Vegetarian and Jain Food in the Andamans: Havelock, Neil and Port Blair

How to eat vegetarian, vegan or Jain in the Andamans: what is available in Port Blair, Havelock and Neil, how to plan meals, and what to ask your hotel.

By the Lux India Tours Team·Oct 19, 2026

Andaman IslandsDestination GuideFood & CulturePlanning Guide

Aberdeen Bazaar street in Port Blair with shops and traffic

The Andamans are known for fish, and a visitor who does not eat it may fear a week of plain rice. That fear is out of date. Vegetarian food is easy to find on all three main islands, and with a little planning Jain and vegan meals are workable too.

What changes is the range. This guide describes what you can count on, where, and what to arrange in advance.

Aberdeen Bazaar, the main market street of Port Blair.

The short version

Island	Vegetarian	Jain and vegan	Notes
Port Blair	Easy, with many Indian restaurants	Possible with notice	Widest choice
Havelock	Easy at resorts and in the main market area	Possible at larger resorts	Fewer options late at night
Neil	Available at resorts and small cafes	Needs notice	Smaller menus; plan ahead

What the islands eat

The Andamans have a mixed population, with settlers from Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra and other parts of India. That is why the food is wider than a "seafood coast" label suggests. Bengali home cooking, South Indian tiffin, North Indian thalis and fish and chips all share the same streets.

For vegetarians, the staples are:

Thalis and set meals: dal, rice, two vegetables, roti, curd and pickle.
South Indian breakfasts: idli, dosa and upma are found in most small eateries.
North Indian dishes: paneer, dal makhani and rotis at tourist restaurants.
Fruit and coconut: fresh, cheap and widely available.

Where to eat, by island

Port Blair

The capital has the largest choice. Aberdeen Bazaar and the streets around it have a mix of vegetarian restaurants, sweet shops and larger family places. You can find North Indian, South Indian and Chinese-style vegetarian menus without difficulty. Hotels in Port Blair also serve full vegetarian meals.

Havelock

Havelock's food is concentrated near the main jetty and the market area, and at the resorts. Resorts usually offer vegetarian options, with a few having a set vegetarian menu or a separate kitchen. Smaller restaurants near the beach roads do vegetarian thalis and Indian dishes.

Resorts on Radhanagar and on the quieter beaches are often far from other places to eat. Check the meal plan, because dinner may be the only practical option.

Neil

Neil is smaller and its food scene is simple. Most visitors eat at their stay or at a handful of small restaurants near the market and the beach. Vegetarian food is available, but menus are short, and a day's supply can run out. Order ahead.

Jain, vegan and special diets

Jain food, without onion and garlic, and vegan meals are possible but need notice.

Tell your hotel when you book, and again a day before arrival.
Ask what is on the menu. A resort kitchen can adapt a thali or a simple pasta more easily than a roadside stall.
Carry a few dry snacks, such as nuts, biscuits or fruit, for the ferry and long beach days.
Be specific. "No onion, no garlic, no root vegetables" is clearer than "Jain".

Supplies are shipped in from the mainland, so some ingredients can be short. This is more noticeable on Neil and in the off-season.

Practical tips

Fix dinner plans on Havelock early. The best restaurants fill up in peak season.
Keep an eye on timing. Many small places close by 9 or 9:30 pm.
Ferries and boats rarely have a wide vegetarian choice. Pack your own.
Water and street food: stay with bottled or filtered water, and with freshly cooked food. See our food safety guide.
Check the meal plan. Many packages include breakfast only.

Fitting this into a plan

If you are planning the whole trip, the 6-day Andaman itinerary shows where each night falls, and the how many days guide shows how long to stay on each island. For hotels with strong dining on Havelock and Neil, see Barefoot at Havelock and Seashell Neil.