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The reason there are so few excellent food guides on the internet for India is that… well, all the food is incredible. It’s also usually served out of random, nameless, street-side, hole-in-the-wall establishments that even the most diligent bloggers often forget to write down and can then never find again. This guide is not an exhaustive list. But it’s a great place to start. And while I’ll be focusing mostly on traditional local eats there will be a few shops with exceptional juice, vegan food, or Western-style coffee shops thrown in. The one thing all these places have in common is that they are delicious and locally owned.
If you consider yourself a foodie and happen to be in either Delhi or Mumbai…be sure to check out the street food-focused tours on offer by A Chef’s Tour.
Some of My Favorite Places to Eat in Rajasthan
Rajasthan is the single most popular region for first-time travelers in India. This means the desert cities will likely be your first introduction to Indian cuisine. Luckily for you, alongside Punjabi and Bengali, Rajasthani cuisine is a favorite around the world. It’s characterized by delicious fluffy chapati, thick curries packed with veggies and paneer, and Thalis of epic proportions. There’s dal and dried desert fruits, stewed spicy lamb made for kings, and the favorite crunchy snack of Bikaneri bhujia.
If you’re looking for a perfect Rajasthan Itinerary to help you decide which cities are worth visiting and which are a little overrated (in my professional opinion of course) click the link included. Since I have not yet visited Bundi, I’ll be leaving that Rajasthan city off this food-focused list.
Best Places to Eat in Udaipur
Udaipur is a beginner-level India. It’s one of my favorite cities in all of Rajasthan. Maybe even all of India. There are lakes, walkable streets, the characteristic chaos of India, and lots of attractions in the surrounding area.
Natraj Dining Hall and Restaurant ($)
My favorite meal in Udaipur. This place is unassuming, cheap, casual, and freaking delicious. You MUST try the Thali. It’s unlimited and only $2.75 per person. There’s a sister restaurant closer to town called Natraj Hotel and Restaurant — both are good but this one is better.
Address: 22-24, City station road, HMFX+5GR, Railway Station Rd, Jawahar Nagar, Shivaji Nagar, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India
Pap’s Juice ($)
Thanks to all the Yogi’s in the area this little shop has the perfect antidote to all the heavy Indian cuisine. Fruit. The smoothie bowls are where it’s at.
Address: Gadiya Devra Marg, Old City, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India
Jagdish Shree Restaurant -Namkeen ($)
This place is FAMOUS for its Samosa Chat. Perfect for breakfast or a pick-me-up snack after you wander around the Jagdish Temple.
Address: Arzia House, RJ SH 50, Near Jagdish Temple, Rao Ji Ka Hata, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India
Black Pepper Homestay
Technically, this is a place to stay not a restaurant. But for those lucky people who choose to stay at Black Pepper you’ll have exclusive access to their cooking classes and on-site restaurant. If you’re looking to join a cooking class in Udaipur — look no further.
Address: 339, Panduwari, Gadiya Devra Marg, Hotel Gangaur Palace, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India
Must Eat in Udaipur: Lal Maas. This meat-based curry dish is a rare non-veg-friendly meal in India. Typically made of mutton and SUPER spicy it’s known as the meal of kings in Udaipur. Natraj Dining Hall makes a good one but you’ll find the dish everywhere. Keep in mind that most of the touristy restaurants by the water make a poor preparation of …well pretty much everything.
Best Places to Eat in Jodhpur
Jodhpur is my favorite city in Rajasthan. For attractions as much as for food. But there are some really good eats to be had in the blue city.
The Omelette Shop ($)
This place was made famous by Lonely Planet back when the company published its first guides. Since then the owner has kept up the quality and unique style of the omelettes. The best ones are the extra creamy cheesy masala omelettes.
Address: 72WF+9HP, Pal Haveli, Ghantaghar, Sri Ganganagar, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342001, India
Om Juice Corner ($)
The best lassi in town. This place is conveniently located right by the clock tower in the town center and is always crowded. The fruit lassi here was my favorite but what makes it unique is the combination of Ghee, Saffron, and Cardamom that they whip into each concoction.
Address: Shop No. 1 Nai Sarak Clock Tower, Sardar Market, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342001, India
Shahi Samosa Arora Namkeen ($)
Spicy pumpkin and fennel wrapped into a piping hot samosa served streetside. Delicious.
Address: 95/B Clock Tower Rd, Nai Sarak Clock Tower, Rawaton Ka Bass, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342001, India
The Chai Shop AKA Cafe Kala Kariyan ($)
One of my favorite cups of chai I drank in India. You’ll notice the quality varies greatly from shop to shop with the cups you get on the train being the absolute worst. This chai is served in real pottery cups.
Address: 1st Floor, Pal Haveli, Pal Haveli, Ghantaghar, Gulab Sagar, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342001, India
Gypsy Vegetarian Restaurant ($$)
At $7.50 per person, this is one of the more expensive local Thali that you’ll find in the region. BUT. It’s certainly the largest and most comprehensive look at Rajasthani cuisine in one single dish. This Thali consists of 36 rotating Rajasthani dishes and specialties that you can eat until you cannot walk anymore.
Address: P No, 689, 9th C Rd, Sardarpura, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342003, India
Sam’s Art Cafe ($$)
Located right next to the famous step-well in Jodhpur this breakfast cafe is decorated in eclectic local crafts and has a cozy couch atmosphere. We had a perfect latte here every single morning. It can be hard to find a place that gets it right.
