Do not miss the Kathakali, but don't book this trip - We booked the Kathakali Classical Dance Performance with Dinner on February 16th. To begin on a positive note, the dance performance itself was absolutely wonderful—truly a highlight of our time in Kerala. The driver assigned to us was also fantastic: professional, punctual, and courteous. Unfortunately, the dinner portion of the evening significantly detracted from the experience. The meal was held at Cochin Fort Restaurant, and the food was, quite frankly, inedible. The first course was described as chicken soup but arrived as a gelatinous, unappetizing dish. When we informed the waiter that our daughter is vegetarian, he seemed visibly annoyed and offered little assistance. Given that this was in South India, where vegetarianism is extremely common, the reaction was both surprising and concerning. The quality of the food only declined from there. We were unable to eat most of the meal and ended up having little more than bread for dinner. My husband, who ate slightly more than the rest of us, spent the following day vomiting, and we were genuinely concerned he may have experienced food poisoning. Afterward, I read online reviews of the restaurant and saw that many others have reported similar issues. This raises serious concerns about how dining partners are selected for what is marketed as a premium-priced experience. Considering the cost of this tour, we expected a dinner that matched the quality of the performance. In hindsight, I regret not arranging the evening independently by purchasing tickets directly and hiring a driver myself. I am also concerned that there appear to be very few online reviews specifically for this experience, which makes the situation even more troubling. We have always trusted Viator and have had excellent experiences in the past, so this was surprising and disappointing. I hope Viator carefully reviews its restaurant partnership for this tour so future guests do not have a similar experience.