Food of Srinagar

The Kashmiri cuisine prevalent in Srinagar is a smorgasbord of dishes that are rich, unique and significant enough to create a food culture around themselves. The traditional Kashmiri wazwan is a feast often prepared on the festivals and for welcoming the guests and can have dozens of courses.

Kashmiri food is mild in taste and rich in flavour with the high use of hot spices like cardamom, fennel, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and saffron. Influenced by Mughals, Kashmiri cuisine is predominantly non-vegetarian, with mutton, chicken or fish used as prime ingredients, though the vegetarian dishes are equally palatable.

The local cuisine include tabak maz, or flat pieces of meat cut from the ribs and fried till they acquire a crisp crackling texture, Gushtaba, which are meatballs moulded from pounded mutton like large-sized Rista (meat balls) but cooked in thick gravy of fresh curd base, Yakhni, a cream colored preparation of delicate flavor, is made with curd as a base, seekh kababs, Roganjosh, chaman- fried paneer (cottage cheese), in a thick sauce, dum-aloo - roasted potatoes in curd-based gravy.

The Kashmiri Kahwa is a speciality of the region. It is a golden-tea flavoured with cinnamon, saffron and crushed almonds served piping hot to beat the chilling cold.

Read more about Food of Kashmir

Here are the top 10 restaurants in Srinagar:

1. Mughal Darbar

Main Residency Road, Srinagar, Lal Chowk, Srinagar 
Bakery
10 AM to 10 PM
200

2. Cafe de Linz

Court Rd 
Indian, Chinese
Noon-10.30PM
INR 300-400 For two

3. Ahdoos Restaurant

Ahdoo's Hotel, Residency Road, Ahdoos Hotel, Srinagar 190001, India 
Kashmiri
9AM-11PM
INR 280-350 For Two

4. New Krishna Vaishno Bhojnalay

Durganag Rd 
Indian
8AM-10.30PM
INR 100-150 For Two

5. 14th Avenue Cafe & Grill

Lal Mandi, Rajbagh, Near Foot Bridge, Srinagar, Srinagar 
Cafe, Bakery
11 AM to 11 PM
600

Set on the banks of the Jhelum, this restro-cafe is a great stop for some heartwarming grilled food and confectionery. They host a fusion menu of Indian, Continental and global food.

6. Stream

Boulevard Road, Dal Gate 
North Indian, Chinese
10 AM to 11 PM
1000

7. Shamyana

Ghat 2, Boulevard, Opposite Dal Lake, Dal Gate, Srinagar 
Kashmiri
10 AM to 10 PM
800

Counted among the favourite family restaurants in Srinagar, Shamyana holds a benchmark for serving some of the best Kashmiri non-veg food in town. However, they have a personalised dash of veg delights as well.

8. Coffea Arabica

MA Rd 
Cafe, Bakery
9AM-10.30PM
INR 500-700 For Two

9. Lhasa Restaurant

Lane No 3, Boulevard Road, Dal Gate, Srinagar 
Tibetan, Kashmiri, Chinese
9 AM to 8 PM
700

10. Crescent Lake View Restaurant

Serving Chinese, Indian and Continental quick bites and main courses, Crescent Lake View Restaurant is the perfect bagpacker eatery. However, the restaurant specialised in Kashmiri dishes alongside desserts and beverages.

Srinagar Photos

Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir
Dal Lake
Mughal Gardens
Shankaracharya Temple

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