9 Best Restaurants in Rajasthan, India

The Jaipur version of a Nordstrom Cafe, this little eatery, attached to the Anokhi store, has a relaxed air and is a perfect place to rest limbs weary from sightseeing or shopping, enjoying a drink for as long as you like. Try the caramelized onion, goat cheese, and tomato pizza or opt for one of the freshly made salads (washed in filtered water); also among the selection are vegetarian sandwiches and pastas, and a variety of cold drinks (the ice cubes are safe to drink).

This spacious café with chic interiors is a popular spot with locals who come for their excellent coffee (which is roasted on-site) and baked goods like croissants, Korean buns, and sandwiches as well as all-day breakfast items like omelets and pancakes.

With bright green interiors, warm lighting, and indoor plants, this bakery-cafe is a great spot to stop at after exploring Saheliyon ki Bari. Their coffee is excellent, as is their dessert selection that includes tea cakes, brownies, and cheesecakes. There are also smoothies, shakes, cold-pressed juices, and standard European cafe-fares on offer.

This little bakery and café in the Hotel Gangaur Palace, with courtyard or rooftop seating, sells fresh pastries and cakes, as well as delicious, real espresso. If you come for breakfast, try the baked beans on toast or the soft cinnamon rolls (not always available during summer months), apple crumble, or date-and-walnut pie. The café is on a busy thoroughfare, but you can take your coffee and pastry upstairs to its sister venue Natural City View (same menu). It also serves international dishes at lunch and dinner.

If you're looking for freshly roasted coffee brewed to perfection, head to this lively café with indoor and outdoor seating. The café attracts a steady stream of Jaipur's jet-set, who hang out and even work from here. There's also a small menu of salads, omelets, sandwiches, and desserts available. There's another outlet about 2 km (1 mile) away.

Authentic espresso drinks and fresh juice are the specialties at this café on the corner of a busy intersection near Jagdish Temple. Free Wi-Fi and a/c make this postage-size but airy nook a hangout for tourists, but plenty of local merchants pop in for the high-quality coffee, too. Satisfy snack cravings with small bites such as Nutella toast, omelets, and vegan options.

Across the street from Niros restaurant, under a green-and-white-striped awning, and on the periphery of a long chain of imposters, the real thing, Lassiwalla, can only be found under the sign "Kishan Lal Govind Narain Agarwal"; it's so well-known that you may have to wait behind a line of locals waiting to get their daily serving of the sweet probiotic. Served in disposable red-clay cups, the delicious lassis come with a dash of thick cream on top and are available in medium and large sizes.

Most of the restaurants within the fort are vegetarian for historical reasons (mainly vegetarian Brahmin families lived in the fort), but a small section, where Rajput families live, have a few non-vegetarian restaurants—Little Tibet is one of them. It serves a mix of Tibetan (momos, vegetable and meat, great thukpa soups), Chinese, and Indian, with a few global items thrown in. The Indian non-vegetarian food is competently cooked if not hugely exciting; Tibetan fare is better. You can either eat at the main level or climb up to the rooftop, lit with fairy lights, and eat under the stars. It stays open later than most places inside the fort.

With several tea varieties, juices, and plenty of snacks---including samosas, pizza, and pav bhaji (vegetable curry with bread)—Tapri is Jaipur's modern café where friends, ladies who lunch, and visitors come to spend a few hours relaxing while overlooking Central Park. The tea is served with a timer to ensure yours is steeped perfectly to your liking; the ice tea (you can order a whole pitcher) is perfect for blazing hot days. There are also three other locations around the city.