Restaurants in West Bengal
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A
Glenary’s
This elegant restaurant atop the famous bakery and cafe receives mainly rave reviews: of note are the continental sizzlers, Chinese dishes, tandoori specials and the highly recommended veg gratin (especially if you’re off spicy food). We’ve heard a few grumbles that it’s coasting on its reputation, but most people love it.
reviewed
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King Thai
A multicultural hang out with a Thai name, Chinese food, Bob Marley posters and British soccer banners for decoration, and Hindi/Nepali live music for entertainment. The excellent food is mainly Chinese with some Thai and Indian dishes: four different versions of chop suey are offered, along with wantons as a change from momos. There’s a bar with comfy chairs and a disco ball, and a regular crowd that mixes expats, monks, businessmen and Tibetan cool kids.
reviewed
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Sonam’s Kitchen
Providing an island of real brewed coffee in a sea of tea, Sonam and her Nepali family serve up lovely breakfasts, pancakes, soups and pasta; the deliciously chunky wholemeal sandwiches can be packed to go for picnics. Mains need to be pre-ordered at least an hour and a half early, so someone can dash up the street to the nearby fruit and veg stalls to get just what you want. If you miss your mama’s cooking, Sonam offers the next best thing.
reviewed
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B
Park Restaurant
The Park is very popular with local tourists and fills up quickly. It has tasty North Indian curries or there’s a good range of mainly fish and chicken Thai dishes from the Lemon Grass menu. The new bar has been a real hit, with snacks, cocktails (Rs90 to Rs100) and impressive mocktails (Rs25 to Rs80).
reviewed
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Big Bite
We don’t know who copied whom, but Darjeeling has a few good ‘pure veg’ places that offer South Indian classics such as dosa (lentil-flour pancake) and idli (rice cake), alongside vegie burgers, pizza and other fast food. You’ll know this one by the hot-pink entrance.
reviewed
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Mapasand
While other bakeries embrace the trend towards lurid Western-style cakes, this clean shop presents tray upon enticing tray of classic Indian sweets like barfi (a fudgelike sweet; complete with real silver) and ladoo (sweetmeat balls made with gram flour).
reviewed
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C
Gompu’s Bar & Restaurant
Gompu’s is famous for its massive momos (pork, chicken and veg), and has been pleasing locals and travellers with Tibetan, Bhutanese, Indian, Chinese and continental fare for ages. It’s found within the hotel of the same name.
reviewed
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D
Kunga Restaurant
Kunga's Tibetan cuisine is tasteful simplicity. Its steamed momos are legendary as are its noodle soups (gyathuk, thenthuk and bhagthuk). For a filling breakfast, try its muesli and fruit curd.
reviewed
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E
China Garden Restaurant
In the China Garden Hotel near the Motor Stand, this is Kalimpong’s best Chinese restaurant. The authentic soups, noodles and the spicy ginger chicken attract aficionados, though several Indian curries have snuck onto the menu.
reviewed
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Madira
A small bar-restaurant, reached via a tunnel beside Airview Lodge. Decorated in cute bright colours it serves a range of North Indian dishes and snacks, along with some Chinese of the ‘American Chopsuey’ variety.
reviewed
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F
Hot Pizza Place
A one-table pizza joint with excellent pizza, pasta, panini, salads and sandwiches. Come here also for breakfast, pancakes and good coffee, as well as that hard-to-find bacon fix. Service is friendly but slow.
reviewed
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G
Fresh Bite Restaurant
Upstairs, across the road from the DGHC, this place has a huge range of almost uniformly good food including some hard-to-find dishes that you might just have been craving, like miso soup and bacon sandwiches.
reviewed
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Danfay Munal
A classic Darjeeling restaurant – simple set-up, great views, a range of cheap and tasty Indian, Chinese and Tibetan food (great momos ), and it’s right in the centre. They do takeaway picnic packs.
reviewed
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H
Shikhar
This hugely popular vegetarian restaurant with Tibetan and Indian snacks and meals is tucked under the Pizza Pan restaurant. Ultra cheap momos and filling chow mein are the most popular orders.
reviewed
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Green Chilli
Good Indian breakfasts and a range of tasty curries and Chinese. Stylishly done up with bright colours, it’s a pleasant spot to grab a bite. It’s just off the highway on the way to Hotel Santiniketan.
reviewed
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I
Khana Khazana
The secluded outdoor area here makes a nice lunch spot. The extensive menu ranges from pizzas and Chinese and South Indian specials to Mumbai street snacks, and includes plenty of vegetarian options.
reviewed
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Zimba’s
This outdoor place in a bus and jeep depot at the Darjeeling end of town is the unlikely setting for shockingly cheap, fresh and tasty Indian and Tibetan snack foods – try the momos (Rs10).
reviewed
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J
Frank Ross Café
Strictly vegetarian with a global menu, including pizzas, burgers, South Indian snacks and even enchiladas, tacos and nachos. The attached Frank Ross Pharmacy has groceries for self-caterers.
reviewed
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Sukh Sagar Restaurant
At the bottom of the hill near the lake, a pure-veg cafeteria-type place catering to lakeside day trippers with good snacks and South Indian favourites. A thali with the works is Rs70.
reviewed
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Hotel Lunar
Lunar is one of the best vegetarian restaurants in Darjeeling where you also can enjoy a great view and wonderful service. It's squeezed beneath Hotel Dekeling and above Dekevas.
reviewed
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K
Pizza Pan
The 'acceptable pizzas for Kalimpong', as one local quipped, come in two sizes with a variety of veg and non-veg toppings, and are indeed acceptable, as is the coffee.
reviewed
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L
Hotel Chanakya
An authentic Bengali diner where you can fill up with veg and non-veg thalis and be confident the chilli isn't toned down for Western tastes.
reviewed
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Tandoori Express
A clean new place filling a gap in Kalimpong’s food market by offering a good range of North Indian curries and tandoori dishes.
reviewed
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M
Dekevas Restaurant
Cosy Dekevas is known for great Tibetan fare of momos and thukpas (noodle soups), and pizzas, but not legroom.
reviewed
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3C’s
A popular bakery and restaurant offering a variety of mouth-watering pastries and cakes.
reviewed
