Lucknow
This is the cleaner, more tourist-friendly outlet of Lucknow's renowned, 100-year-old, impossible-to-find kebab shop in Chowk, where buffalo-meat kebabs…
Must-see restaurants in Uttar Pradesh
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Agra
There are only two sittings each evening at Agra's finest restaurant, so booking ahead is essential, especially as non-hotel-guest tables are limited. The…
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Varanasi
This restaurant's fabulous menu includes more than 40 varieties of European-quality cheese and more than 30 types of bread, cookies and cakes – along with…
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Lucknow
If you want to savour the flavours of the Nawabs performing at their culinary best, look no further than Oudhyana, where Chef Nagendra Singh gives Lucknow…
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Agra
This superstar dhaba (casual eatery) is a must: duelling veg and nonveg glorified street stalls employ 24 cooks during the rush, each of whom handles…
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Varanasi
Seriously some of the best Indian food we've ever had. The palak chaman (paneer in spinach and spices) is heaven in your mouth and the aloo chaat (fried…
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Agra
This modern North Indian superstar is the best spot outside five-star hotels to indulge yourself in rich curries and succulent tandoori kebabs. The murg…
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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…
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Lucknow
Even if you don’t step inside this classy restaurant, don’t miss its exceedingly popular chaat (spicy snack) stand at the front. The sweet and savoury…
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Lucknow
If Mughlai meat country has got you down, seek refuge in this popular veg hideaway on MG Rd. It's perfect for an Indian-style breakfast, a snack or a…
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Lucknow
This charming hidden corner at the back of Sanatkada has a unique concept: persuading Lucknow’s oldest households to cook their cherished family recipes…
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Uttar Pradesh
Clean and hip, this out-of-place restaurant does a seriously good all-veg menu that runs the gamut from Chinese to Italian to Indian. The special thali …
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Agra
Fabulously tasty and religiously clean, Dasaprakash whips up consistently great South Indian vegetarian food, including spectacular thalis (₹250 to ₹360),…
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Lucknow
This highly recommended hole-in-the-wall doesn't look like much, but the daily-changing kebabs (galawat etc) at this locals' haunt are grilled to smoky,…
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Varanasi
This casual courtyard restaurant near Tulsi Ghat is an offshoot of Brown Bread Bakery, featuring excellent vegan dishes, including a full page of salads…
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Agra
This classic chaat (snack) house is the oldest of a dozen street stalls just off Sadar Bazaar. Choose several dishes such as the aloo tikki chat (fried…
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Varanasi
Housed in a nearly 200-year-old heritage building, the excellent main restaurant at Hotel Surya has colonial elegance; on warm evenings eat on the large…
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Varanasi
This easy-to-miss three-table cafe woos travellers with Chef Ranjana's out-of-the-box South Indian preparations such as chocolate idli (fermented rice…
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Agra
It's worth taking a taxi out to this excellent new vegetarian restaurant in the east of town near the Trident Hotel. The tangy and tasty paneer dhaniya…
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Varanasi
Atmosphere trumps food at Dolphin (the rooftop restaurant at Rashmi Guest House), which is perched high above Man Mandir Ghat, but it's still a fine place…
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Agra
The best of three eating options at Clarks Shiraz Hotel, this top-floor restaurant serves up sumptuous Mughlai and regional cuisine. Come for a predinner…
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Lucknow
This 100-year-old Lucknow institution serves beef (buffalo) kebabs for just ₹20 for four – a real treat if you can find it in the maze of streets that is…
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Lucknow
The stylish 9th-floor dining room at Hotel Clarks Avadh has fabulous bird’s-eye views (including of the Saadat Ali Tomb) and serves up sumptuous Nawabi…
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Varanasi
Carnivores will appreciate the range of meat dishes here in veg-loving Varanasi. It has a great range of tandoori kebabs (though beware the reshmi kebab…
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Varanasi
Known as much for excellent cuisine as for gruff service, this atmospheric spot (carved-wood panelling adorns the walls and ceilings) has been famously at…
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Agra
This pocket-sized institution whipped up its first creamy lassi in 1978 and continues to please despite cooking its meals in what must be Agra's smallest…
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Varanasi
Run by an American woman who has been coming to India for more than 20 years, this colourful cafe has good lemon pancakes, astounding lemon or organic…
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Uttar Pradesh
Run by the welcoming Mr Roy, this Kushinagar institution has a simple, traveller-friendly menu that includes toast, omelettes, fried rice and thukpa …
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Agra
This chilled-out, 1st-floor cafe has wicker chairs, sports channels on TV, DVDs shown in the evening and a good range of meals, from good-value set…
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Agra
With cute tablecloths, dozens of potted plants and a bamboo pergola for shade, this is the most pleasant rooftop restaurant in Taj Ganj. It also has the…
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Varanasi
Hotel Pradeep's rooftop dining space, complete with cityscape sunset views, manicured lawns and wrought-iron furniture, is a very pleasant place for a…
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Uttar Pradesh
This bilevel madhouse is packed with locals taking in an extensive array of delicious Indian and Chinese veg dishes in a diner atmosphere, including…
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Agra
Most restaurants in Taj Ganj ooze a distinct air of mediocrity – Shankara Vegis is different. This cosy old-timer, with its red tablecloths and straw…
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Varanasi
Excellent, no-nonsense choice off the tourist path for South Indian masala dosa, and its spicier cousin, the Mysore dosa. Also one of the few cheapies to…
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Agra
Up a flight of steps and overlooking Taj Ganj’s busy street scene, this friendly, family-run restaurant is a nice choice if you’re not fussed about Taj…
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Uttar Pradesh
At the Royal Residency Hotel, this restaurant is a fun homage to Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachhaan, featuring a wall full of headshots and a mural of the…
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Agra
Sugar-coma-inducing selection of traditional Indian sweets, nuts and biscuits on the ground floor. It's most famous for its peda (milk-based sweets),…
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Agra
This no-nonsense, plainly decorated, nonsmoking restaurant is the place in Agra to come for affordable South Indian fare. The thali meal (₹160), served…
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Agra
The fast-food variant of the original Dasaprakash chain from Mysore offers the same great dosas (paper-thin lentil-flour pancakes), but in a simpler…
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Vrindavan
Does Indian veg dishes, pasta, juices (including amla, or Indian gooseberry) and shakes in a pleasant environment. Located inside Krishna Balaram Temple…
