Dharamshala Food Guide for Travelers: Must Visit Cafes and Eateries

Dharamshala food guide will prove handy for any traveller who happens to be a foodie and would like to savour the delicacies available in the hill town. Food in Dharamshala is something every traveller should experiment with on their first visit.

I am not exaggerating when I say that I would go back to Dharamshala and McLeodganj just for the food. As somebody who’s been to the region several times now, I’d like to share the ideal Dharamshala food guide with all of you now.

In my current Dharamshala food guide blog, I will be elaborating on the best places to eat in Mcleodganj and Dharamshala. This will be based entirely on my own experience.

11 Yummilicious Foodie Spots in one’s Dharamshala Food Guide 

Cafes and eateries in both Dharamshala and Mcleodganj majorly serve Tibetan, Chinese and Asian cuisines which will excite your taste buds. Apart from these, you can also find Israeli and Continental food fairly easily here.

The eateries in Dharamshala are so many that you might end up being confused. To help you save the trouble as well as be light on your budget, I will share with you the names of the top 11 eateries.

These eateries below, in my view, serve delectable food whose taste will stay with you even after the trip.

Dharamshala Food Guide: What to Eat at the Best Cafes & Eateries?

Some of the best restaurants and cafes in Dharamshala are located in the Mcleodganj area. Here, you are sure to find whatever you are in the mood for as a traveller.

If you are here for the food, I suggest you stay in Mcleodganj. I was staying in a Zostel in Mcleodganj and had easy access to all of these amazing eateries. 

Let me share with you the important highlights from each of the places mentioned in the table above.

1. Tibet Kitchen: Try the authentic Tibetan food in Mcleodganj

A trip to Dharamshala is incomplete without a taste of Tibetan food. The Tibet Kitchen has an extremely varied menu. It serves a variety of dishes, most of which are appetizers and main courses descending from the Tibetan and Chinese cuisines.

The food served here is nice and within the financial reach of travellers. For someone who loves to experiment with food, the Tibet Kitchen can be the right place to start.

The special Tibetan delicacies include Alu Phingsha, fried momos, thupka, tingmo, shapta and mutton petse while the Chinese cuisine is somewhat similar including fried rice, chilli chicken, chilli paneer, etc.

Freshly made Thupka at Tibet Kitchen. Food prepared here is always fresh and piping hot. This makes for a lovely experience, especially during the chillier months. I could keep going back to Tibet Kitchen over and over again and not get bored.

2. Moonlight Cafe: Enjoy Dharamshala made delicacies

Moonlight Café is the best place in the Dharamkot – Mcleodganj to stop by for a cup of chai (Indian tea). The cafe has a beautiful ambience.

It is basically a coffee bistro where you can spend your evenings in – sitting and talking casually over a fuming cup of coffee/tea and some desserts.

The ginger tea, masala tea and Bhagsu cake here are utterly famous. A Tunisian origin dish, shakshuka is one of the novelties here. It is made using poached eggs and onions seasoned with peppers and garlic.

This is a Tunisian delicacy, shakshuka. Moonlight Cafe is probably the only place you’ll find this delicious dish in Dharamshala. For those who don’t know what this is, it’s made with poached eggs and tomatoes and is spiced with a variety of herbs.

3. Woeser Bakery: Relish the best cakes in Dharamshala

Woeser Bakery is a lovely and cosy eating place which is famous for its interesting experiments in the world of toothsome nutriments when it comes to coffee, cakes, tarts and not to forget the famous chocolate lollipops.

Apart from the exceptional food and music arrangements, it has a great collection of books. This sure has to be in your to-go lists if you really want to be in a café that communicates.

Delectable carrot cake at Woeser Bakery. It is prepared from freshly picked carrots. Savour it alongside some hot piping coffee. Note that this place might be hard to find. It’s tucked away – in the basement of a restaurant named Black Magic.

4. Nick’s Italian Kitchen: When in Dharamshala, make sure you Savour their special pies & cakes

Nick’s Italian Kitchen is operated and maintained by the Kunga Guest House in Mcleodganj. It has terrace seating with a library to keep one occupied for hours.

Apart from the hot savouries, the things that make this particular outlet remarkable in existence are its Banana coffee pies and mousse cakes that are too compelling.

However, the menu is mostly vegetarian.

5. Shiva Cafe: What you need after the uphill climb to Bhagsu Falls in Dharamshala

The most important cafe of absolute fame is the Shiva Cafe in the Dharamkot – Mcleodganj area.

This place is where the hippie culture started in McLeodganj. There is an interesting story behind the construction of this outlet far on the hills of Himachal Pradesh. It was opened by a Kashmiri Shia named Taufeeq who came here in search of peace and tranquillity.

How unusual is it to have the foundation of a place named after a Hindu God by a Muslim guy? Well, India is truly a secular place.

The walls are painted in deep, dark colours and the food is reminiscent of some good old times.

The cafe serves some of the most exotic and lip-smacking pizzas which make it fit for the perfect mountain meals. The food, along with the music and the hookah adds to the vigour and serenity of this place.

6. Carpe Diem Cafe: For the Mediterranean and Continental food lovers visiting Dharamshala

Carpe Diem cafe is again one of those places where you can get stimulating Mediterranean and Continental eating options.

The place provides a relaxing seating area where you can spend hours gifting yourselves the visual treat of scenic and mesmerizing landscape views.

Take a bite of cheesy Spaghetti at the Carpe Diem Cafe. Leave your name slip under the glass slab and make a memory out of it. What I really like about this place is its comfortable seating arrangement. Furthermore, food is extremely cheap over here.

The walls here have artefacts and pictures depicting the traditional Nepali culture.

One of the most luring things present in the cafe is the tables which consist of pictures of previous visitors under a glass slab. Also, the menu has its first page dedicated entirely to the word ‘Carpe Diem’ written in different languages.

