FORTS, PALACES & TEMPLES OF INDIA TOUR

Where to eat on the tour

Delhi - Mandawa - Bikaner - Jaisalmer - Jodhpur -
Udaipur - Pushkar - Jaipur - Agra

Delhi

From street food stalls to fantastic international restaurants, Delhi offers the widest variety of food available in all of India. Due to its distance from the ocean and lack of fresh fish, it's a meat-eaters and vegetarian paradise.

Budget

Chaat - simply put...it's everywhere...don't leave Delhi without trying it

Andhra Pradesh Bhavan Canteen - Ashok Road (near Man Singh Road) - for Andhra fare - crowded and noisy but authentic

Karnataka Bhavan - beside Ansal Plaza near Mool Chand - for South India food

Haldiram's - 1454/2 Chandni Chowk (just west of the Fountain) - Yes, THE Haldiram's - the ground floor houses a vast array of sweet and sticky Indian confections, while the first floor has a popular vegetarian restaurant serving fantastic and hygienic chaats

Nangarg - Rajgur Marg Road (Paharganj) - great hole-in-the-wall restaurant serving veg/non-veg - hard to spot but worth looking for

Bitto Tikki Wala (BTW) - Netaji Subhash Place, Pitampura - the best aloo tikki in town with branches all over the city

Amritsari Kulcha Wala - Paschim Vihar Red Light, Near Jwala Heri Market - THE place for Amritsari Kulcha

Egg Parantha Wala - opp. the Surya Hotel, Lajpat Nagar - the guy who owns this shack has been running the parantha biz for ages

Mid-range

McDonalds, KFC, Subway and Pizza Hut are scattered all over the city

Club India Cafe - 4797 Second Floor, 6 Tooti Chowk, Paharganj - marked by a cramped stairwell, this is a clean and bright little haven of peace with a birds-eye views of the chaos below. The menu spans the gamut and the Japanese food will surprise you

Karim's - Jama Masjid, Gali Kababian - Mughal-style meat (mutton and chicken), served up since 1913 and still going strong

Moti Mahal Deluxe - 37 Central Market, Punjabi Bagh West (outlets, too) - famous for their tandoori chicken, North Indian food, and gargantuan naan

Sagar Ratna Shop - 24 Defence Colony Market – considered the best place for authentic South Indian food, Sagar does justice to the reputation. The menu features dosas, idlis, vadas, uttapams, rasam and thalis

Saravana Bhavan - 46 Janpath (near Connaught Pl) - a Chennai chain of pretty good South Indian thalis

Sri Balaji Restaurant - 17A/41 W.E.A. Gurudwara Road, Karol Bagh - a great value - serves North and South Indian fare

Khan Chacha - 50 Khan Market – A Roomali Rolls and Kababs restaurant serving chicken, mutton, paneer and aloo rolls. Very popular with Delhiites.

Splurge

Bukhara at Maurya Sheraton – Regularly tops the charts as India's best restaurant (and certainly among the priciest) - the roast lamb and the Bukhara Dal here are legendary. Reservations recommended.

Chor Bizarre at the Hotel Broadway - 4/15A Asaf Ali Rd - franchised worldwide, the original restaurant serves Kashmiri food in an eclectic surrounding thieves market. The buffet is laid out inside an old car! Interesting at the very least

Naivedyam at East Patel Nagar opp. Jaypee Siddharth Hotel - offers quality South Indian meals and service at great prices

Punjabi by Nature - Rajouri Garden MGF City Square Mall - Delhi's best-known Punjabi restaurants

Mandawa

If you are game for something fiery hot and spicy, try one of the elegantly explosive "lahsun ki kachori" (fried dumplings with garlic sauce). Traditional meals include "dal baatti churma" which is a mix of lentil curry served with roasted salty dough dumplings along with a sweet (churma).

Bikaner

A visit to Bhujia Bazaar and Chai Patti is a must - try the Kachoris and Samosas

Chhappan Bhog - one of the oldest fast food joints of Bikaner. The Rajkachori of this place is a show stealer and a must for all chaat lovers. The rava dosa with coconut chutney and Indian Chowmein are mentionable favorites
Sankhla Kulfi - don't leave Bikaner without trying this refreshing and very fattening ice cream dessert

Jaisalmer

8 July - just inside the fort walls - homemade apple pie and vegimite toast, homemade ice cream. The spaghetti and pizza are highly recommended!!

