10 Best Restaurants to Try When in Shimla and Kufri (2024)
Shimla and Kufri are the most famous hill stations in Himachal Pradesh. They have a lot to offer, breath-taking views of the Himalayas, shopping heaven for shopaholics, have many tourist spots and sites there are many eateries and restaurants which are an integral part of the town and some date back to the British rule in India. There are many places to eat in Shimla which are not to be missed by any tourist whether you are a foodie or not as you will want to go back to each one of them for the yummy and sensational food they serve.
Do not listen to people who say all you get to eat in the hills is Maggi. There is so much to Shimla and the food that is being served here than Maggi. Mall road, Middle Bazaar, Lower Bazaar are all full of eateries serving multiple cuisines starting from north Indian, South Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, Italian, Japanese, and many others. There are few restaurants famous for their picturesque locations along with the food they serve. You will find locals, national and international tourists roaming in the markets and enjoying their meals at the restaurants. The outlandish thing about Shimla is that the restaurants here are either tiny diners serving scrumptious food or cafés offering fast food, tea, coffee, and drinks, or there are fancy restaurants and eateries serving alcohol and multiple cuisines and there is no middle ground. A list of the eateries serving best of the food in Shimla and Kufri are given below:
10 Best Restaurants to Try When in Shimla and Kufri
1. Cafe Sol, Hotel Combermere: Café Sol is one of the most famous restaurants in Shimla. This is not only famous among tourists but is equally popular among locals too who often come here to enjoy their meals and celebrate their important days with their loved ones. This is one of Shimla’s most iconic landmarks. At Combermere’s Café Sol you will always find a well-stocked bar and an option to pick from Italian, Continental, Lebanese, and good old Indian cuisine. This is the place to go for your meals when you are in a group with different tastes as the menu has something to offer for everyone for people with all sorts of tastes. You might also want to give the kinds of pasta a break and instead order from their selection of sandwiches as there are numerous choices of sandwiches. A non-veg club sandwich and a Bloody Mary will cost you approximately 1000 INR. You can also go for the good old Indian food as they serve one of the best north Indian food at this place. Additionally, they have a beautiful ambiance with bright interiors, good music, a cheerful atmosphere, and a pleasant fragrance to revitalize the senses and lift the mood of visitors for a memorable culinary experience.
Location: Opposite Tourism Lift, Mall Rd, The Mall, Shimla
Timings: 10 am to 11 pm (all days)
2. The Devicos Restaurant & Bar: Devicos is located on the busy and bustling Mall road and is quite famous among tourists who want to sit and enjoy the laid-back life of the hills and a wholesome meal at a fancy looking world-class restaurant. The restaurant might look shiny and new but Despite looking shiny and new, The Devicos is one of the city’s most historic eateries and has been in business since 1970, and features an impressive selection of alcohol and cocktails. The restaurant has although lost the old-time charm it was once known for. But it is still a well-known place in the city where both locals and tourists enjoy their food with a drink or two. Devicos is one of the most happening places in Shimla where you will see a good crowd and will enjoy the nightlife in Shimla. Its modest exterior reminds of a Rajasthani palace with the marvelously designed interior décor which also distinctly reminds of Shimla’s European roots. However, the Devicos is a family restaurant by the day and it completely transforms into a modern bar in the evening as the sun goes down and has a premium selection of whiskeys and vodkas. It is full of the upbeat crowd of Shimla. Do not miss visiting this place when you are in Shimla and looking for a beautiful place that serves drinks and dinner.
Address: 5, Mall Rd, The Mall, Shimla
Timings: 10 am to 11 pm (all days)
3. Cedar Garden at Oberoi Cecil: This restaurant is an interesting place you must visit if you are in Shimla. It is an ideal setting for private parties as it is a unique place with an exquisite view and can seat around 55 people at the same time. It is a well-kept secret of the Oberoi property and opens only seasonally and that is when the tourists and locals get to enjoy the food at this beautiful property. The food they serve include and features basic sandwiches, snacks, and drinks but what makes the place more special is its world-class setting and that it is located at a height offering the view of the hills and valleys. The Cedar Garden is the outdoor dining facility of Hotel Oberoi Cecil. It is located outside the hotel building, in the triangular open space opposite the hotel’s main entrance. The place is open every day at noon and is open till late in the night. The raw wooden furniture perfectly complements the barbecue-like ambiance of this garden. This place ideally serves as a perfect place for hosting private parties for large groups and families. Also, it is fully operational only during summers as eating outdoors can be difficult during other seasons of the year. The best part is their laid-back seating with wooden furniture where you can sit and enjoy for long hours with your friend and family. Make sure you visit cedar garden at Oberoi Cecil on your next trip to Shimla
Address: Chaura Maidan Road, Shimla
Timings: 10 am to 11 pm (all days)
4. Indian Coffee House: Indian coffee house has a history associated with it. It was started during the 1950s when retrenchment threatened to cut off the livelihoods of many workers. To save the workers and many men from the crisis that the then PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, allowed workers to start a coffee business and specifically coffee houses that would be owned, run, and managed by workers from the local communities. These coffee houses were started at 5-6 locations in India and the first such coffee house was started in Delhi near Kirori Mal College, and many others followed in other cities including Shimla, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Jaipur, and Allahabad. The founders of the Shimla coffee house sold off their wives’ jewelry to open this coffee house. While the place was open in the 50s, the owners could buy the property in 1968. They have an amazing variety of food options available. You can go there for a cup of coffee which the place is most famous for and some local gossip. This place is always bustling with locals and tourists including the backpackers. This is also a nice option to eat breakfast as this is the only place on the road open at 8 Am. They have an amazing variety of dosas that are famous in the entire city. Make sure you visit India coffee house on your next visit to the city and bask in the history back to the 50s and while enjoying your cup of coffee.
