40 Best Restaurants in Rajasthan, India

If you're looking to feel like royalty and splurge on a wining-and-dining experience with impeccable service, head to this elegant, formal dining room adorned with portraits from the royal collection—or opt for the balcony overlooking verdant gardens. The contemporary European and unique Indian dishes are a welcome change from the usual Indian and Rajasthani fare, and the extensive drinks menu includes internationally sourced wines. If you like seafood, you're in luck—try the prawn curry in a tomato cream sauce. The restaurant also serves a sumptuous afternoon tea.

Non-hotel guests may have trouble securing a reservation during the busy season; call ahead.

The majority of the restaurants in Jaisalmer are vegetarian, prompting travelers in search of meat-based dishes to flock to this quiet, charming rooftop restaurant at the Nachna Haveli hotel complex. The menu includes a variety of Indian food, as well as Chinese and Italian options and a large array of all-day breakfast plates, but the emphasis is on traditional Rajasthani dishes, Indian, and tandoor (Indian clay-oven roasts), especially chicken delicacies. It offers a special Nachna thali (vegetarian and nonvegetarian); other specialties include roast chicken with potatoes and a selection of gratins and sizzling platters. The restaurant sells beer, wine, and other alcohol at very affordable prices. Service can be slow when busy.

The pizzas here are as memorable as the locale—the restaurant is located within an out-of-service steam engine; hop aboard and settle into an interior booth (a must in hot months) or dine on the Victorian-era platform. It's located on the grounds of the Rambagh Palace hotel, part of the Taj Hotel empire, and buzzes at night with locals and in-the-know travelers.

A modern and cosmopolitan vibe greets you when you enter this small café next to the Toorji Stepwell and Raas. It's a perfect spot to sit in air-conditioned comfort and have an afternoon break, and you can choose from cocktails, light meals, or an espresso.

If you like to people-watch, this small terrace restaurant with lovely lake views is the place to be—expect to see an eclectic mash-up of dreadlocked backpackers, ornately adorned desert dwellers singing and dancing, and plenty of local priests eager to perform pujas (Hindu ceremonies). The menu mixes Indian (stuffed parathas or a thali), Italian (pizza, lasagna, bruschettas) and Mexican (enchiladas), though the international dishes aren't quite what you are used to back home; the veg sizzlers, lasagna, and banana pancakes are particularly popular here.

Come in the early evening, when scores of tourists and locals gather in front of the restaurant on Pushkar Lake's eastern shore to watch the sun set.

Overlooking Lake Pichola, this restaurant benefits from a constant breeze, and sitting on the terrace feels as if you've joined the aristocracy and have unlimited leisure---plus live instrumental music adds to the romance in the evenings. Order from a fixed-price menu or à la carte options; favorites include the safed maas (mutton in cashew-nut gravy), butter chicken, papad mangodi ki sabzi (papad and lentil dumpling in tomato gravy), and kung pao chicken. Come at night to have a cocktail and watch the sunset.

Housed in a pink-walled bungalow off the busy M.I. Road, this restaurant-bar channels the spirit of British architect Samuel Swinton Jacob, who designed many of Jaipur's iconic buildings like Rambagh Palace and Albert Hall Museum. The food menu includes everything from Indian chaat to pan-Asian to Italian—there's something for everyone. The space is divided into two distinct units: The Yard, with a retractable glass roof and delicate pink furnishing, is awash with natural light while Albion has a speakeasy vibe with deep colors, vintage furniture, and chandeliers. The bar shakes up some interesting cocktails—the Sassy Jamun with gin, jamun (Malabar plum, type of stonefruit), and yuzu foam is a deliciously tart and spicy purple-colored concoction.

Located on the top floor of Parallel Hotel, this happening lounge bar and restaurant offers sweeping views of the cityscape and the surrounding Aravallis. Try one of their signature cocktails along with a selection of Mediterranean-inspired bar bites, dim sums, and sushi; there's also an extensive pizza, pasta, and risotto menu. After a long day of sightseeing, this is the perfect place for a sunset drink and finger food or dinner, although the music does get progressively louder through the evening.

Serving rich North Indian and Rajasthani food, as well as some Chinese, quite a few continental dishes, and a choice of desserts which you don't find at other Jaisalmer restaurants, this rooftop restaurant is an old favorite with travelers even if the food is not outstanding. The tented roof top has a kitschy though charming look, with good views of the fort from the smaller open terrace area. Try the tandoori thali, a combo platter of various chicken and vegetable items baked in a tandoor oven.

Trio can get packed with prebooked tour groups, so check whether you need a reservation for dinner during the peak season.

The name of the Lake Pichola Hotel's restaurant means "upstairs" in the local dialect, and that's exactly what it is—a rooftop spot beside the pool, with spectacular views of the City Palace complex and lake, especially charming and romantic when they are lighted up after dark (it can be hot at lunchtime). There's typical Rajasthani seating on high beds and against bolsters, too. Run by the same family that runs 1559 AD, this is a favorite among locals and tourists, who come for the good-quality (though not outstanding) food at reasonable prices. The menu features Italian, Mexican, and Chinese dishes alongside the Indian food. The restaurant also has a well-stocked bar.