Six places that are known for best Indian food in India

Each city in India boasts of its own unique set of flavors, spices, delicacies, and culinary styles. Before traveling anywhere across the sub-continent, we definitely add the lists of best dishes, cafes, and restaurants to our itinerary where you will find the best Indian food ever. We will take your taste buds on a gastronomic ride within the country from the famous Nawabi Tunday Kebab of Lucknow to the best Goan Pork Vindaloo, to the mouth-watering juicy momos of Mcleodganj, Dharamshala, and tasty bakery of Darjeeling.

Here are the best Indian food destinations:

1. Goa – A Goan food can surely cure a bad mood. Although you may find the most popular Indian food in the world today. Goan cuisine is extremely different which can be rarely found in any other region. Authentic Goan dishes are incredibly tasty and have a similar taste with Portuguese food due to their influence dating back to 450 years.

Here, you get a compilation of a few restaurants, cafes, and delicious, best dishes from Goa which you just cannot miss, if you ever visit this tropical foodie paradise.

a). Britto’s – this is a legendary restaurant in North Goa that tourists like to dine at. If you are searching for the best Goan cuisine, this place should not be missed. The chicken vindaloo, crab curry, and seafood platter are to die for.

The chicken vindaloo with rice for dinner.

b). Lila café – this is a cozy, rustic, and happy café that gives you positive vibes and a healthy breakfast. This German-run thatched roof café serves a variety of fresh bread, especially we tried croissants with omelets and juice.

Sit back and enjoy healthy breakfast at Lila cafe

c). Viva –this casual dining restaurant located at Panaji; North Goa has a classic ambiance. The restaurant serves authentic Portuguese and Goan cuisine and you will also find an excellent seafood collection on the menu. The prawn cocktail, pomfret recheado, chicken xacuti are some of the favorites here.

The perfect prawn cocktail and pompret recheado

d) Another famous concept of beachside shacks that serve mouth-watering dishes amidst a fascinating view of the ocean with a fun vibe all around. When on Anjuna beach, Calangute, or Morjim beach, you must spend some quality time at these beachside shacks that will make your experience better with an amazing Goan indulgence. These exquisite shacks not only provide tasty food but also serve shisha, chilled drinks, and a soundproof nightclub. Here, in any of these shacks, you must try fried Kingfish (Mackerel) and Calamari (squid seafood) with chilled beer. Enjoy!

Beach side shacks serving tasty seafoods which you can have with chilled beer

2. Kasol – – This pint-sized offbeat destination is indeed a paradise for trance music-lovers, foodies, and a lazy crowd that wants the good vibes in life. Cafes from Kasol to Kheerganga not only serves delectable cuisine but also offer hippie experience that you can only find hereafter Goa. Kasol, Parvati Valley, and Tosh are the best spots to explore Israeli delicacies to whet your appetite while relishing the view around you.

a). Evergreen café – this café has an amazing ambiance to soak in the tranquil vibe of Kasol with the best Israeli cuisine, popular Indian dishes, artistic interiors, and trance music.

b). Moon dance café – Moon dance café – this is one of the most chilled out cafes in Kasol, where you can enjoy lip-smacking snacks along with the bakery items from the oldest German bakery shop, just beside the cafe. Try popular Indian dishes, especially the coffee here. Totally worth the time with your friends or even alone.

c). Hilltop café – located in Tosh, this café cum homestay is a gem when it comes to spending time away from all the hustle and bustle of the main street. It serves popular Indian food especially breakfast, good music, and one of the better options to stay here to enjoy peace and serenity all around the beautiful place.

3. Lucknow – The Land of Awadhi Cuisine has much more to offer to fulfill our food cravings in the most delicious ways. Amid the Nawabi and the laid-back environment of this city, Lucknow over the years is a hotspot for gluttons.

Here is a list of some iconic eateries in Lucknow that have kept their taste over time :

a). Tunday Kebab – this legendary outlet serves mouth-melting galouti and shami kebab and is best complemented with roomali roti and ulta tawa parantha. They have two outlets in Aminabad and Chowk where you can eat as many items as possible without burning a hole in your pocket.

b). Rahim Ki Nihari – this 125-year-old eatery is a second food jewel, located in a narrow lane in Akbari gate in Chowk. Just like Tunday’s is famous for kebab and Idrees is known for its biriyani, here Rahim is to Nalla Nihari. They offer authentic Nihari kulcha which has a thick texture and flavourful gravy. This is a traditional breakfast dish, which you can have with soft-baked kulcha and khameri roti.

Rahim k kulche nahari

c). Idrees Ki Biryani – some of the best food in India that you find in this city that is not probably served in fine dining restaurants, but in small, roadside eateries. Nothing can beat this 45-year-old shop in the chowk. Here, you do not expect a menu. All they have to serve you is aromatic chicken or mutton korma, especially mutton Biryani, with juicy pieces of mutton that are known for its flavors.

