you would in Bengaluru or Mumbai, but that is precisely what makes the best craft beer bars in Varkala worth knowing about. They tend to be small, owner-run rooms where the pour list changes every couple of weeks, where the bartender actually remembers your name by the second visit, and where you can hear the sea while you sip. If you take your hops seriously and you are heading to the cliffs, here is the honest, foot-sore, pint-by-pint guide I wish someone had handed me on my first trip.

Heading North From the North Cliff: Why Varkala Drinks Differently

Varkala sits in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram district, and the alcohol story here is shaped by state policy. Kerala has historically restricted liquor sales to government-run outlets and a handful of licensed private hotels, so the idea of a taproom culture is fairly new and concentrated. Most of what I am about to describe lives in a tight band between the North Cliff road, the Papanasam side, and a couple of slightly inland pockets around Kurakkanni and Edava. You will not see neon brewery signs. You will see hand-painted boards, faded menus, and sometimes a chalk list stuck to a fridge door. Bring cash for small places, and do not expect every spot to accept cards.

1. Cafe del Mar, Papanasam Cliff

The Vibe? Rooftop sunset spot with the most dramatic cliff view in town and a real cocktail-then-beer program.
The Bill? ₹600 to ₹1,200 for a pint plus food.
The Standout? Their rotating guest tap from Bira 91's seasonal range, paired with tandoori pomfret.
The Catch? Tables near the railing vanish by 5:30 pm in peak season, December through February.

This is the one most craft-curious travelers hear about first. Perched right on the red laterite cliff edge at the Papanasam end, Cafe del Mar is technically a restaurant and shisha lounge, but the beer list is what brings serious drinkers up the spiral staircase. They stock imported Belgian ales alongside local craft from Bengal and Goa, and the fridge usually hides a couple of bottles you will not see elsewhere on the strip. Order early, watch the sunset over the Arabian Sea, then stay for the second round when the live tabla player gets going.

A small insider move: walk in from the north cliff auto stand side, not from the south beach stairway. The northern entry puts you on a quieter terrace level where the bar tender hangs out, and you can ask what just got tapped before anyone else sits down.

2. The Clafouti, North Cliff Road near Helipad

The Vibe? Tiny French-Kerala patisserie with a serious six-tap wall behind the cake counter.
The Bill? ₹450 to ₹800 per pour.
The Standout? A house-made ginger beer using local Kerala ginger that pulls double duty for teetotalers and designated drivers.
The Catch? Seating is maybe twelve people, so during the December rush you will end up sharing a table.

Run by a French expat and her Varkala-born husband, The Clafouti is one of the rare spots in town that approaches beer with a sommelier's mindset. The taps lean Belgian and German, with saison and hefeweizen dominating, and they rotate Indian craft pours from Hilltop Brewery and others when supply holds. Skip the espresso and ask for the seasonal tasting flight. Three pours, lined up in proper glassware, on a wooden board. The chef will walk you through each one if you ask.

If you want the local breweries Varkala drinkers get quietly excited about, ask about the Thiruvananthapuram-district contract brews that occasionally show up here. They never last more than a week on tap because the supply is genuinely small.

3. Soul & Surf India, Black Beach

The Vibe? Yoga-and-surf retreat compound with a sunset bar that welcomes non-guests after 5 pm.
The Bill? ₹350 to ₹650 per pint, slightly lower than the cliff bars.
The Standout? Their Wednesday open mic, where the in-house surf instructors double as terrible, wonderful folk singers.
The Catch? The dirt road leading down floods in monsoon, June through August, so plan a tuk-tuk pickup or walk the last stretch from the helipad.

Black Beach sits south of the main cliff action, a ten-minute walk past the sulfur springs, and it attracts a different crowd: long-stayers, surfers, and people who want to drink a hoppy IPA while watching beginners flop on two-foot waves. Soul & Surf operates a small bar that pours from a fridge rather than taps, but the selection is well curated. Look for Bira White, Simba Wit, and the occasional guest bottle from Arbor Brewing.

The insider tip here is timing. Show up at 5:30 pm, grab the bench swing closest to the bar, and order before the yoga class lets out at six. After that, the swing becomes a status symbol and the kitchen slows down because everyone orders at once.

4. Srilakshmi Restaurant and Beer Parlour, Kurakkanni Junction

The Vibe? Old-school Kerala toddy-and-beer hall with cold storage and plastic stools, beloved by working-class Keralites.
The Bill? ₹180 to ₹300 per bottle, the cheapest legit pour in this guide.
The Standout? Their onion pakora, fried in coconut oil, paired with a freezing cold Kingfisher Strong.
The Catch? Almost zero English on the menu, and the staff will not switch language for you.

