Annalakshmi is run on an unusual model: it's a vegetarian restaurant operated by volunteers under the philosophy that food is an expression of devotion. The cooks are unpaid members of the Temple of Fine Arts charitable trust. The prices follow a pay-what-you-can principle, though most visitors pay the suggested amount.
The food is traditional Tamil vegetarian — thali meals with rice, sambar, rasam, kootu (vegetable and lentil preparations), and a selection of curries. Everything is made without onion or garlic (following strict Brahminic vegetarian principles), which would seem like a limitation but isn't: the cooking is subtle and skilled, and the flavours achieve their depth through other means.
The restaurant is on Anna Salai (Mount Road) in the Anna Nagar area. It attracts a mix of pilgrims, tourists, and middle-class Chennai families who come as much for the atmosphere as the food.