Breakfast, Tiffin and Dinner at The Dunnottar
How food works at our Kodaikanal bungalow—from breakfast in the garden to tiffin, home-cooked dinners and evenings around the wood-fired pizza oven.
Food has always been part of the rhythm of The Dunnottar.
For four generations of our family, days here were organised loosely around walks by the lake, time in the garden and the next meal. Breakfast took as long as it took. Lunch brought everyone back to the table. Tiffin arrived in the late afternoon. Dinner was when the family gathered again.
That rhythm remains.
The Dunnottar is a private family bungalow rather than a hotel, but guests do not have to leave the property or organise every meal themselves.
Breakfast is included every morning. Lunch, dinner, snacks, tiffin, grills and wood-fired pizzas can be arranged from the bungalow kitchen and are charged separately.
Here is how it works.
Breakfast Is Included
Breakfast is included for every guest, every day.
The menu changes, but breakfast generally includes:
Coffee and tea
Seasonal fruit
Bread and locally sourced condiments
Eggs cooked to order
One rotating South Indian breakfast dish
There is no buffet line and no hotel dining room filling and emptying according to a fixed sitting.
Breakfast is prepared in the bungalow kitchen and served at the table. Depending on the weather and the group, that may be in one of the dining rooms, on the verandah, in the garden or near the South Garden Terrace.
Some groups come down together. In others, the children arrive first, followed by the early walkers, and then the people who decided to sleep longer.
The table fills gradually.
Coffee and Tea
Both bungalows have pantry facilities for the practical things guests tend to need through the day.
These include coffee and tea equipment, a refrigerator, microwave, kettle, crockery, glasses and basic serving items.
The exact provisions may vary, but guests do not have to leave the property whenever someone wants coffee, tea or hot water.
For many of us, the first cup belongs outside.
Kodaikanal mornings are often cold. The lake is quieter before the traffic begins, and the eucalyptus still holds the moisture from the night. Coffee tends to last longer here than it does at home.
Tiffin Between Four and Five
Tiffin is the late-afternoon pause between lunch and dinner.
At The Dunnottar, it usually arrives between four and five.
The afternoon rain in Kodaikanal often begins around three. By four, people have returned from a walk, moved inside from the garden or gathered somewhere near the fire.
Tiffin may be something savoury, something light or something suited to the day and the weather. The current menu and available choices can be discussed with the bungalow team.
It is not intended to become a formal meal.
It is simply the point in the day when tea returns, something is brought from the kitchen and the house gathers again.
Lunch from the Bungalow Kitchen
Lunch can be arranged from the bungalow kitchen and is charged separately.
The food is home-cooked and prepared for the group rather than placed on a standing buffet.
Guests can discuss the current menu, dietary requirements and preferred meal times with the team. It is useful to make arrangements in advance, particularly for larger groups, children, older guests or people with allergies.
Lunch can be served in the bungalow dining rooms or outdoors when the weather allows.
For many families, being able to eat at the house changes the pace of the holiday.
There is no need to move fifteen people into cars, find a restaurant with enough space and wait for several different orders. Everyone returns to one table.
After lunch, nobody has to go anywhere.
Dinner at the House
Dinner is also available on request and charged separately.
Some groups eat early, particularly when travelling with young children or older family members. Others sit down later after a bonfire or an evening in the garden.
The bungalow is not operated like a restaurant with an unlimited, all-day menu. Meals are planned with the kitchen so ingredients, timings and the needs of the group can be managed properly.
The kitchen is generally open from 8am to 9pm.
Guests should ask for the current menu and rates before or during the stay. When possible, dinner choices should be confirmed in advance rather than decided at the last moment.
This makes the evening easier for both the group and the house team.
The Wood-Fired Pizza Oven
The wood-fired pizza oven sits on the South Garden Terrace, set into the stone wall behind the long table.
It takes time to prepare and heat properly. Pizza evenings should therefore be arranged with the team in advance.
When the Whole Bungalow is booked, the terrace and pizza oven are available to the group as part of the full property.
When North and South are occupied separately, the team may need to coordinate the timing of the pizza oven between the two bungalow groups.
