Dharamsala

Common Ground Café

A non-profit café set up as a meeting place between Chinese and Tibetans that holds many discussions and shows promoting harmony and understanding between the two cultures. Taiwanese and fusion food served in a place to sit and relax with your shoes off on the raised seating area.

Friends Corner Café

Various inexpensive dishes in a shed protected from the rain. Frequented regularly and great variety.

Dal ₹90, Boondi Raita ₹90

Heena Café

Not particular fancy, but cheapest choice around. Run by two brothers, they have large terrace where you can enjoy watching people walking by to the Galu Waterfall.

Chai ₹20, Parantha ₹50

JJI Exile Brothers Mom's Kitchen

A cozy little hole-in-the-wall place with 5 tables, a counter and a dog. Owned by three Tibetan musician brothers "JJI Exile Brothers" who give live performances on the premises on Sundays at 7:30PM. Decent Tibetan food, with 5 versions of thukpa and thenthuk each (₹50–80), brown-flour momos (₹50–70, including the rare spinach variety), and several less-well-known Tibetan specialties (such as tingmo (steamed bread) with vegetables, ₹60–70); also vegetable and fruit salads (₹40–60). Desserts include vegan chocolate cake and rum cake with nuts, and several varieties of pancakes (₹40–60), styles of porridge, and fresh juices (₹40–50). Portions tend to be smallish. A bookshelf with some reading materials.

8:30AM–10PM

Jimmy's Italian Kitchen

Nice decor with old, and not-so-old, film posters, unprofessional staff apparently left unsupervised by the owners. Food better than that offered at the other Italian-style places in town, with great salads and acceptable pastas (napolitana, arrabbiata, quattro formaggi, puttanesca) and pizzas.

₹100–130

Kali Yuga BBQ

Some Russian speaking folks are running this restaurant specialising in various meat dishes. It is still cheap compared to Western standards, but most Indians wouldn't be ablt to afford dining here.

₹500 and above

Lhamo's Croissant

A simple yet stylish cafe, and probably the most underrated place in McLeod. Breakfasts, sandwiches, soups, salads and desserts, coffees and teas. A good selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes. The bread is baked fresh each morning by Lhamo. The second floor has comfortable Japanese style seating on cushions and Tibetan carpets. Fantastic views from the roof top.

Lung-Ta

Excellent Japanese food, pay attention to the daily specials. There is also a small clothing store which sells high-end Tibetan inspired fashions. Non-profit with proceeds going towards assisting former political prisoners and documenting human rights violations.

Mon-Sat noon-11PM, closed Sundays

McLLeo Momos

A bare-bones somewhat dingy but gourmet café prized for its momos. Creative spinoffs on traditional dishes that are not easily to be found even in much bigger establishments. A 12-page bilingual menu in English and Japanese has 9 varieties of them in the vegetarian category (₹50–70 for a plate of 10–12 pieces) and 5 varieties in the non-veg category (₹60–80 for a plate of 3–12 pieces). Tibetan dishes have nine elaborations of the thukpa. Western and Tibetan breakfast includes pancakes, omelettes and muesli dishes. Chinese staples include 7 varieties of chow mein. Tibetan bread comes in giant size.

7:30AM–9:30PM (summer); 8AM-9:30PM (winter)·₹25–80

Nick's Italian Kitchen

Decent Western fare of lesser quality with some Tibetan dishes. The numerical menu has 194 items. An airy well-lit room and a terrace in the back offers views over the McLeod Ganj Valley and Kangra Valley beyond, similar to those visible from the terraces of the neighbouring Green Restaurant and Peace Coffee House. A limited library of books and a popular noticeboard. The place becomes noisy when crowded.

6AM–9PM·₹30–150

Pema Thang's Guest House

Continental and local styled vegetarian food. Try the fried banana with nuts and the pepperoni pizza. They also serve great thenthuk.

Daily 11AM-10PM

Shangri La Restaurant

A good little cafe run by monks and with proceeds going to Gyudmed Monastery. Try the Shangri La Sandwich for breakfast. Meals for dinner also good quality and well priced.

Takhyil Peace Café

A down-to-earth (in every sense) and somewhat drab breakfast place, offering egg dishes (₹20–45), porridge (with mixed fruit, ₹65), toast, sandwiches (tofu sandwich, ₹45), several types of bread (₹5–25; extra for peanut butter, jam or honey), and pancakes (₹40–70; mixed-fruit chocolate pancake, ₹70). Tibetan dishes such as thukpa (₹40–70) of uncertain quality and momos (steamed, ₹40–50; fried momos ₹10 extra). Good lassi in several varieties (including unusual ones such as "apple lassi"; ₹20–35).

Tin Tin Café

Another budget option, with great chowmein. They have a tiny shed at the point of the marker, but seem to have a small café with nice seats 100 m further up.

Egg Chowmein ₹170

Woeser Bakery

Excellent pastries baked daily with quality ingredients. The owner and baker, Sangmo, is a young Tibetan always up for a chat with her customers. Serves walnut tart, chocolate chilli lollipops, cappuccino, vegan cakes (also gluten-free options), coffee made from fresh beans. Fifteen kinds of hot teas, hot chocolate, Indian chai, milkshakes and other cold drinks, and a small library with a good collection of books.

10:30AM-7PM·₹50–150

Rewa Cafe

Good Tibetan food.

Young Monk Café

A hostel with an extensive kitchen and great views.

Chai ₹50