Artist Hotel Restaurant - near the sunset view point - the very best food in town. Everything is made fresh - Western fare and Indian dishes. Enjoy rooftop dining while listening to live Rajastani music
Desert Rooftop Restaurant - great food served on ramparts offering great views
The Jaisal Treat - nice view of the fort at night, decent wines available, specialty Rajasthani food
Lakeview Lounge Restaurant - great Western fare
Seema Restaurant - fresh, good, cheap
Anchal Sweet Shop - fresh Chaats

Jodhpur

Gypsy - fast food, crowded often but food is delicious. Rajasthani thali (served upstairs) is one of the best in the city and quite cheap.
Cafe Mehran - Meherangarh Fort. Simple but pleasant cafe with a range of tourist favorites from pizza to burgers as well as Indian thalis.
Shahi Samosas - a neverending queue, their samosas and kachoris are made in front of your eyes with generous amounts of stuffing
New Saheen Hotel - nice restaurant busy with locals, not touristy at all. Fish, kababs, dal, paneer and of course fresh roti with ghee.
Mehran Terrace - Meherangarh Fort. Candlelit dining with an exquisite view of the city.
Bal Samand - Balasamand Lake Palace. Indoor/Outdoor dining in peaceful surroundings. Typical North Indian food. Alcoholic drinks also served. A perfect place for a quiet evening with family and friends.
On the Rocks - Ratnada - Nice place with outdoor dining
Chilly and Garlic - Residency Road - A nice and cozy garden restaurant. Its a small place but good service and wonderful for family outing
Pillars Umaid Bhawan Palace - in the courtyard - pricey but great

Udaipur

Mewar Haveli Rooftop Restaurant - covered rooftop restaurant with beautiful lake views
The Whistling Teal - lawn dining under canopies serving exquisite traditional Rajasthani thalis
Savage Garden - spread out over several floors of a pleasant building with cascading bougainvilleas and a towering banana tree in its blue-walled courtyard, serving standard Indian fare
Ambrai Hotel - situated at water level on Lake Pichola across from the Lake Palace Hotel and the City Palace Museum - a beautiful place to relax - nightly fireworks show.
Cafe Edelweiss - delicious Espresso, Cakes, Salads, Sanwiches
Bawarchi Restaurant - thalis
Paratha Hut - parathas
Berry's - local fare
Shiv Niwas Palace Restaurant - indoor/outdoor restaurants in this beautiful old palace. Traditionally dressed waiters serve superb food from a varied menu. A great place for that special occasion
Trident Hotel Restaurant - superb in every way. The best buffet in Udaipur. The restaurant is attractive, luxurious, relaxed & has a traditional touch.

Pushkar

Pushkar is fairly compact with restaurants scattered all over. Finding a place to eat is no problem. Remember, this is a holy town so it's 100% vegetarian and dry. If you want meat or booze then you need to travel to Ajmer.

The Third Eye - fantastic Middle East fare - babaghanoush, hummus, pita
Sanjay Restaurant - rooftop dining overlooking the lake; great thaalis, very laidback
Sunset Cafe - on the lake; great sizzlers and Western fare
Rainbow Restaurant - long-time fav among foreigners; fantastic Israeli food - don't pass on the Caramel dessert
Lakshmi Mishthan Bhandar - THE place for local fare

Jaipur

Chokhi Dhani & Apno Gaon - Two excellent places to enjoy Rajasthani food served in the traditional mode
Natraj - On MI Road - excellent local vegetarian fare - specialty is the Rajasthani Thali
Loharu House - the house of a Royal Family in Civil Lines - advance custom orders only
Four Seasons - C Scheme - top notch vegetarian
Rawat Mishthan Bhandar - Polo Victory Cinema - a famous hangout - the Pyaz ki Kachori (spicy onion dish) is a "don't miss" (a spicy onion dish)
Laxmi Mishtan Bhandar - famous for their Rasmalai
Yankee Doodle Shakes and Ice Cream
Jal Mahal at MI Road - ice cream parlour
Milky Way near St. Xavier School - popular ice cream parlour
Chitra Cafeteria - behind Amber Towers, Sansar Chandra Rd - wholesome vegetarian food with an excellent lunch buffet
Little Chef's Rasoi - C Scheme near Deer Park - awesome authentic Jaipur food
Anokhi Cafe - C Scheme - organic home-baked cakes (the carrot cake is a winner!) & freshly prepared sandwiches, pastries, savoury snacks
Niros - MI Road - a 60 year old restaurant serving mostly Indian and Indo-Chinese dishes
Jal Mahal - MI Road - a popular ice-cream parlor
LMB - 100 Johari Bazaar - good North Indian restaurant
Moti Mahal Deluxe - 5 Kama Mansion, MI Road - authentic Indian tandoori food - specialities include butter chicken, tandoori chicken, dal makhani and hand churned kulfi

Agra