Top Ten Restaurants in McLeodganj, Dharamshala

When you visit a place you also like to eat the best food available there. McLeodganj has plenty of dining options at affordable prices specifically if you are interested in Tibetan, Chinese and Italian foods. The listing below is not in order of preference or ranking but in the simple order that I visited them.

Blue Cheese Pizza at Om Restaurant 

Om Restaurant – It has a good ambiance and beautiful location and you can sit for long and enjoy the view of the undulating mountains. The Blue Cheese Pizza that I had was very good.

Thukpa, Tingmo & Phigsa at Norling Cafe

Norling Café- Not a very big place but has been maintained nicely. However, it has no views as it is in the middle of the market. The Norling Café Special Thukpa was good with lots of meat in it. The Phingsa and Tingmo were also well prepared.

Rewa Cafe

Rewa Café – They may not score high on ambiance, location or view but the Thukpa (Rs 80 for a mutton Thukpa) and Momo (Rs 90 for a plate of mutton Momo) score highly. The Momos were really juicy. On top of that they kept the hot water in a thermos for drinking without being asked. The Tibetans prefer to take hot water throughout the day to keep them hydrated and therefore keep hot water in a flask.

Commonground

Common Ground – This restaurant is five minutes away from the main market, has been beautifully done and also has a good view if you sit outside. They specialize in Chinese (not Tibetan). I had ordered Dawa’s Sweet & Spicy Sizzler (Rs 200 for a plate), Sha Tag (Rs 230 for a plate), Momo and Tingmo. Both the sizzler as well as Momo were excellent.

Tuna Pizza at Family Pizzaria, Dharamkot

Family Pizzaria, Dharamkot – This is not in McLeodganj but in Dharamkot. Lots of foreigners and Indians who come for longer stays stay in Dharamkot to do Vipasana etc. The walk to Dharamkot is also nice. The restaurant is located amidst a small orchard and one can enjoy the food in this beautiful setting. The Tuna Pizza and Tea that I had here were good.

Veg Cheese Bhakleb at Peace Cafe

Peace Café – This place is good for breakfast. The inside ambiance is good but the location is nothing to write home about. Has only vegetarian options. I am seeing that over the years more and more vegetarian-only outlets are coming up in McLeodganj as it is becoming fashionable in the west. The Veg Cheese Bhakleb (Rs 150 for a plate) that I ordered with banana shake was good.

Momo & Shapalay at Palden

Palden Tea Shop – This place has no ambiance or view. It is a very small place with just two tables. I has ordered Shapalay and Momo and both of these were without doubt the best that one can have in Mcleodganj. It was manged by just one person only who managed to make the food, serve, clean utensils etc single handedly. If you are not fussy about going to glossy looking places then choose such small ones to get real authentic and delicious Tibetan food.

Shifan Pautse at Kailash Kunga

Kailash Kunga – This place is good for breakfast etc. Again the ambiance and location are not good but the Shifan Pautse that I had were delicious.

Meat Ball Thukpa, Momo at the Clay Oven

The Clay Oven – The place is located near the Main Square and has very well done interiors with real live clay oven working where you can watch your food being prepared. The Meat Ball Thukpa (Rs 130 for a plate) was well prepared and the Momo (Rs 120 for a plate) were very juicy.

Chicken Garlic Steak & Dessert at the Carpe Diem

Carpe Diem – I had an excellent Chicken Garlic Steak with rice, chips and butter veg (Rs 240 for a plate) followed by dessert called Hello to the Queen (Rs 130 for a plate). The place is spread over two floors and has good ambiance, western music and is popular with foreign tourists. The place also serves liquor. Comparatively expensive place but it is still value for money.

There are several vegan cafes also coming up as the demand is rising for such cafes.

The food in all the restaurants that I visited was good and comparatively much cheaper than in Delhi/NCR. The Momo prepared by all of them are fresh and juicy unlike the ones you get mostly in Delhi. So be prepared to give some time for your Momo to arrive! The best point about all these restaurants are that either they don’t charge GST at all or is part of the printed price so you know exactly what you would end up paying at end of the meal.

Also read:

Things to do in Mcleodganj: The Kora Circuit
Places to visit in McLeodganj: Bhagsunag Waterfall
McLeodganj, Dharamshala, Himachal
Why I love to go to McLeodganj
Skywatch Friday - Sunset at McLeodganj, Himachal
Places to visit in McLeodganj: The Church of St John-in-the-Wilderness

Things to do in Mcleodganj: The Kora Circuit

I have been visiting Mcleodganj since the year 1987 but somehow had been unaware of one important facet of the Buddhist tradition – the Kora. Kora is a form of pilgrimage wherein you circumambulate a holy site (Parikrama in the Hindu tradition). In Mcleodganj Buddhist, young and old, take the Kora circuit around the hill that has the residence of Dalai Lama and the monastery and therefore considered holy. Surprisingly it is little known.

The Kora in Mcleodganj

This tradition on circumambulation is common in both Buddhism and Bon. However, in Buddhism the walk in a circle is clockwise whereas in Bon it is counter clockwise. Two famous Kora are the Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar.

Huge prayer flags on the Kora route, Mcleodganj

The route in Mcleodganj is well paved and away from the town’s honking traffic amidst pine and deodar forest. The route has stringed prayer flags small and large. Buddhists believe that the fluttering of the flags carries the prayers written on them onwards.

The Kora route has benches placed all along for people to take rest

If one gets tired then one can sit down on one of the benches lined up along the route. The older people do sit down to take rest and chant prayers.

