Must-see restaurants in India
Fatehpur Sikri
This friendly, family-run place is a convenient lunch stop before taking the bus back to Agra. Sit on the rooftop at the large, elongated marble table and…
Mumbai (Bombay)
One of the iconic eateries of Mumbai, Mocambo Cafe and Beer Bar has recently undergone a revamp, bringing in new customers with its blissful air…
Mcleod Ganj
The dated if comfy red-padded seating isn't especially enticing but a notable attraction here is trying spicy Bhutanese food including kewa datse …
Manali
Popular and spacious, Rendez-Vous has a large front garden-yard and an interior decked with artistic photography. Its menu covers many bases, doing a…
Prayagraj (Allahabad)
This large, airy, 50-year-old coffee hall is a classic South Indian choice for a budget breakfast (including Continental choices like eggs, omelettes and…
Lahaul & Spiti
This hotel restaurant's colourful lamps, blue-gingham table-cloths and spacious, tree-fronted terrace make for the most atmospheric dining experience on…
Old Delhi (Shahjahanabad)
This bright little canteen offers tasty snacks such as paratha (stuffed bread), samosa and channa bhatura (spicy chickpeas with fried puffed bread). There…
Dharamsala
A favourite evening gathering place for the Dharamkot crowd, with a large if somewhat ragged covered lounging terrace where you can eat lamb burgers,…
Panaji & Central Goa
This all-vegetarian restaurant, on the right-hand side of the main road when entering town from the south, makes a good lunch stop, whipping out high…
Bihar & Jharkhand
Hotel Sapna Restaurant is towards the top end of the main road (by the road's bend), and has a 1st-floor vegetarian restaurant serving tasty South Indian…
Uttar Pradesh
One of the better, cleaner dhabas opposite the railway station. It does good thalis (₹60 to ₹130) and is open late. The friendly owner tends to dote on…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
Waiters in fan-tailed hats dish out South Indian filter coffee plus dosas, uttapams (savoury rice pancakes) and other down-south favourites in this busy…
Himachal Pradesh
To eat in what must be one of the world's smallest revolving restaurants (five small tables), you'll need to pre-book a day or two ahead. There's a ₹400…
Arambol (Harmal)
Among the many little clifftop restaurants, Outback is consistently good for seafood and is always a great place for a sundowner, preferably right after…
Kalimpong
This place serves generous portions of mainly Chinese food with some Indian accents, overlooked by Bob Marley and Marilyn Monroe murals, and there’s a bar…
Himachal Pradesh
The tables are scrappy and the murals a little mix-and-match but the views are some of the best of all the Vashisht traveller cafes.
Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram)
A long-time Mamallapuram fixture with a menu leaning towards Indian and seafood. The food won't win any prizes but the three floors of tables keep busy…
Mcleod Ganj
Simple but cosy and clean, this little vegetarian cafe is popular with Tibetans, including monks and nuns, dining on momos and various noodle soups.
Mcleod Ganj
Part-mirrored walls make this friendly orange box-restaurant look bigger than it is and you might need to squeeze in for the good pasta and Tibetan dishes.
Dharamsala
More useful as a landmark than as a place to dine, this handy spot faces Dharamkot's autorickshaw stand and is OK as a place for a cuppa or cheap snack.
Uttarakhand
This long-running family eatery features popular South and North Indian veg and nonveg dishes, including biryanis and lemon chicken.
Himachal Pradesh
Cosy in all its rough simplicity, Anapurna is a basic, inexpensive place for filling local food such as rajma (bean curry).
Punjab (India)
Down a land beside the bus stand, Bholla does tasty sweets and snacks, and has a gloomy basement restaurant serving okay food.
Trichy (Tiruchirappalli)
Offers one of the least inspiring buffets we've seen, in the Breeze Residency Hotel.
Munnar
Next to a small playground, the DTPC's outdoor food court includes a New York Chicken outlet, a dosa stand and a juice bar.
Tamil Nadu
An inexpensive vegetarian joint serving all-veg thali lunches (₹90), plus evening dosas and uttapams.
Gujarat & Diu
Opposite the bus stand, Jagruti is a wildly busy thali house. It's also not great on hygiene.
Khajuraho
A small kiosk selling snacks and cold drinks inside the Western Group of temples.
