38 Best Restaurants in Rajasthan, India

Considered one of the city's best (and most expensive) restaurants, Peshwari entices with melt-in-your-mouth, exquisitely spiced and marinated kebabs and other North-West Frontier foods; menu highlights include paneer tikka, chicken makhani, and the dal bukhara, served with an assortment of rotis and naans. The dining area has an outdoorsy, dhaba look—wood beams, shining copper platters, and pots hanging on the walls, with seating at log tables matched with stools. Part of ITC, a luxury hotel chain known for its excellent cuisine, Peshawri has branches in other cities in India.

Named after the year when Udaipur was founded, 1559 occupies an elegant colonial bungalow, with indoor dining as well as alfresco dining in the large garden. Specialties include Rajasthani game birds (farmed, not hunted), prepared in traditional Indian and European styles, as well as salmon or rack of lamb; the menu also features pasta, pizza, and vegetarian specials such as malai kofta and paneer dishes. There's a café with an authentic espresso machine and a bar with a decent selection of wines.

Right on the shore of Lake Pichola opposite Lal Ghat, this lively outdoor restaurant with a pleasant bar has a hidden approach via narrow lanes and stunning views of the City Palace complex and the Lake Palace. It serves Rajasthani standards along with decent continental and Chinese dishes, though the views outshine the food.

If you're here at dinner, ask that a mosquito repellent coil is placed under your table.

This little bakery and café in the Hotel Gangaur Palace, with courtyard or rooftop seating, sells fresh pastries and cakes, as well as delicious, real espresso. If you come for breakfast, try the baked beans on toast or the soft cinnamon rolls (not always available during summer months), apple crumble, or date-and-walnut pie. The café is on a busy thoroughfare, but you can take your coffee and pastry upstairs to its sister venue Natural City View (same menu). It also serves international dishes at lunch and dinner.

The mood in the evenings at this twinkling, partly open-air haveli restaurant, located in the shadow of the lit Mehrangarh Fort, is memorably romantic. Using as many locally sourced ingredients and spices as possible, Darikhana serves both Indian and international food, including pastas, Mediterranean, and Thai dishes; popular Indian dishes are the traditional Rajasthani laal maas (spiced, well-marinated mutton), chicken curry, dahi kebab, and the paneer dishes.

The glass- and wood-dominated environment of this regional chain is the best place to tuck into South Indian specialties such as dosas, idlis, upma, and vadas.

This four-story, family-run restaurant is a good choice for continental cuisine (think veggie burgers and Israeli salads) as well as Indian classics, with spice levels suited to the Western palate; the pizzas and pastas are popular, too. It's also a good place for breakfast, as it usually stocks a few pastries from a nearby bakery, makes paranthas (potato-stuffed flatbreads) that are fresh and not too oily. The café also serves "real" filter coffee. For views of Pushkar and the surrounding desert, sit on the rooftop terrace.

After a long day of sightseeing, stop at this rooftop hangout at the Pal Haveli hotel in the Old City, where the ambience exceeds the quality of the food, which is slightly overpriced (though perfectly okay). Go for a sundown drink or dinner (kebabs and thalis are highlights) and take in stunning views of the nearby lake, the fort, the clock tower, and the Umaid Bhawan Palace. The mostly Indian menu includes a couple of continental dishes and some Chinese food, plus there's a decent list of drinks on the bar menu.

In a converted haveli at the end of one of Lal Ghat's labyrinthine lanes, this restaurant has retained the mansion's lovely design and has spectacular views of the Lake Palace, especially at night, when the vistas capture the incredibly romantic essence of the city. There is a decently good range of continental, Chinese, and Indian food; wine, cocktails, and beer available—fish à la Jagat is a highlight during fishing season; otherwise try the laal maas (red meat curry) or subz galouti kabab (vegetarian kebabs). Service can be slow, but to see the brilliantly illuminated palace seemingly float on the water from a cushioned alcove is a signature Udaipur experience. There's nightly live music during peak season. It's a great place for a cup of afternoon chai or lassi, too.

