Kollam's food scene is straightforward Kerala cooking — rice and fish curry, karimeen (pearl spot fish) fry, appam with stew, and prawn dishes that make the most of the lake's catch. Most good eating happens in small, unpretentious restaurants rather than hotel dining rooms.
Hotel Guru Prasad near the bus stand does reliable Kerala thali meals at lunch. For seafood, the restaurants around the beach road often serve the morning's catch prepared simply — fried or in a coconut-milk curry. The cashew-based sweets sold by street vendors near Chinnakada are worth trying.
The Government Guest House restaurant overlooking the lake serves decent Kerala food in calm surroundings and is a popular spot for travellers on a budget.