This is not a craft taproom. I am putting it on the list anyway, because every serious drinker in Varkala eventually finds their way to Kurakkanni Junction after dark, and a craft-focused guide that ignored it would feel dishonest. Srilakshmi is the kind of place where fishermen, auto drivers, and visiting journalists all drink side by side. The beer selection is predictable, Kingfisher, Kingfisher Ultra, occasionally Tuborg, but the temperature of the pour and the honest welcome make it a cultural landmark.

The local tip: walk in, point at the fridge, hold up fingers for how many bottles you want, and pay at the counter. The staff will bring pakoras without being asked because that is the custom. If you want to talk beer with someone who actually understands Kerala drinking culture, sit near the front and let the regulars come to you.

5. Coffee Temple, North Cliff near Cliff Garden

The Vibe? Daytime café that moonlights as an evening craft bottle shop, with a back garden that runs acoustic sets.
The Bill? ₹400 to ₹700 per bottle.
The Standout? The single-origin cold brew paired with a Hopping Cow IPA is a strange combination that works.
The Catch? They close sharp at 11 pm and do not negotiate.

Coffee Temple lives in a converted Kerala-style home with a sloped tile roof and a long porch that overlooks the cliff path. Mornings are for filter coffee, but by 5 pm the owners roll out a wooden cabinet of about thirty Indian and imported craft bottles. They are the closest thing Varkala has to a bottle shop, and the selection shifts weekly. Arbor, B9, Great State Aleworks, Simba, and at least one unreleased Goa Brewing Society collaboration on my last visit.

If you are hunting the microbrewery Varkala scene in bottle form, this is the place. Ask the owner, a soft-spoken man named Sanjay, what just came in. He imports directly from Goa and Bengaluru distributors, sometimes a week before they hit the shelves in Trivandrum city.

6. Darjeeling Mama, near Papanasam Beach Stairs

The Vibe? Hill-station-themed rooftop with a single fridge and the best momos in Varkala.
The Bill? ₹220 to ₹450 per bottle.
The Standout? Their Tibetan-style mutton momos, which arrive fast, hot, and dunked in chili oil that pairs absurdly well with a hop-forward IPA.
The Catch? The plastic chairs on the rooftop are not built for tall people, and the steps up are narrow.

Owned by a Nepali-Tibetan family that moved to Kerala two decades ago, Darjeeling Mama is one of those restaurants that tourists wander into by accident and then visit every night. The beer list is small but considered: Kingfisher Ultra, Bira 91, and a seasonal craft option that changes based on the distributor mood. It is not a bar in the strict sense, but the rooftop, the sunset, and the food make it a serious post-cliff stop.

The local trick: ask for the off-menu chili garlic noodles and a Bira Boom. The combo is not on any tourist blog, but the kitchen always has the ingredients ready.

7. Malabar Cafe, Kurakkanni Road

The Vibe? Family-run Malabar kitchen where the owners keep a small private bottle collection behind the counter for regulars.
The Bill? ₹500 to ₹900 if they crack open something special, normal Kerala menu pricing otherwise.
The Standout? A bottle of Bombay Duck Brewery's Konkan Coast Ale if they have one, served in a wine glass.
The Catch? You have to know to ask. Nothing on the menu advertises craft beer.

Malabar Cafe sits a five-minute walk inland from the cliff edge, tucked behind a tailor shop and a coconut grove. Tourists rarely end up here, which is exactly why serious drinkers love it. The food is the draw, Malabar biryani, fish molee, appam with stew, but the husband-and-wife team running it are craft enthusiasts who quietly source bottles from Goa and Bengaluru distributors for their regular customers.

The insider move: eat there at least once before you ask about the hidden bottle list. Build a relationship. After your second visit, mention that you are looking for the craft beer taps Varkala usually hides, and they will pull out a small chalkboard from under the counter.

8. Inka Restaurant and Bar, near the North Cliff Auto Stand

The Vibe? The closest thing Varkala has to a proper pub, with a real bar counter and a deep kitchen that runs until midnight.
The Bill? ₹280 to ₹550 per bottle or pour.
The Standout? Their masala cashew nuts, tossed in a clay pot and served warm with the salt still clinging to the cashews.
The Catch? The sound system after 9 pm turns into a Bollywood karaoke situation that some nights is magical and some nights is painful.

Inka is where local auto drivers go for a beer after their shift, where visiting yoga teachers unwind, and where the cliff crowd ends up when the sunset bars close. They carry a reliable rotation of mainstream Indian craft, Bira 91, Simba, Kingfisher Storm, and they often have one seasonal tap from Goa Brewing Society that disappears quickly. The bartender, Ramesh, has worked there for twelve years and will tell you exactly how many kegs he has poured this month if you ask.

The local tip: walk in from the auto stand side, not the cliff side. The auto stand entrance leads past the kitchen to the actual bar counter, while the cliff entrance funnels you through a tourist-heavy dining room that runs slower service.

