The best restaurants Madhya Pradesh

Located in a pleasant garden-courtyard, this elegant café-restaurant offers a varied menu: Indian specialties, such as butter chicken or tandoori, and international dishes, including very good lamb burgers. Everything is cooked with fresh and excellent products. The tourists are not mistaken, it is often full. In case of strong heat, you can take refuge in the small air-conditioned room on the first floor. And the rest of the time, the terrace on the first floor offering a breathtaking view on the temples is often taken by storm.

As its name suggests, this restaurant offers quality cuisine inspired by the north of the country. The tandoor is in operation for lunch and dinner (which is rare), which allows you to enjoy a chicken tikka or kebabs for lunch. Some Chinese dishes are also on the menu (especially noodles) and snacks. The setting, if it is impersonal, is nonetheless comfortable. The tables are large and surrounded by benches and the room is air-conditioned. The staff will be able to guide you in your choice if the menu leaves you wondering. A good place.

It is the first of the restaurants on the road leading to the bridge and the fort, its menu is more or less the same as that of its colleagues, with a delicious eggplant curry. The owner is adorable and cooks especially for sensitive palates by subtly dosing the spices. From the terrace, you can appreciate the animation that reigns at the crossroads, especially in the evening, when the pilgrims come in mass to the temple located on the other side of the road. The place is a bit touristy but still very pleasant.

This address is known by the locals for its sweet delicacies, but the cookie store is also next to a large restaurant where they serve spicy vegetarian specialties. The principle is that of fast food. You have to go to the cashier and order your meal, then present your ticket to a waiter behind the counter. Once your tray is full, you just have to find a free seat, which can be complicated on weekend nights.

Located on the terrace of a hotel, a little away from the city, this restaurant is nevertheless worth your visit. The food is really delicious and the prices are quite moderate. The chef worked for several years in Japan, before coming back home to Khajuraho. The products are ultra-fresh and the dishes are prepared to order, which is why you will have to wait a little. You can choose to eat outside, on the pleasant roof terrace laid out like an urban garden, or in the air-conditioned dining room with its contemporary setting.

Everything in this restaurant is a bit oversized: the size of the room (very large), the backs of the chairs (very high), the brightness (very dark). This seems to be what is needed to lure a wealthy clientele that wants to relax and be entertained. A slightly baroque setting and water pipes. In addition to being a restaurant that serves decent food, but with somewhat congruent portions, the establishment acts as a sheesha bar. No alcohol, but a long menu of mocktails and tobacco flavors.

Located on the slopes of Shymala Hills, this restaurant is part of a hotel complex owned by the Madhya Pradesh Tourist Board. If the cuisine it offers is not very original, it is well executed. You will find the classic mutter or palak paneer, dhal, butter chicken as well as some tasty kebabs and tandooris. The establishment is licensed and you can sip a beer or a whisky - in moderation - while watching the lake.

This shop was recommended to us as the one that serves the best chai in India. While we cannot verify the truth of this statement, the Bengali Tea Shop does serve delicious spiced tea. You only have to see the crowd that rushes in at all hours to be sure. In summer, when the temperature becomes unbearable, you can cool down with a delicious lassi. Samosas and parathas will accompany your break in the shade of a tree. The sign is only in Hindi but you will easily find the establishment.

To the right after the first gate of the fort, this café with a few tables serves snacks and cold drinks throughout the day. Located in one of the buildings of the palace, you will appreciate its courtyard shaded by a beautiful century-old tree. The rooms offered are out of the ordinary since they are located within the entrance gate of the fort! Air-conditioned, they are all charming and comfortable. If you can, ask for the Bee eater, a spacious room at the top of the gate with a nice terrace overlooking the city.

This small establishment is popular with both local youth and tourists. Bohemian atmosphere, art exhibition on the first floor. On the second floor a covered terrace with a few tables and a pleasant open-air terrace in the evening. The whole place doesn't look like much but the welcome is very nice and the food is really good! On the menu thin-crust pizzas, pastas, momos, sandwiches, Indian dishes... You can also come and have a coffee. Also organizes photo tours of the city.

This small establishment on the edge of the main square serves snacks and delicious sweet lassis (the best in Madhya Pradesh, at least). You can also stock up on cold drinks, cookies, shampoo, toothpaste and more, as this restaurant also serves as a grocery store. Perfect for a sweet or salty break between your visits. The owner, who is adorable and speaks very good English, is a real mine of information about the city. Don't hesitate to ask him for advice!

A correct and comfortable restaurant, ideally located. The menu is quite varied and proposes Indian, Chinese, Mexican vegetarian specialities, pizzas... The establishment is run by the young and friendly Vicky, who also owns a small international bookshop next to the restaurant (and who even sells some books in French). The place is strategically placed to have a snack or a tea before or after your visit of the fort. Indian cooking classes are available.

In the car, the train will leave! Don't worry, this one will stay on the platform for the time of your meal. Bhopal Express is installed in an old train car, converted into a comfortable dining room. With pleated curtains on the windows replaced by screens showing a scrolling landscape, red and white tablecloths, cream-colored benches, you would think you were in a Pullmann of the Belle Epoque. The titles of the dishes (in Hindi, but with a subtitle in English) refer to the journey. A few tables are also set up on the quay, to enjoy the beautiful evenings.