Must-see restaurants in Kashmir & 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…

  • Ahdoos Restaurant

    Srinagar

    This historic restaurant (a century old in 2018) is the classiest place in town to try meaty wazwan (traditional Kashmiri multicourse meal) dishes such as…

  • 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…

  • Falak

    Kashmir & Ladakh

    This smart revolving restaurant serves superb tandoori kebabs and pan-Indian dishes while offering 360-degree views of the crowded Jammu cityscape. Try…

  • 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…

  • Mughal Darbar

    Srinagar

    This upstairs restaurant is a great place to try a full spread of Kashmiri cuisine, though good Indian veg dishes are also served. A special room with…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Lhasa Restaurant

    Srinagar

    This small, cosy place for Tibetan, Indian and Kashmiri food suffers a little from mosquitoes but the garden area and giant sunflowers are a pleasant…

  • 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…

  • Lime Tree

    Kashmir & Ladakh

    One of Jammu's top restaurants has casually fashionable indoor and outdoor rooftop pub-style tables at which to enjoy anything from Indonesian satay to…

  • 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…

  • 14th Avenue Cafe & Grill

    Srinagar

    This fashionable, five-table coffee-cube overlooking the Jhelum River serves a selection of traveller-pleasing European snacks and offers free delivery of…

  • 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…

  • PC Palace Restaurant

    Kashmir & Ladakh

    One of Central Kargil's few appealing restaurants is hidden upstairs in the overrated PC Palace Hotel. The Indian food is excellent, though the rather…

  • Stream

    Srinagar

    Comfortably air-conditioned, this reliable, smart eatery is slightly set back from the Boulevard and serves a particularly good range of pan-Indian…

  • 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…

  • Changthang Restaurant

    Kashmir & Ladakh

    With Chinese lamps creating an intimate glow, this pleasant upstairs eatery offers a fairly wide-ranging menu that's served with ₹200 beers.

  • Zan-Khar

    Kashmir & Ladakh

    Staff seem lethargic but manage to turn out relatively appealing Tibetan dishes (try the mixed momo thukpa), a good roasted cheese potato and fat-but…

  • Billu Di Hatti

    Kashmir & Ladakh

    There are numerous good street food stalls around Residency Rd: Billu Di Hatti is every bit as grimy-looking as most, but regular queues (mostly for…

  • Crescent Lake View Restaurant

    Srinagar

    With just two modern tables with settees, money changing facilities, a tour/trekking agency, and a couple of rooms upstairs (single/double ₹800/1200),…

  • 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…

  • Zaira Sweets & Fast Food

    Kashmir & Ladakh

    More inviting than most of the bus station dhabas, Zaira's chana puri is particularly good and it takes a wayward stab at burgers and pizza if you're…

  • Eternal Peace

    Srinagar & the Kashmir Valley

    This guesthouse has a fairly attractive restaurant section serving basic meals just above the parking area at the end of the road just before the first…

  • Rajma-Rice Stall

    Kashmir & Ladakh

    This nameless, no-seat stall outside Hotel Natraj ladles out four types of kidney bean–based curries plus slivers of fried paneer onto plates of rice to…

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