The oven is not there as a decorative amenity. It is used.
The fire is prepared, the terrace fills and pizzas come out one at a time. People remain at the table longer because the next one is still in the oven.
Grills and Bonfire Evenings
A grill and bonfire can also be arranged on request and are charged separately where applicable.
These require advance preparation and must be set up by the bungalow team in the designated areas.
Kodaikanal evenings become cold quickly. A group that spent the afternoon in different parts of the house often ends up in the same place once the fire is lit.
The grill, bonfire and pizza oven are not separate programmes or scheduled activities.
They are simply different ways the evening can settle.
Food for Families and Groups
One of the difficulties of travelling as a large family is that everybody eats differently.
Children may need dinner earlier. Older guests may prefer familiar food. One person may be vegetarian. Another may have an allergy. Someone else may want only soup after a long journey up the ghat road.
The most useful thing guests can do is tell us before arrival.
Please share:
Allergies
Dietary restrictions
Vegetarian or non-vegetarian preferences
Requirements for young children
Preferred arrival meal
Approximate meal timings
Any celebration or special request
The team can then confirm what can be accommodated and help plan the first meals of the stay.
Do not wait until everyone is hungry to begin the conversation.
What Is Included and What Is Charged Separately?
Breakfast — Included for every guest
Lunch — Available on request; charged separately
Dinner — Available on request; charged separately
Snacks — Available on request; charged separately
Tiffin — Available on request; charged separately
Grill — Available on request; charged separately
Wood-fired pizzas — Available on request; charged separately
Bonfire setup — Available on request; charges may apply
Special dietary arrangements — Discuss with the team in advance
Current menus and prices should be requested before the stay or from the bungalow team after arrival.
Is The Dunnottar Self-Catering?
The Dunnottar is not normally operated as a self-catering rental.
Guests are not expected to shop, cook every meal, clean the kitchen or manage the running of the house.
Guest cooking is not part of the standard stay. Use of the main kitchen for something specific must be discussed in advance and is subject to availability and approval.
Third-party caterers and private chefs are not permitted on the property.
This allows the kitchen and house team to maintain a consistent working system throughout the stay.
Planning Meals Before Arrival
The easiest dining arrangement begins before the group reaches Kodaikanal.
Once a booking is confirmed:
Ask for the current menu and meal rates.
Share dietary requirements and allergies.
Confirm whether the group will arrive before lunch or dinner.
Choose the first meal in advance.
Request pizza, grill or bonfire arrangements with sufficient notice.
Let the team know whether children or older guests need different timings.
After the first day, the group and bungalow team can settle into a simpler daily rhythm.
Breakfast is already taken care of.
The rest can be planned according to what the group wants to do.
A House Organised Around the Table
The Dunnottar has two dining rooms, outdoor tables, a garden terrace and several places where tea can be left while somebody becomes occupied with a book.
But the point is not the number of places where food can be served.
It is that the group can remain together without every meal becoming an excursion.
Breakfast begins the day. Lunch brings everyone back. Tiffin marks the change in weather. Dinner gathers the house again.
The food comes from the bungalow kitchen.
The time around it belongs to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is breakfast included?
Yes. Breakfast is included for every guest, every day.
Are lunch and dinner included?
No. Lunch, dinner, snacks, tiffin, grills and wood-fired pizzas are available on request and charged separately.
Can dietary requirements be accommodated?
Please share all allergies and dietary requirements before arrival. The team will confirm what can be accommodated.
Can we cook for ourselves?
Guest cooking is not part of the standard stay. Any specific kitchen requirement must be discussed and approved in advance.
Can we bring a private chef or caterer?
No. Third-party caterers and private chefs are not permitted on the property.
Do we need to request the pizza oven in advance?
Yes. The oven requires preparation and should be arranged with the bungalow team in advance.
Where is breakfast served?
Breakfast may be served in a bungalow dining room or outdoors, depending on the weather and the arrangements for the day.
Plan Your Stay at The Dunnottar
Breakfast is included. Ask for the current menu when you enquire, and let us know about dietary requirements or the meal you would like ready when you arrive.