7. Illiterati Cafe: A great place in Dharamshala for nature lovers, book lovers & foodies

This cafe is the perfect place for bookworms as it happens to have the best collection of books which can be borrowed, rented or bought. It offers a wide range of cuisines such as the Mediterranean and French. It has a menu such alluring which makes it a must-visit place.

Encapsulated with the European culture, the place is well furnished and beautifully decorated.

Bruschetta, lasagnas, hummus plate are some of the taste turning dishes which are irrepressible along with coffees, teas and juices. One can spend quality time here in this outlet.

8. Jimmy’s Italian Kitchen: Enjoy your food with the lovely Dharamshala valley views

This is a really calm and quiet place providing an exquisite valley view. This outlet has beautiful and fascinating interiors.

It has a reasonably priced menu and tends to serve a variety of pasta, pizzas, desserts, smoothies, shakes, and juices. You can also try the exceptionally scintillating Lemon Cheesecake which happens to be one of its kind.

Centrally located Jimmy’s Italian kitchen is a lovely place to have breakfast. That’s my breakfast- Eggs, Tibetan bread, hash browns, butter and a freshly made ABC (Apple- beetroot, carrot)  juice.

9. Clay Oven Restaurant: Fall in love with Dharamshala’s best pizzas & cakes 

The Clay Oven is an inexpensive eating place which has a completely different ambience from that of other cafes and eateries.

Located in the heart of Mcleodganj, this outlet has wooden seating arrangements with antiques used as decorations.

The characteristic that makes it an enticing eating house is its cooking method. Here, pizzas are baked in old, conventional heated kiln fashion.

The dough is also made there and then, tossed up with selected toppings and then placed into the heated kiln where it is baked.

It also serves a delectable range of cakes, carrot cake being one of them.

Try the delicious pizzas at Clay Oven. Their mode of preparation is traditional and pizzas have a smoky taste. Hence, they take more time and melt in one’s mouth. You’re going to be absolutely spoilt for choice at Clay Oven. So, go with an empty stomach.

10. Sandy’s Kitchen: Stop by for an amazing breakfast in Dharamshala

Sandy’s Kitchen is a multi-storied eating place located at a corner on crossing the Bhagsu Temple along the pathway directing towards the Bhagsunag Waterfalls and the Shiva Cafe.

This outlet has a multi-cuisine dimension including Italian, Indian, Chinese, Continental, Israeli and Greek. It also serves hookah.

It provides a great view of the hills and the waterfall along with soothing and scenic landscapes. The Nutella pancake is a must-have here.

You can dig in here anytime for breakfast and lunch.

Pancakes with maple syrup make for a scrumptious breakfast option. Try them at Sandy’s Kitchen. It is located at a corner on crossing the Bhagsu Temple along the pathway directing towards the Bhagsunag Waterfalls and the Shiva Cafe.

11. Lhamo’s Croissant: For Herbal, gluten-free & Vegan Food Options in Dharamshala

This place is located right on the Mcleodganj Mall road. I happened to visit it by chance one evening when I wanted to have some tea. This is a lovely place serving freshly baked croissants and vegan cakes. You can also find gluten-free options and salads here.

The herbal teas are a must-have here, You can choose herbal tea based on the time of the day you are visiting and they are amazing.

If you are a lover of tea like me, I would really recommend Lhamo’s croissant. They have some soothing herbal teas. You must also try their freshly made cakes and croissants

9 Must-Try Items for Foodies visiting Dharamshala- McLeodGanj

Although you will find a number of eating options in Dharamshala and Mcleodganj, there are certain items on menus of eateries here that just should not be missed.

These are some food items that you must try when  visiting Dharamshala-Mcleodganj :

1. Bhagsu Cake 
2. Carrot Cake 
3. Tibetan Herbal Tea 
4. Tibetan Butter Tea 
5. Steamed Mutton or vegetarian momos 
6. Thupka & Thentuk
7. Pizzas
8. Tibetan Bread 
9. Banana Coffe Pie 

Best Momos in Dharamshala

Since Dharamshala has such a lot of Tibetan population, the momos prepared here are super delicious. Steamed momos are available at street joints as well as in cafes and plush restaurants. This place has got to be a part of your Dharamshala food guide.

Try steamed momos at Tibetan Kitchen, Kirpal’s momos, and Teju’s Momos at Sheela Chowk.

Other Options to Eat in Dharamshala

For travellers who do not like experimenting much with their food choices, there are common options available in the premises of the town too.

Outlets such as Café Coffee Day, Pizza Hut can be easily seen. Also, meals including Chinese and Tibetan cuisine such as momos, dumplings, noodles, etc. can be taken into consideration while making eating choices.

In addition, standard and nominal foods such as coffee, tea, toasts, Maggi, etc. are also available.

Eating at the Monastery Kitchen at Dalai Lama Temple

Your food tour in Dharamshala cannot be deemed as complete until you stop by at the Monastery Kitchen and savour the sacred meal.

Monastery Kitchen is a sacred and pure located within the temple premises of the monastery of his Holiness – the Dalai Lama. The Buddhist monks eat here daily and don’t mind visitors.

Food prepared here is simple, hygienic and healthy. The vibe is serene.

I hope my current blog on Dharamshala food guide will help you as a traveler. If you have any queries, feel free to leave them in the comments section at the end of this article.

Dharamshala has become a vacation hot spot among people and see more and more short time migration every year. Moreover, with so many choices available, you can surely plan a well-budgeted trip for visiting this hill station is a must.

Dharamshala Food Guide, on the other hand, will direct you towards a better pick where meals are concerned. The guide incorporates eating houses, cafes and restaurants that are within the pocket allowance of any person.

Happy Wayfaring