Best Restaurants in Varanasi
Varanasi is the spiritual capital of India, it is located in north India on the banks of the Ganges River; one of the most holy places for Hindus. Being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world it has a very long and rich history; not only regarding Culture and Religion but equally so when it comes to food.
Varanasi is a popular tourist destination and most of the people visiting the city are actually local pilgrims coming from all parts of India, having so many people passing by has the advantage of creating a thriving culinary scene with lots of authentic and delicious food.
I have spent a couple of years in Varanasi in total, and as a food enthusiast who loves to explore the best cuisine on my travels, I have made a small list of my favorite restaurants in the city.
But before we get started, I want to let you know that some of the best places to eat food in Varanasi are actually street shops that sell their meals on the street. I'll write a separate post about the best street food in Varanasi, but for now, I'll focus on my favorite restaurants.
Guide to the Best Restaurants in Varanasi:
1. Kesariya Thal
(Location: near Assi Ghat)
This is a great restaurant to experience traditional Indian cuisine. Their only available dish is the Thali; which is a plate consisting of 21 different dishes. The food offered in the Thali changes every day of the week (which means there is a Monday Thali a Tuesday Thali and so on); this includes various vegetarian Masalas, Chutneys, different kinds of Roti, Sweets, and even special Drinks for approximately 400 Rupees per person.
The interior of the restaurant is clean, elegant and well-maintained. The service was excellent, the staff is friendly and attentive. While bringing all the different dishes they explain what they are and they also are always happy to refill your plates or give you additional rotis or rice.
2. Banarasi Baati Chokha
(Location: Ravindrapuri Rd in Bhelupur, on the road to IP Vijaya Mall)
Batti Chokha is a rustic and traditional dish popular in rural areas of Northern India; it consists of round baked or grilled wheat balls with a filling of Sattu flour and masala (also available with a paneer filling). These bread balls (Litti) are then served with Ghee and with various vegetable masalas, Chutneys and Dal. This Restaurant is definitely the best place to experience this typical Varanasi Dish.
The taste was very authentic and served in Lovely “Desi style” Clay pots. The interior is rustic and with dim lights but also warm, inviting and cozy. The Special Baati Choka Thali is only 250 Rupees (pictured in the image above).
3. Itihaas Alley Kitchen
(Location: Alley near Assi Ghat Rd)
This restaurant is my go-to place whenever I'm hungry in Varanasi. It is reasonably priced and has a casual and relaxed setting. I mostly like to order the special veg Thali (seen in left picture), but they are also well-known for their Mediterranean-Israeli dishes like the falafel platter (in right picture), hummus, and baba ghanoush. They offer some non-vegetarian options as well.
Everything is clean and prepared fresh on the spot and the staff always pays close attention to their customers. I always found myself returning to this place, so I would definitely recommend it: one of the best places to eat in Varanasi.
4. Kerala Cafe
(Location: Bhelupur, Varanasi)
This is one of the most iconic restaurants of Varanasi, when asking local people where I should go to eat a lot of people would recommend me this place. The food offered here is very simple and budget friendly; so nothing really special but it is very popular and busy. This restaurant offers only South Indian dishes, such as Dosa and Idli, during the day. However, during dinner time, they will also offer the Banarasi all-time favorite, Chole Bhature.
5. Brown Bread Bakery
(Location: the small alley along the ganges, near Pandey Ghat)
This restaurant is my go-to place for breakfast in Varanasi. They offer great Western-style coffee (difficult to find in Varanasi) as well as a wide variety of European-style bakery items, such as croissants, cake, and brown bread rolls (obviously still very far from being real European style; but still the best bakery stuff you can get in the city).
For breakfast, they offer a popular self-service unlimited buffet with a wide selection of cheeses, breads, eggs, fruits, drinks, muesli, and sweets. The buffet is a great deal for 350 rupees, and it will definitely fill you up for the whole day. The restaurant is a small but cozy spot with a rooftop terrace that hosts live music in the evenings.
6. Mona Lisa Cafe
This restaurant is located directly across the street from the previously mentioned “Brown Bread Bakery”, and they compete by offering even cheaper bakery items. However, the quality of their bakery items is unfortunately not as good. This place has a big and cozy sitting area and attracts a lot of Backpackers that hang there around all day. It is definitely a good place to meet other travelers and they have also good Western-style coffee.
7. Pizzeria Vaatika Cafe
(Location: Facing Ganga River in Assi Ghat)
This place is highly regarded by many locals as the best Pizzeria in Town. They started out in the nineties when there was not much Western food available in India, and in addition to that they have a top location: directly on the Ganges at Assi Ghat. The Pizza is not that special in my opinion and a bit pricey, but it is made with fresh, self-made dough and cooked in a wood-fired oven.
The cafe is also well known for its Apple Pie, which is well made and very delicious, definitely worth a visit just to try this iconic Pie. However, the ambiance and service of this restaurant need a lot of improvement: the cheap plastic seats and tables on the terrace are always dusty and dirty.
8. Ming Garden
(Location: Ravindrapuri Rd in Bhelupur, on the road to IP Vijaya Mall)
As the name already suggests this restaurant is specialized in what in India is considered “Chinese style” food (not to be confused with authentic Chinese food). Some of their most popular dishes are Chowmein, Hakka Noodles, Fried Rice and Veg Manchurian. They do also have a great selection of Desserts and Cakes. This family-friendly restaurant is a great option for a casual meal.
9. Bikanervala
(Location: inside IP Vijaya Mall)
This is a famous Chain restaurant available in many Indian cities. As a Local Indian tourist, you may already know it and probably skip it, but as a foreign tourist; I consider this a good place to explore Indian cuisine and especially Indian sweets. You can find here all the famous Indian dishes like Raj Kachori, Chole Bathure and various Masalas. I mainly come here to have some nice Indian desserts (view picture).
These are the main restaurants targeting tourists and all of them are located in the historic part of the city along the Ganges. If you are looking for more upscale dining options, there are a few fine-dining restaurants in the newer Cantonment part of the city, such as those inside the Luxurious Taj Mahal Hotel. I didn't visit them and have therefore not included them in this more budget-friendly list of the best Restaurants in Varanasi.
Also, I'm visiting Varanasi quite often, and I'm always on the hunt to find the best places to eat; so I may update this list and add new locations.
Author: Alfie, last updated on: .