Street Food Lover's
Dharamshala’s most famous eateries
This post captures some of the must-visit eateries in Dharamshala – both, the popular Tibetan ones as well as the foreign ones. Any meal against a backdrop of towering hills, enveloped in fresh mountain air is bound to be rejuvenating but some of the local eateries are more equal than others. The first few are Tibetan eateries, followed by other popular cafes and joints that serve unique food.
Shop Number 4,
Description
Shop Numer 4 (that’s what it’s known as) is a small and perhaps the oldest Tibetan shop in Mcleodganj, Dharamshala. It is known for the two food items it serves – Momos (both steamed as well as fried) and Thukpa. For an eatery serving only two items, this old shop draws huge crowds for its fresh momos and flavourful thukpa. The Mutton momos are a must try here – they have a filling of minced mutton along with local spices, onion and garlic – all the filling ingredients are grated and sautéed before being stuffed into the momo jackets. The thukpa gained popularity due to the extra soft noodles that are used in it. Freshly prepared, steaming hot thukpa is a perfect meal at any time of the day in this hilly town.
OTHER INFORMATION
Seating -Available
Tibet Kitchen
Description
Immensely popular, this is one of the eateries serving authentic Tibetan food. Top two recommended dishes include lamb alu phingsha (along with tingmo bread which is like a steamed bun) and Chicken Momos (authentic Tibetan chicken momos, quite different from what is available across Indian streets). Lamb alu phingsha is a popular Tibetan dish consisting of vermicelli, lamb and potatoes. The Bok Choy soup is also a popular starter (Bok Choy is a variety of cabbage which is quite popular in north eastern states of India). Tibet Kitchen also serves a variety of dishes from the north-east of India.
OTHER INFORMATION
Seating -Available
Sangye’s Kitchen
Description
Sangye’s Kitchen is known for their Chocolate momos, their outer cover perfectly steamed to be a thin wrap and the stuffing smooth, creamy chocolate. The other dish that comes highly recommended is the Thenthuk, which is perfect for cool Dharamshala evenings, especially during the winters. Thenthuk is flavoursome broth, usually freshly made, and consisting of different vegetables, meat and noodles.
SPECIAL INFORMATION
-
Chocolate Momos are served at Sangye’s Kitchen only on Tuesdays and Thursdays only as a ‘Special’ menu item.
-
They offer cooking classes for anyone keen on learning how to cook the dishes they serve.
OTHER INFORMATION
Seating -Available
Moonlight Café
Description
Moonlight Café’s serves among the best masala chai in Dharamshala. A good stop for any meal, it has an extensive breakfast menu offering banana pancakes, waffles and even shakshukas. Shakshuka is a gravy with poached eggs in a tomato base, topped with peppers, cumin seeds and fried onions.
For those with a sweet tooth, the Bhagsu Cake is a must-try local delicacy. It is a local cake preparation of Dharamshala , named after the famous Bhagsu Village in Mcleodganj. The crust has bread and caramel and the filling inside is pure chocolate.
SPECIAL INFORMATION
-
Moonlight Cafe offers a variety of low calorie breakfast options consisting of whole grain foods and cereals. Perfect for the calorie-consious.
OTHER INFORMATION
Seating -Available
Illiterati Café
Description
A café cum bookshop, this is one of those places where you can spend time on a good book (excellent collection available) while enjoying a savoury meal. The owner of the cafe is Dutch (and speaks fluent hindi!) and hence the menu has an interesting variety of continental options. The pumpkin soup is an all time hit – chunks of pumpkin with a hint of ginger along with figs, carrots and nuts. Their spinach ravioli, served with freshly grated Parmesan cheese is another hot favourite.
OTHER INFORMATION
Seating -Available
Phone: 085880 46101