Address: Mall Rd, Ram Bazar, Shimla
Timings: 10 am to 8:30 pm (all days)
5. Honey Hut: Honey Hut is of the unique cafes in Shimla that started recently. They have a chain of restaurants in other hill stations in northern India. Honey Hut is an eco-friendly project started by a group of entrepreneurs. All of their products are made of honey instead of sugar in the products that they sell. They have an option of both indoor and outdoor seating; This café is famous among all generations of people as everyone enjoys good kappa and has recently picked up a lot of accolades and has become more popular with the younger generation in Shimla. You can enjoy the view of the mountains, food, and music at the same time. With energetic music and a lively buzz, this cafe is also a good place to hang out with friends and family in the evenings. Make sure you visit Honey Hut on your next visit to the place as this is not a place to be missed in Shimla.
Address: 70, Khadi Bhawan, Mall Rd, The Mall, Shimla
Hours: 9 am to 10 pm (all days)
6. Ashiana and Goofa: One of the famous places in Shimla where you can satisfy your cravings for the Himachali food. This is a place to go when you are craving a taste of true Himachali cuisine. You do not need to look at any other place when you want to eat something local. It is a famous place in Shimla’s Lower Bazaar that has not changed its menu in years. Along with the menu, the taste of most dishes has not been changed as well. Himachali cuisine has thick creamy gravies, a variety of lentils, snacks made of poppy seeds, and a variety of bread. At this restaurant, you will find the traditional gravies which are creamy tomato-based gravy accompanied with soft, steam-filled slices of bread. These scrumptious dishes at Ashiana are Goofa are savored equally by the locals and the tourists. You can go to this restaurant for late lunch and early dinner as well and enjoy the lip-smacking food served here. The food served here is affordable and the restaurant offers spectacular views of the mountain base. Ashiana and Goofa is not to be missed on your next visit to Shimla when you are craving the local Himachali food.
Address: The Ridge, Lower Bazaar, Shimla.
Timings: 8 am to 10 pm (all days)
7. Wake & Bake Café: The Wake & Bake Café is another famous place in Shimla. It is not very popular for the food served here but for the bohemian vibe. This place has a different vibe than the rest of the town. You will find more foreigners eating and enjoying here than at other places in Shimla. This is a cultural masterpiece in Shimla which seems ahead of its time than the rest of the town. Wake & Bake Café has an altogether different vibe to it than the rest of the places in the town. This is a more laid-back place where the customers sit and enjoy their food and enjoy catching up with their friends. You can also sit and do your work or read a book here if you want to enjoy the city view while doing your thing. It is the only restaurant in Shimla that offers French crêpes, pastries, Lebanese hummus, and delicious pancakes. The walls in the café are covered with hand-painted branches and vine which are contrasting to the charming oak tables and the natural lighting from the big windows in the cafe. This place is more famous among the youth in Shimla and amongst the tourists. However, you will find people of all age groups enjoying here and having breakfast here. Although this place is busy all the time, it is especially famous for breakfast.
Address: 34/1, Mall Rd, The Mall, Shimla
Timings: 9:30 am to 10 pm
8. Café Simla Times: It is located at one of the most picturesque locations in Shimla and is the fanciest and stylish places here. It is a beautiful restaurant that started only recently and has picked up a customer group of its own. People who go here once are forced to go here over and over, be it for the ambiance or the food that is served here. This place is a winner no matter what. The ambiance is also very nice and the furniture including the entire seating is very unique. Locals and tourists enjoy the place equally. The dishes served at this place taste like heaven. They serve a very tasty and indulgent chocolate coolant which is to die for. Do not miss going to this place as it is located in a scenic place in Shimla. You must not miss visiting this place on your next visit to Shimla
Address: The Mall, Adjacent to Hotel Willow Banks, Shimla
Timings: 12:30 pm to 10:30 pm
9. Aunty’s Kitchen: This tiny dingy rustic place in Shimla will probably serve you the best Chinese food in town. They do not boast but the momos here are probably the best momos you would have ever had. Aunty’s kitchen is located near Shimla’s fire station and is one of the oldest Chinese restaurants in the city. Mr. Wong who is a relative of Aunty’s will meet you at the place and will greet you kindly. This place is named after a lady who was lovingly called Aunty by everyone who started the restaurant back in 1975. It is because of her that you will enjoy the best momos you would have ever had and a bowl of hot noodles that just cost INR 50. They serve 25 different varieties of soup and will get you interested in the food that is served. Nothing at this restaurant costs in 3 digits and is a better place to eat Chinese food than most fancy restaurants. Do not miss going to this place when you are in Shimla and if you are a fan of Chinese food.
Address: 5, 44/31, Middle Bazar, Gunj Bazar, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh
Timings: 11:00 am to 9:30 pm
10. Shimla Book Café: Shimla Book Café is a very interesting place as the food which is served here is being prepared by the prison staff and jail inmates. In a state with one of the country’s boldest open prison policies, authorities have handed the running of the café to jail inmates. If not for anything else you must go here just to see how important this place is for the factual description. When you are on the ridge enjoying your day, be it a rainy day, a summer or spring day, or be it a day when it is snowing, you will enjoy the food being served at the Shimla Book Café. They also have a wide collection of books which you can pick and read or you can bring your books to this place and sit here and read for as long as you want. This place is away from the chatter of The Mall where you can enjoy with just a book for the company. The menu however is limited to snacks like burgers, pizzas, and pastries, but is reasonably priced, fresh, and scrumptious. Do not miss visiting this café while on your visit to Shimla. You will find many Backpackers and solo travelers here where you can initiate a conversation and enjoy the company if you are looking for it.
Location: The Ridge, Shimla
Timings: 8:00 am – 10:00 pm
