Must-see restaurants in Ladakh

  • Alchi Kitchen

    Ladakh

    Alchi Kitchen offers a rare chance to taste traditional Ladakhi foods made with a modern twist. The striking, mod-trad open kitchen runs out flavoursome…

  • Bon Appetit

    Leh

    Hidden down unlikely footpaths south of Changspa Rd, classy Bon Appetit has far more finesse than most in Leh, so consider booking. Much on the eclectic…

  • Alchi Kitchen

    Leh

    This branch of the Alchi restaurant offers the same mix of traditional Ladakhi foods given a modern twist and served in contemporary, stylish decor (with…

  • Café Cloud

    Ladakh

    Hidden behind adobe walls, 1km from Thiksey, this upmarket garden restaurant is essentially the only choice for quality European food east of Leh. Dishes…

  • Gyab-Thago

    Ladakh

    With a day's notice, excellent traditional meals are served in the relatively new but still very traditional kitchen of this homestay house. A full spread…

  • Tibetan Kitchen

    Leh

    Local families tend to eat at home, but for a special treat this is one of the few tourist-area restaurants they are likely to come to, thanks to ever…

  • Food Planet

    Leh

    A Russian–Indian couple has created a menu that really covers the globe. Expect a lot of the more interesting seasonal dishes to be unavailable (guacamole…

  • Ladakh Women's Café

    Leh

    This tiny little upstairs place run by a local women's group has a local vibe and unbeatable rock-bottom prices. Food is limited to a single lunch dish of…

  • Balti Kitchen

    Nubra Valley

    This is the place to come for quality vegan Baltistani dishes such as kisir (buckwheat pancake) with moskot (walnut puree with onion and chilli) and…

  • Namza Restaurant

    Leh

    This new open-air restaurant hidden at the back of a fashion boutique feels like a bit of an upscale town secret, which combined with the seating under a…

  • Wonderland Restaurant & Coffee Shop

    Leh

    Of several long-established rooftop restaurants on Changspa Rd, ever-popular Wonderland has neither the best view nor the snazziest decor but the food is…

  • Balti Farm

    Nubra Valley

    The imaginative à la carte restaurant at Turtuk Holiday dishes up sparklingly reimagined Balti dishes sourced almost entirely from its own orchards and…

  • Il Forno

    Leh

    Il Forno's rooftop offers remarkable views of the Leh Palace and Tsemo Fort across Main Bazaar. Reliable for years, the menu covers many bases from…

  • Penguin Garden

    Leh

    It's well worth seeking out this slightly dusty garden restaurant of apricot trees. If the fresh-cooked tandoori chicken has run out (typical by mid…

  • La Piazzetta

    Leh

    Candles, lanterns, muralled walls and an open fire (on colder nights) create a warm, dimly lit appeal that keeps this terrace restaurant buzzing well…

  • Lamayuru Restaurant

    Leh

    Well run, reliable and good value, this trusty standby is one place that we keep coming back to for everything from Indian curries (great kadhai paneer)…

  • G-Kitchen

    Leh

    G-Kitchen is a definite notch above the competition in Changspa thanks to its stylish decor, airy terrace and its ambitious menu. Lamb dishes come with…

  • Amigo

    Leh

    Chicken- and vegetarian-based Korean food that offers a different set of tastes served in a ground floor courtyard. Try the bibambob, the sushi-like kim…

  • Café Jeevan

    Leh

    Good for fresh juices, breakfasts, vegetarian Italian food, and especially for interesting, locally grown salads. There's a glass-walled kitchen, a cosy…

  • Chopsticks

    Leh

    This modern pan-Asian restaurant has built its solid reputation on quality noodle dishes, tasty (but not very spicy) Thai curries and soups. Enter via the…

  • La Terasse

    Leh

    A central Leh standard, the eponymous terrace seating is pleasant with comfortable plush seats, and the huge menu is reliable, from the excellent Israeli…

  • Chamba Hotel Restaurant

    Ladakh

    Set around a relaxing garden, this restaurant turns out a wide range of vegetarian food for a stream of small groups visiting the Indus Valley monasteries…

  • Chaska-Maska Dosa House

    Leh

    Leh's main port of call for a crispy dosa (large South Indian savoury crepe), but there's also a full menu of Indian dishes, breakfasts, juices and even…

  • Neha Snacks

    Leh

    Attractive if minimalist snack shop that's so popular you'll have to squeeze together with strangers at one of the four tables. This is fast food Punjabi…

  • Tharpaling Restaurant

    Ladakh

    Around 1.5km east of the centre on the main road to Leh, this unpretentious restaurant's key draw is the view across the nearby 'Moonland' erosion…

  • Samyas Open Garden Restaurant

    Ladakh

    Though this vegetarian restaurant sits right beside the Khalsi bus stand, it has a surprisingly charming garden of apple and apricot trees. The veg thali…

  • Hemis Gompa Restaurant

    Ladakh

    This somewhat scrappy, tent-like place has a remarkably wide-ranging menu and the dishes are pretty good.