Restaurant India News: Cookgramam Reopens in Anna Nagar, Chennai

Cookgramam – Organic Vegetarian Fine Dining has reopened in Anna Nagar after a thoughtful renovation that blends the charm of a Tamil village with the polish of fine dining. 

Founded by Devi Umapathi, the restaurant is an extension of G Organics LLP, Chennai’s early organic supermarket chain launched in 2014. The idea has always been simple: serve pure, farm-to-table food in a space that respects Tamil culture, craft, and community. The name Cookgramam means “a small village” in Tamil, and the restaurant reflects this through its design. Guests are welcomed by tinnai-style seating, handwoven kaitharikathil chairs, oxide floors, and bamboo ceilings.

“Cookgramam brings the soul of a Tamil village into a fine-dining space,” says Devi Umapathi, Founder & CEO. “Every plate honours the farmer, the artisan, and the soil — it’s Tamil food as our grandmothers imagined it, refined for today.” 

The interiors feature Chettinad-style Athangudi tiles sourced from artisans in Athangudi village, along with a restored 100-year-old kathavu and traditional windows.  At the centre is a muttram courtyard with a gentle waterfall, creating a calm, village-like atmosphere. A Keezhadi-inspired mask, crafted by a GI-tagged artisan from Puducherry, adds a cultural focal point.

The menu focuses on organic vegetarian Tamil cuisine, reimagined for today while staying rooted in tradition. Dishes represent regional flavours from Kongu, Chettinad, and Thanjavur, prepared using indigenous rice varieties such as Thooyamalli, Kichili Samba, Mappillai Samba, Seeraga Samba, Karunguruvai, and Karuppu Kavuni. All food is cooked fresh daily with wood-pressed oils, natural sweeteners, and no preservatives, refined sugar, artificial colours, or Ajinomoto.

At Cookgramam, the emphasis is on wholesome, guilt-free meals that feel like home-cooked food made with care, purity, and the warmth of a traditional Tamil kitchen offering healthy dining without compromise.