Address: Sutharo Ka Bass Road near toorji ka jhalra bavdi, Makrana mohalla, near step well, Gulab Sagar, Jodhpur, Rajasthan 342001, India
Must Eat in Jodhpur: Mirchi Bada is another Rajasthani specialty that you can get at Shahi Samosa Arora Namkeen alongside the samosa. This spicy pepper is covered in curry, dipped in batter, and fried to perfection.
Best Places to Eat in Jaisalmer
If you’ve read my What to See and What to Skip in Rajasthan blog post you’ll know that I wasn’t exactly enchanted with Jaisalmer. But if you do find yourself here there are a few good places to eat.
Spice Court/Kebab Corner ($$)
A great place to try Lal Maas if you haven’t yet. Be sure to choose a meat dish and eat on the rooftop if you can.
Address: Shiv Rd, near SHIV MANDIR, Dhibba Para, Manak Chowk, Amar Sagar Pol, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan 345001, India
Bhang Lassi Shop ($$)
Bhang is marijuana. This lassi will most certainly get you very very high. The owner of the shop makes a delicious lassi and offers it in different levels of potency that make it the perfect place to try edibles for the first time. Bhang is totally legal in India.
Address: WW77+CJ2, Dhibba Para, Manak Chowk, Amar Sagar Pol, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan 345001, India
Nathu Ram Fresh Juice & Ice Cream ($)
In case you haven’t noticed I’m a sucker for fresh fruit. India has an abundance of tropical fruits and I feel like they are often underutilized. This roadside shop has every fruit you can find within India and makes a great shake.
Address: fort Parking, Dhibba Para, Amar Sagar Pol, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan 345001, India
Best Places to Eat in Bikaner
Bikaner is another excellent city in Rajasthan. But unfortunately, we ate at a lot of places we didn’t love in the city. There is ONE place though that I think every single traveler needs to visit in Bikaner for authentic Rajasthan cuisine.
Tanvi Cafe ($)
This restaurant literally seats two tables inside someone’s home. They home cook each meal to order and the portions are huge. Every single item we ordered was fantastic. I highly recommend asking for a thali to sample a few items.
Address: Acharyon ka Chowk, Champaa Nikunj, near Bhairuji Mandir, Old Bikaner, Bikaner, Rajasthan 334001, India
Best Places to Eat in Pushkar
Pushkar is the holy capital of Rajasthan. The meatless, alcohol-free, yogi-epicenter of the desert. I did like the city but you’ll find that most of the cafes are very western and heavily influenced by the yogis and hippies that frequent the city.
Sonu Juice Center ($)
Excellent breakfast smoothie bowls. There are two shops on the same street and both are excellent.
Address: Front of nagar palika, Badi Basti, Pushkar, Rajasthan 305022, India
Coffee Temple ($$)
If you’re in dire need of a cafe with real coffee Coffee Temple is the one for you. It has the bonus of a panoramic view of the holy lake and all the shenanigans that happen around it.
Address: FHQ4+P8P Varah Ghat, Choti Basti, Pushkar, Rajasthan 305022, India
The Laughing Buddha Vegan Cafe + Restaurant ($$)
Food was hit or miss here to be 100% honest. But it was all fresh and came highly recommended by fellow travelers. I loved the little balcony and the owners were very kind.
Address: 1st floor, balcony cafe, Main Market Rd, Badi Basti, Pushkar, Rajasthan 305022, India
Honorable Mention: Okay, Pizza is definitely not Indian cuisine. Yet alone, Rajasthani cuisine. But sometimes, you stumble across an excellent pizzeria that just deserves a shout-out. La Pizzaria Restaurant is the move for a huge authentic pizza in Pushkar.
Best Places to Eat in Jaipur
I failed epically when it comes to fully experiencing the Jaipur food scene. After two months in India, we were exhausted. I could not be bothered to search the massive city for places to eat. But I do have a really good recommendation for YOU to experience the best of Jaipur’s food scene.
Home of the World ($)
Again, this is technically a place to stay NOT a restaurant. If you do choose to stay here you get 3 family-style meals included in your stay. They have dorms and super comfortable private rooms. Honestly, this homestay is why we never went out and searched Jaipur for places to eat — the food here was so good, the place so comfortable, and the people so kind we didn’t want to leave.
The owner of Home of the World runs several tours (for cheap) to help you get to know Jaipur better. I HIGHLY recommend his cooking class or street food tour. He takes you to places you would never find without the help of a local who lives and breathes Jaipur.
Address: A 12, Dhuleshwar Gdn, C-Scheme, Patel Colony, Hathroi, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302001, India
The Little Coffee Shop ($$)
Best coffee in Jaipur.
Address: 3, Mirza Ismail Rd, Chameli Wala Market, C Scheme, Ashok Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302001, India
Masala Chowk ($)
This open-air marketplace has tons of stalls with lots of choices. My favorites? Chole Bhature, Dal Baati Churma, and Pyaaz Kachori. They do charge an entrance fee to help maintain the facilities here which is odd but it is super clean and the food inside was nice and cheap.
Address: Ram Niwas Bagh, Rina Rd, Ram Niwas Garden, Bardia Colony, Adarsh Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302004, India
Dera Amer ($$$$)
Want to eat a luxurious traditional Indian meal surrounded by stunning desert landscapes and free-wandering rescued elephants? Dera Amer is a luxury accommodation and experience just outside the bustling city of Jaipur. It also served up some amazing food. You don’t have to stay overnight to experience the cuisine and the elephants (although I absolutely recommend it). Read our full Dera Amer experience here.
Address: Village Khurad, Kukas, Tehsil – Amer, Jaipur, Beer Talera, Rajasthan 302028, India
Map of My Favorite Rajasthan Restaurants
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