9. Temple District Microbrewery, Thiruvananthapuram Day Trip

The Vibe? Full production microbrewery in the state capital, about a 50-minute drive south.
The Bill? ₹400 to ₹900 per pint.
The Standout? Their Belgian-style witbier brewed with Kerala cardamom, served unfiltered in the tank room.
The Catch? You need a driver, a cab costs roughly ₹1,800 round trip from the cliff.

If you are serious about Indian craft and you have a half-day to spare, the microbrewery Varkala drinkers quietly drive to is Temple District in Thiruvananthapuram. It is the closest production brewery to Varkala and one of the first microbreweries in Kerala. The taproom has a flight option, the kitchen runs proper pub food, and the brewer, a former B9 alumni, walks around the floor and talks beer if you flag him down. Most Varkala bars actually source from here when they can, so visiting gives you a sense of where the local liquid originates.

The insider move: visit on a weekday. Weekends get family crowds and the flight pours get rushed. A Tuesday or Wednesday visit means you can stand at the bar for twenty minutes and chat about hop varieties without feeling like you are holding up a line.

When to Go and What to Know

The craft beer calendar in Varkala follows two overlapping rhythms. The weather window from November through February brings the best tap rotations because distributors are flush and bars compete for tourists. The off-season, June through August, is monsoon, and many cliff bars close entirely or reduce hours. March through May is brutally hot, and outdoor seating gets uncomfortable past 4 pm, which is why most serious drinking shifts to indoor spots like Malabar Cafe and Inka.

Pricing runs lower than metro India. A craft pint or bottle in Varkala typically falls between ₹300 and ₹800, with imported bottles occasionally hitting ₹1,200. Cash is king at the smaller places. ATMs cluster near the helipad and along the north cliff main path. Public drinking is technically restricted on the cliff itself, but enforcement is inconsistent and most cliff-adjacent bars have rooftop or garden spaces where you can finish your pour legally.

A few etiquette notes. Kerala is a conservative state. Avoid loud drunk behavior near temples, and cover shoulders and knees when walking past the Janardhanaswamy Temple on the cliff path. Tipping is appreciated but not required; rounding up to the nearest fifty works for table service. Plastic bottles are everywhere; bring a refillable steel bottle for water because the refill stations on the cliff charge ₹20 to ₹40 and the quality is reliable.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that Varkala is famous for?

Varkala does not have a signature alcoholic drink, but the non-alcoholic anchor is the local tender coconut water pulled from trees within 5 km of the cliff, served in the shell for ₹60 to ₹100. On the food side, the must-try is kappa with fish curry, a Kerala cassava mash paired with spicy red coconut fish curry, available at most cliff-adjacent restaurants for ₹250 to ₹400.

How easy is it to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in Varkala?

Vegetarian Kerala food is widely available because of the strong temple influence on the cliff, and most restaurants along the north cliff road run dedicated veg kitchens. Pure vegan options require more effort, but at least four or five spots, including Coffee Temple and the Malabar Cafe, will customize appams, idiyappam, and vegetable stews on request. Vegan craft beer is rarer; most Indian craft labels like Bira 91 use animal-derived finings, so you will need to ask specifically about vegan-certified pours.

Are there any specific dress codes or cultural etiquettes to keep in mind when visiting local spots in Varkala?

There is no formal dress code at any of the bars listed here, but the cliff sits next to the Janardhanaswamy Temple, and the immediate temple path expects covered shoulders and covered knees. Within bars, beachwear is fine, but going shirtless gets you asked to leave even at the most relaxed cliff spots. Public smoking is restricted to designated zones, and most cliff bars have removed indoor ashtrays.

Is the tap water in Varkala safe to drink, or should travelers strictly rely on filtered water options?

Tap water in Varkala is not considered safe for tourists. The municipal supply is treated, but pipe conditions in older buildings near the cliff mean travelers routinely pick up stomach bugs. Stick to bottled, filtered, or RO water. Refill stations on the cliff charge ₹20 to ₹40 per liter and use commercial RO systems. Most mid-range restaurants also offer free filtered water in carafes if you ask.

Is Varkala expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers.

Mid-tier daily budgets in Varkala typically run ₹3,500 to ₹6,000 per person, not including accommodation. A realistic breakdown: ₹800 to ₹1,500 for two craft beers or one cocktail at a cliff bar, ₹800 to ₹1,200 for meals across lunch and dinner at mid-range restaurants, ₹500 to ₹900 for auto rides and short tuk-tuk hops, ₹300 to ₹600 for filtered water, snacks, and small souvenirs, and ₹200 to ₹400 for tips and entry fees at viewpoints. Accommodation on the cliff runs ₹2,500 to ₹7,000 per night for a clean mid-range room in season, so the full daily total with lodging lands between ₹6,000 and ₹13,000 depending on the month and the view.