At the base of the fort, this little Italian restaurant has a lovely vibe, an interior that is simple yet far from rustic, and an open rooftop area that is perfect for people-watching. It also has a huge advantage: it is one of the only restaurants in town with an indoor area with a/c comfort. The menu focuses on vegetarian Italian pasta dishes and pizza as well as good espresso and tiramisu---just don't expect it to taste the same as a cafe in Italy. Beer is available.

For a break after a morning of sightseeing at Jaipur's fortresses, go to this pretty restaurant in the Trident hotel to sample a mix of Indian and European fare—pastas, kebabs, salads, sandwiches—washed down with cold Indian beer, or try the grilled red snapper or the Rajasthani thali (traditional laal maas or spiced mutton), two of the best dishes on the menu. It also offers a sizeable breakfast buffet.

Jodhpur's most famous sweet shop buzzes till 11 pm, so consider stopping here for dessert. It's a good place to sample regional delicacies; test your chilli tolerance level with the spicy mirchi bada, a huge pepper that's been breaded and deep-fried or, for something sweeter, try the local specialty mawa kachori (a pastry filled with nut-based milk solid), ghevar (disc-shape sweet), or rabri laddu (milk balls). The place serves Indianized vegetarian versions of American-style fast food—think pizzas and burgers—though they are just okay at best. There's another branch of Janta near the railway station, but you are best off hitting the main branch at Nai Sarak.

Join fellow travelers at this happening spot for a cup of masala chai or a meal in the garden courtyard oasis in the city. The restaurant, which also offers rooftop dining with fort views or indoor dining with a/c, is strictly vegetarian and alcohol-free, but even meat eaters will marvel at the well-priced Indian house specialties. Pizzas and western dishes are on the menu, but the Indian entrées shine; go for a thali, vegetable biryani, or some perfectly spiced curries. Jhankar is at its best after dark, when tiny twinkling lights strung through the trees lend a whimsical air to the setting.

Rajasthani vegetarian food is the specialty at this small family-owned rooftop restaurant, but don't expect the palate-burning dishes that Rajasthan is known for—the spice levels here are significantly toned down to suit Westerners. If you haven't yet tried quintessentially Rajasthani dishes dal bati churma (lentils, rolls, and sweetened wheat and butter paste) or ker saangri (desert vegetable), this is the place to do so. For a taste of something local, try the Marwari Thali, an assortment of regional vegetarian dishes served with rice and chapatis.

Set in a garden courtyard with pink sandstone walls, this cozy restaurant offers indoor and alfresco seating where you can relish thin-crust pizzas, a variety of pastas, lasagna, and other Italian fare (albeit adapted to local tastes). In the evening, the ambience is quite romantic with dim lighting and candlelit tables.

This spacious lake-view restaurant with white brick walls has a mix of regular and low tables (with ground seating on mattresses), vintage curios scattered about, and a small religious shrine in one corner. It is a popular evening hangout for locals and tourists, who come for freshly made vegetarian fare, both Indian and international, although the latter (pizzas, sandwiches, and pancakes) is more in demand.

Just behind the fort, this restaurant has an unassuming exterior that you might not even recognize as a restaurant, but what it lacks in decor, it makes up for in homemade cooking—especially meat dishes in the very vegetarian town of Jaisalmer. Milan’s best dishes are the tandoori options: tandoori chicken and Jeera rice or vegetable curry is popular, as is the laal maas, a local favorite. Vegetable kebabs are popular with vegetarian and vegan diners.

Popular with locals for its thalis, this all-vegetarian restaurant is also one of the few places that opens early (10 am)—if you're in the mood for stuffed paranthas (whole-wheat flatbread) or idlis (South Indian steamed rice cakes). The house specialties are bundi laddu (sugary, deep-fried chickpea-flour balls) and the rasgulla (cottage cheese balls in a sugary syrup); other sweets include ras malai (sweet cheese dumplings smothered in cream), which melt in your mouth. The decor is bland, but the sweets make up for it. No alcohol is served.

This bustling and often boisterous Jaipur institution might be the most popular restaurant among the middle class, and it is the place to grab dinner before a Bollywood movie at the Rajmandir Cinema around the corner. Dine on decent Indian and Chinese food (the range is extensive), as well as continental dishes; to drink, the options include beer and wine, and cold coffee topped with ice cream. During peak tourist season reservations are advisable.