This roadside eatery serves real flavor of Biriyani in Lucknow

d). Afreen Dine & Delivery – this restaurant in Indira Nagar is a must-stop during food tours in Lucknow. This relatively new outlet offers an authentic flavor of shami kebab or galauti kebab with parantha at economical prices. Also, you must have sheermal, a sweet version of naan flavored with saffron, and a beef boti kebab to relish your taste bud.

Sheermal and beef boti kebab

e). Dastarkhwan – – this is another best Mughlai cuisine restaurant in Hazratganj, where you get an ample choice in the menu. The galauti kebab, biryani, and mutton sheek kebab are just as fantastic here. If you happen to be in Lucknow, try not to miss this place!

Dastarkhwan mughlai

f). Prakash Ki Mashoor Kulfi – to try out the best kulfi after a sumptuous meal, must visit this old and famous kulfi shop in Aminabad. They serve a wide variety of kulfi flavors include mango, kesar, pistachio.Served with falooda within the blink of an eye! their kulfi is known for its creamy texture and divine taste. During our winter trip to Lucknow, we did not forget to enjoy the best kulfi here.

Sweet kulfi falodaa

4. Mcleodganj – if you want to gaze the hidden beauty of this small place, spend some time there at any local cafes and restaurants, chat with local people or read your favorite books while having a cup of coffee and tea. Other than these, the city provides authentic Tibetan cuisine, continental food, and some finest bakeries also.

Here is our pick of the absolute best, suggested by their locals and savored by us.

a). Tibet kitchen – this restaurant is the best place to taste the delicious Tibetan food in Mcleodganj. They serve varieties of stuffed mouth dissolving steamed momos, thukpa, and other cuisines. This eatery keeps buzzing with throng who come in to grab a bite of these local delicacies.

b). Jimmy’s Italian Kitchen - when you are in Mcleodganj, do not miss this place. It serves the best Italian dishes here. The white sauce pasta, thin-crust pizza, and delicious dessert are just to die for.

c). Tibet quality bakery – this is a roadside bakery, but it offers fresh and yummy Lhasa cookies, brownies, and vegan chocolate cake with chocolate sauce. Been to this bakery every single day, during our trip to this beautiful city.

d). Peace café – this cozy and tiny café is popular with monks and nuns. We tasted their delicious thukpa (it is made of thin & long noodles) and thentuk (made of thick & round noodles). This place is definitely worth visiting.

Jimmy’s Italian Kitchen

5. Darjeeling – from mesmerizing scenic beauty to lip-smacking food, this beautiful hill station has it all amidst the Kanchenjunga. You will get here an ample number of roadside local shops and cafes that serve mouth-melting momos and authentic Darjeeling tea, for which this city is known.

Here we picked some best spots in Darjeeling to cozy up in with a good meal and dessert.

a). Keventers – located in the heart of Darjeeling, this legendary restaurant is known for its charming beauty around and classic English breakfast includes sausage, ham, bacon, fried egg, and a cup of hot chocolate/coffee. Founded in 1911 by Edward Keventers, the popular place is mentioned on every Bengali novelist writing or any movie shots in this city. There is something that you cannot miss the nostalgia of this place when you are in Darjeeling.

Keventers in Darjeeling

b). Kunga – this is a small eatery run by a Tibetan family, situated on Gandhi Road. If you want to have local delicacies, head to Kunga. This place serves varieties of Tibetan dishes include thenthuks, bhakthuks, mouth-watering momo dumplings along with a bowl of noodle soup for vegetarians. Chicken wonton soup is a popular dish for non-vegetarian. This is a budget-friendly restaurant also.

c). Glenary’s – this is another famous eatery located towards the mall road that serves freshly baked bread and variants of cakes. Anybody who visits Darjeeling cannot miss this opportunity to have a bite at Glenary’s. it would be once in a lifetime experience for food-lovers to relish the classic confectionaries like tarts, pies, plum cakes while enjoying a gorgeous view from the large French windows.

outside of Glenary's

6. Shimla – a trip to this beautiful hill station is undoubtedly a favorite among the foodies because it offers a delectable culinary experience along with a picturesque view. Take a look at some of the best decade-old cafés to fine-dine restaurants, tried by us.

a). Embassy café – walking down the mall road, you will get to see this cozy restaurant with beautiful furnishing and the special flavors of a variety of cuisines, continental salad, freshly baked cakes, and tasty coffee. During our stay in Shimla, we often preferred to have our meals in this eatery only, because of their home-made flavor and generally good taste. The specialty of this place that every food is prepared and served by the owner itself. Something we most liked about this place that you can enjoy your food while listening to their old song collections.

b). Combermere hotel (Café Sol) – it is another popular café located on mall road in Shimla offers Italian, Continental, and Mexican delicacies. The beautiful interior decoration, excellent food, and delightful ambiance will surely bring you back again in café Sol.