SPLENDIFEROUS INDIA TOUR

Dining Options, Where to Eat, What to Eat

Delhi - Khajuraho - Agra - Jaipur - Bikaner - Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Udaipur – Mumbai

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.

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

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

Khajuraho

The Greenview Restaurant - very colorful place to eat with the best cook in town
Paradise Restaurant - small but cozy restaurant offering delicious, and inexpensive meals. It is also very clean establishment with helpful and friendly staff. Try the breakfast specialty of mango pancakes
Blue Sky - a rooftop dining area offering views over the Western group of temples - excellent Indian cuisine
La Dolce Vita - Italian-theme restaurant, rooftop dining and hearty breakfasts
La Terraza - Italian fare
Mediterranean Restaurant - a Greek delicacy café with rooftop dining
Apsara Radisson Jass - eclectic
Raja Cafe - popular restaurant run by two Swiss sisters - and great Swiss food
Madras Coffee House - specializing in Southern Indian cuisine
Punjab Restaurant - great tandoori
Agrawal Veg Restaurant - great quality vegetarian food, specially alu tamatar and boondi raita. Specialty Jain dishes are served up by friendly waiters

Agra

Petha (very sweet candy)
Dal Moth (spicy lentil mix)
Chaat at Double Phatak Chaat (near Sikandra)
Bhallas and Panipuri at Sadar and Belangunj
Samosa and Kachori - everywhere
Treat Restaurant - South Gate Taj Mahal - breakfast, lunch and dinner
Silk Route Restaurant - 18-A/7-B Fatehabad Road (Opposite Howard Park Plaza)
Only Restaurant
Journey's Place - early a.m. for pre-Taj visits
Kamat Hotel Rooftop Restaurant - view of Taj, beer available

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

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.

Mumbai

Mumbai is much more of a town where you would ask "what to eat" rather than "where to eat". It's history of cuisine is rich and ancient. From Irani cafes to street stalls it's much more adventurous to stick to the "middle" rather than "elite" restaurants for the true flavors of Mumbai gastronomical heritage. Here's a few suggestions:

Chaats - great snack food

Vada Pav - a mashed potato (vada) patty sandwich (pav) with liberal helpings of chutneys

Pav Bhaji - mashed vegetables cooked in spices, topped with butter and served piping hot with pav

Bhel Puri - comprised mostly of puffed rice and assorted spices with a few chutneys - a fav at Juhu

Pani Puri - the vendor hands you a plate - he takes a puri (it looks like a brown golf ball), makes a small hole in it, and dips the puri into two jars - one a water tangy tamarind sauce, the other a spicy minty sauce - top it off with some condiments and places the puri on your plate. Pop the whole thing into your mouth. The outcome is an explosion of flavors.

Bhurji - a mash of eggs and chopped tomato, onion, chili, and lots of oil, with pav

Other Specialty Foods

Irani Cafes - Persian styled cafes opened by 19th century Persian migrants from Iran. These cafes were created specifically as places for commuters to pass time waiting for connections and, thus, have a unique lazy atmosphere. The joints are best known for their "Irani Chai", "Bun-Maska/Maska Pav" (bread and butter) and Egg Omlette. Also are popular their assorted snacks, like Kheema-na-Patice, samosas, mava-na-cakes, etc. One of the the best dish which is almost always on the menu is Kheema (prepared from ground meat) and pav (bread).

Thaalis - a complete meal arranged on your plate, with a roti or chappati, rice, and many different varieties of curries and curd. Ordering a thali is a popular option when you are hungry and in a hurry as it is usually served blazingly fast. Most mid-level restaurants have a thali on the menu, at least during lunch hours. Occasionally, they are "unlimited", which means that some of the items are all-you-can-eat.

Authentic Marathi Cuisine - the ethnic cuisine of native Mumbai-ites - some notable dishes include Sabudana Wada, Batata Wada, Missal, Kanda Poha, Zunka Bhakari, Kokam Sarbat and Solkadhi