Kozhikode (Calicut)
Join the inevitably long queue out the door at this always-packed restaurant, founded in 1939. The overwhelming menu is famous for its legendary chicken…
Must-see restaurants in India
Kovalam
In the lanes behind southern Lighthouse Beach, this little restaurant plates up some of Kovalam's best vegetarian food at reasonable prices, in a simple…
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…
Dharamsala
For beautifully blended flavours, this all-vegan delight is hard to beat with its imaginative range of stews, delicious 'Buddha-bowls', soups and curries…
Kachchh (Kutch)
Just a small step up from a food stall, this grimy-walled place is a local legend. Try a vadapav (a spiced fried potato with chutney in a sandwich) or go…
Chennai (Madras)
Meat-eaters will drool over the yummy North Indian tandoori dishes served in well-lit, stylishly minimalist surroundings, but the veg food here is…
Chennai (Madras)
Very fine South and North Indian vegetarian fare, plus glorious fresh juices, in a beautiful dining room decorated with carvings and paintings, inside a…
Bodhgaya
Tucked away behind the market stalls at the Tourist Bus Park (take the lane beside Fujiya Green restaurant), Mohammad's whips up a fine array of food from…
Maharashtra
Inside one of Nagpur's most regal hotels, this equally austere, incredibly atmospheric restaurant serves the delectable recipes of India's noble class,…
Gujarat & Diu
Great food. Great atmosphere. The restaurant next to, and part of, the Lotus Hotel delivers a sleek first impression, with a modern – and very white –…
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
One of Pondy's favourite culinary teams heads up this fashionable continental-Indian eatery, launched in 2016 in a dreamy, lantern-lit patio engulfed by…
Aurangabad
Rightly famous for its delicious, unlimited Rajasthani and Gujarati thalis, Bhoj is a wonderful place to refuel and relax after a hard day on the road (or…
Bodhgaya
This quaint and cosy cafe serves aromatic espressos (₹90), herbal teas and healthy Italian cuisine – salads, pastas and freshly baked pizza. This is one…
Konkan Coast
It's not the easiest place to eat (no English sign, nearly no English spoken and no napkins – so bring some baby wipes), but the delicious Maharashtrian…
Vrindavan
This mellow, well-run restaurant on the 2nd floor of the MVT Guesthouse is a great place to get a break from Indian food. The menu runs from Thai to…
Ajmer
This upmarket restaurant, located in Ajmer’s top hotel, the Mansingh Palace, offers excellent Indian, Continental and Chinese dishes, as well as a buffet…
Ahmedabad (Amdavad)
This is by far the most popular night market in the city, and it heaves with hungry locals. Favourites include the dosa stall that dishes out the South…
Maharashtra
The best of Fardapur's streetside dhabas (casual eatery serving basic meals), this excellent spot is fresh, cheap and satisfying. The famous cook, Babu,…
Prayagraj (Allahabad)
This standing-room-only food shack does only one thing, but does it so well and so cheaply that queues of hungry punters spill out into the surrounding…
Spiti
The Deyzor hotel's restaurant is decked with artistic local photos and offers plenty to read, and there's an eclectic range of dishes, from Thai to thukpa…
Kachchh (Kutch)
If you're growing weary of an endless succession of so-so thalis then this upmarket restaurant inside the Comfort Inn Prince will restore your faith. It…
Coonoor
With tables on the veranda of a beautifully revamped 19th-century bungalow, La Belle Vie has guests driving miles for its flavour-popping European-Indian…
Sikkim
John Wayne, Kurt Cobain and The Beatles are among the cover stars at this international-style coffeehouse-pizzeria that also serves a range of pastas …
Sikkim
Delve down the stairway-alley beside Yak Hotel at the southern edge of town to find this freshly welcoming place for delicious, very genuine Sikkimese…
Rishikesh
This happening tree-house-style restaurant has an ultraloungey top floor, tables overlooking the Ganges and really good international food. Pizzas are big…
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…
Mcleod Ganj
As well as McLeod's best barista coffee, this excellent gallery-cafe serves some very imaginative cuisine including brown-bread open sandwiches (try the…
Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh
High-quality Indian and continental dishes, as well as some Thai, Nepali and Marathi specialities, are served in the air-con restaurant or on the palm…
Madurai
Though it now has multiple Chennai branches, Murugan is Madurai born and bred. Here you can put the fluffy signature idli and chutneys to the test, and…
Shimla
It's just four heavy wooden tables crammed into a bazaar-box shop-unit but the metalcraft lamps add character and the deliciously flavoured thalis …
Port Blair
Fresh seafood grilled, steamed or barbecued to taste is the speciality at this unadorned favourite, but there's also punchy veg or prawn biryani and an…
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
Trivandrum's best all-you-can-eat South Indian veg thalis mean long-running Ariya Nivaas is always busy (especially at lunchtime), but service is snappy…
Kerala
Spotless, air-conditioned Bharath is widely regarded as the best veg restaurant in town and the place for a lunchtime thali (₹86 to ₹165), a Keralan…
Kodaikanal (Kodai)
This pure-veg restaurant is always packed with locals and tourists, especially at lunchtime when it serves fantastic all-you-can-eat thalis.
Madurai
Decked with old-Madurai photos, Sri Sabareesh is a popular pure-veg cheapie that rustles up good South Indian thalis (₹90), dosa, idli, uttapam and vada,…
New Delhi
Delhi’s best thali (₹230–320) is served up in unassuming surroundings – a simple Tamil canteen on the edge of Connaught Place. There are queues every meal…
Amritsar
Bossing this corner of Queen's Rd, Crystal has two restaurants here, as well as a kebab stand and a new lounge-bar. The original ground-floor restaurant…
Mumbai (Bombay)
The Colaba Cartel, an impressive team of Mumbai foodies with a proven culinary track record including Pantry, Woodside Inn and Table, is the mind and…
Sai Sweets & Bhoj Vegetarian Restaurant
Chandigarh
This clean and wholesome sweet shop below Hotel Satyadeep serves tasty mithai (Indian sweets), such as ladoo (sweet ball made with gram flour and semolina…
Mumbai (Bombay)
The first restaurant that makes it worth venturing into the Bandra Kurla Complex just to eat. The elevated Goan dishes are fantastic: spicy chorizo bhakri…