Prayer wheels of all sizes on the Kora route in Mcleodganj

The path is lined with prayer wheels in different sizes. Some are made of metal; others are of wood. Some are very small and look antique as if they have been brought from Tibet while there are others that maybe be 8-10 feet in height. The prayer wheels are always on the right side of the devotee.

A Tibetan lady at the prayer wheels on the Kora in Mcleodganj

On the Kora route there are stones carved with the Buddhist prayer Om Mani Padme Hum. The stones are in various sizes and some of them are brightly painted.

Artistically carved stones with Om Mani Padme Hum written on them on the Kora in Mcleodganj

Apart from the serenity and the beauty of the path, the dense forest is a paradise for the birdwatchers. I saw several birds and one could spend several hours just observing them.

Kora route in Mcleodganj is a Birdwatchers paradise 

Langurs come down the mountains in winters and one comes across them in this area. Unlike monkeys they do not trouble people. They are busy with themselves.

Langurs preening each other on the Kora route in Mcleodganj

I liked the Kora circuit so much that I performed the Kora twice in three days. I thank my Tibetan friend who introduced the Kora to me and took me around explaining things on the first visit.

Prayer flags and prayer wheels on the Kora in Mcleodganj 

This route is, fortunately, little known to most tourists and therefore not crowded.  There is something special about it.

Wind carrying the prayers written on the flags

The cleanliness is impressive. Jute bags function as dustbins.

The serene Kora route in Mcleodganj

All in all the best part of McLeodganj, for the devout as well as the curious tourist.

Also read:
Bon Monastery in Himachal
Places to visit in McLeodganj: Bhagsunag Waterfall
McLeodganj, Dharamshala, Himachal
Why I love to go to McLeodganj
Skywatch Friday - Sunset at McLeodganj, Himachal
Places to visit in McLeodganj: The Church of St John-in-the-Wilderness

In the Lap of Nature – Himachal Heritage Village Palampur

Some days back the Travel Correspondents and Bloggers Group invited me to visit the Palampur area of Himachal so I accepted the invite immediately. It is another thing that due to office work I was unsure of going till the evening of the previous day.

Himachal Heritage Village with Dhauladhar Mountains in the background

I am currently located in Sanghol and from here it was showing 250 kms journey. I decided to go by my own car and left at five in the morning and landed in Palampur at 10. The place, Thala Kandi, where I was to stay was five kms from the town up the valley near Neugal Khad (rivulet). When I reached the Himachal Heritage Village I was amazed to see almost the whole of Himachal, architecture wise, located at one place with the Dhauladhar Mountains providing a beautiful backdrop. As of now there are five buildings and all of them have different architecture representing different regions/villages/towns of Himachal. Four of these are residential buildings for the guests. Una, Kangra, Barot and Khaniara style houses represent these areas while the dining area and office building is made in the Kinnaur style.

The bedroom at the Una House, Himachal Heritage Village

On the first day I stayed in the Una style house which is made completely of sun dried mud bricks and no cement has been used in its construction. The windows are beautifully carved and painted and the roof is made of bamboo whereas the floor is made of mud. Though the basic structure is made of mud but all modern amenities have been provided inside including glass enclosed shower area etc.

The chullah at Una house, also observe the old style switchboards

The first floor where I stayed also had a traditional chullah (earthen fireplace for cooking) for ambiance. The room made of traditional material was cosy and warm and I could sleep in only one blanket comfortably. The management has taken extra pains to ensure that the look of the building reminds one of the old days for example they had to secure the old style switchboards which are no longer used from Old Delhi.

Bonfire at Himachal Heritage Village

In the evening we all sat together with the bonfire giving us warmth and the stars for company as we watched the moon rise above the hills. One can sit for hours in such a beautiful setting!

The dining hall is built in Kinnauri style

After spending a wonderful evening under the stars we all went in the dining hall which has been made as per the architecture of the kinnaur region.

Traditional Kangra food being eaten in Himachli style 

The dinner was a local Himchali affair served on the floor in Pattal (plate made of leaves) and to be eaten with hands. The food was fantastic and truly prepared in the Hiamchali style. I especially liked their Khatta Maas. I am told that they serve the Himachali food at least once to all the guests.

HImachal Heritage Village, Palampur

The next day I had the full attention of the person behind the concept Mr Hem Dogra who narrated to me how they have brought the water from 500 meters away to form a pond as well as creating a waterfall. The project started in 2011 and took four years of painstaking work and skilled labour to make the houses in real traditional style. Nowadays most people even in the hills make concrete cement houses and it is difficult to find skilled labour to make such houses now.

Khaniara style house at the Himachal Heritage Village

The second day I shifted to the Khaniara house so that I can experience it as well. Unlike the Una style this is made completely of stone found in Khaniara near Dharamshala (and that is why the name).

My bedroom in the Khaniara house

Again like the Una house no cement has been used in this house as well. The floor however is made of wooden planks. The bathroom in Khaniara house is luxurious with even a cascading waterfall inside!

The bathroom in the Khaniara house

There are plenty of options to spend your time here. One can go on short or long hikes. There is a naturally formed serene pool, a short walk from this place, which gives the impression of a huge tub in the lap of nature. Palampur and its surrounding area is known for its tea gardens, temples, monasteries and paragliding. But about these things I will write in separate posts.

I had a wonderful, though short, stay at the Himachal Heritage Village. I would like to go and stay there for a longer period.

Also read:
McLeodganj, Dharamshala, Himachal
Why I love to go to McLeodganj
Skywatch Friday - Sunset at McLeodganj, Himachal
Places to visit in McLeodganj: Bhagsunag Waterfall
Places to visit in McLeodganj: The Church of St John-in-the-Wilderness