This jungle-theme and mostly outdoor restaurant in the new section of the city won't offer you the best meal you've ever had, but the food---rich and hearty---is good, the beer is cold, and it's an ideal rest stop for a quick drink or lunch. On weekends, its cavelike bar, Rocktails, is a hopping place.

A favorite with backpackers, this quirky vegetarian restaurant in an old whitewashed-blue building near the Brahma Temple has chilled trance music in the background, and reasonably quick and attentive service. The lengthy menu has everything from pizzas, thalis, extensive breakfasts (fit for a king) with Italian espresso, grilled sandwiches, soups, many flavors of lassi (chocolate, rose, mixed fruit), pasta (a favorite is ravioli in sage sauce), Mexican favorites, and Israeli and Middle Eastern food like falafel, to crepes (vegetable, sweet, or salty) and apple pie. You can eat downstairs in a/c comfort or head to the rooftop and have a meal with a view.

Inside the City Palace complex, this casual café, is a perfect postmuseum stop—sit outside under Rajasthani umbrellas if you like to people-watch. The menu emphasizes standard continental café fare, such as salads, sandwiches, pizza, and pasta. Beer and an extensive variety of international and Indian wines are also available. If you have tickets for the sound-and-light show, you can watch it over dinner (Rs. 400; reservations required) on the patio. If you want dinner but don't have show tickets, you'll have to wait until the café reopens at 9 pm. Prices tend to be higher than other restaurants in the area.

Arrive at this extra-large food stall as early as 7 am (or as late as 10 pm) for an old North Indian favorite—piping hot puris and alu (deep-fried wheat bread served with potato curry)---or try traditional Jodhpuri sweets, snacks, parathas, and more. Don't expect ambience, but the food is made fresh and bakery items are in chilled cases.

An upgraded dhaba (roadside eatery), this unprepossessing spot located on the way to Amer Fort is a convenient stop after a heavy morning of fort viewing. Air-conditioned and kept spotlessly clean by its house-proud and attentive owners, it serves North Indian specials; favorites on its mostly vegetarian menu include palak paneer (spinach with soft white cheese), garlic naan, kadhi pakoda (yogurt curry with chickpea dumplings), achari aloo (spiced potatoes), vegetable curry (stuffed potato dumplings in gravy). Salads, sandwiches, and a handful of Chinese dishes are also available.

Popular with tourists of all ages and backpackers, this family-run restaurant is a great place for Italian coffee and juices—the menu has an incredibly long list of fresh fruit juices and “mocktails." Tandoori food is the favorite here; try the butter chicken or a wide range of vegetarian dishes. It's the spot that local guides recommend for stunning views of Lake Pichola and the Lake Palace as the sun goes down. It's also a nice place to take a tea break between sightseeing.

If you're looking to feel like royalty and splurge on a wining-and-dining experience with impeccable service, head to this elegant, formal dining room adorned with portraits from the royal collection—or opt for the balcony overlooking verdant gardens. The contemporary European and unique Indian dishes are a welcome change from the usual Indian and Rajasthani fare, and the extensive drinks menu includes internationally sourced wines. If you like seafood, you're in luck—try the prawn curry in a tomato cream sauce. The restaurant also serves a sumptuous afternoon tea.

Non-hotel guests may have trouble securing a reservation during the busy season; call ahead.

The majority of the restaurants in Jaisalmer are vegetarian, prompting travelers in search of meat-based dishes to flock to this quiet, charming rooftop restaurant at the Nachna Haveli hotel complex. The menu includes a variety of Indian food, as well as Chinese and Italian options and a large array of all-day breakfast plates, but the emphasis is on traditional Rajasthani dishes, Indian, and tandoor (Indian clay-oven roasts), especially chicken delicacies. It offers a special Nachna thali (vegetarian and nonvegetarian); other specialties include roast chicken with potatoes and a selection of gratins and sizzling platters. The restaurant sells beer, wine, and other alcohol at very affordable prices. Service can be slow when busy.