The cliff-top restaurants along Lighthouse Beach are the heart of eating in Kovalam. Most serve a standard menu of grilled seafood, Indian curries, and Western breakfasts. The fish is genuinely fresh — the fishing boats at Hawah Beach are often the source — and the grilled lobster and king prawns are the dishes to order. Beyond the beach strip, the local restaurants down the backstreets serve Kerala meals at a fraction of the tourist prices.