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Lunch & Dinner

Ahdoos at Residency Road is a perrenial recommendation on this blog (especially off season when freshness of food may be an issue at other places).

The Liberty Cafe at Dr Ali Jan Complex on the M.A Road is currently recommended for the ambience, food and quality of service.

The view at the Taj Vivanta is to die for. Unfortunately their excellent Chinese restaurant – the Jade Garden – only serves dinner.

Alternatively you can opt for buffet dinner at the Lalit (the erstwhile palace of the Maharaja of Kashmir) just off the Boulevard as a high-end option.

Stream and Shamyana on the Boulevard are popular but struggle to maintain a consistently high standard.

Linz Cafe on the Residency Road has wholesome kashmiri/indian food and loads of ambience.

Amigo's opposite Amar Singh College, earlier recommended for oven- fresh pizza and pasta, has upscaled itself to a family-style restaurant. The new Amigo's restaurant at Hazratbal near the University of Kashmir is also quite popular.

The Walnut Fudge at the nearby Moonlight is recommended by no less than a former Chief Minister of J&K.

Cafes

The slightly posey menu at The 14th Avenue overlooking the Jehlum near the SPS Museum at Rajbagh is offset by the location and friendly service. Plus they have free wifi if you ask nicely. The new 14th Avenue Cafe at Parraypora is recommended.
Try a slice of their Blueberry Cheesecake for dessert.

Cafe Coffee Day adjacent to Burn Hall School is always dependable for good coffee in Kashmir. Cafe Coffee Day also has new outlets at the Boulevard, Kashmir University and Nishat.

Creme at Ahdoos at Residency Road is just a few chairs in a bakery but the location is central and the offerings are always delectable.

Chinese

The Jade Dragon at the Taj Vivanta is the best place for Chinese food.
Tip: Evenings only.

Lhasa on the Boulevard is one of the oldest Chinese restaurants in Kashmir.
Tip: Lhasa is excellent for Chinese/Indian food home delivery.

Alka Salka near the General Post Office and Knife and Fork at Regal Chowk are conveniently located.

Grilled Tikka

Tikka stalls (mutton, chicken & fish) at Makai Point on the Boulevard are very popular nowadays.

Imran Cafeteria and other stalls in Khanyar serve good grilled mutton tikka. The skewers are served on a lavassa with a platter of six or seven dips/chutneys.

Tea

Old-timers and regular visitors to the valley swear by Ahdoos at Residency Road. Tea and kababs at Ahdoos are a time-honored tradition. The chicken patty and chutney are simply magnifico.

Fast Food

KFC and McDonald's have yet to set up shop in Kashmir, so Bangs will have to do.

Modern Sweets at Karan Nagar have the freshest burgers in Srinagar probably because their buns are oven-fresh.
Best as takeaway. However the service is excruciatingly slow.

La Decima is a nearby pizza joint.

Smokin' Joes has a popular pizza home delivery service in Kashmir. Amigo's and Bangs/Roasters also offer pizza delivery.
Always confirm hourly/daily offers before ordering.

You can't get friendlier service than Parsas/Kathi Junction at the Sara City Mall. Plus there is always something going on – book launches, live music shows and the like.

Grillz near Nagin Club and Gulf Royal on the Bypass Crossing at Rawalpora are good schwarma joints.

Vegetarian Food

If you insist on pure vegetarian food, Krishna Dhaba opposite Cafe Coffee Day at Durganag is the best option.

Recommended even for non-vegetarians.

The nearby Gulab is a fancier option.

The veg-only Mahatta’s Cafe on the Bund near the G.P.O oozes old world charm. Plus they have pretty good ice cream.

Nathu's on the Boulevard is an Indian-style eatery that serves passable varieties of a wide range of foods – thali, dosa, sweets, bakery etc.

Nathu's Rasoi near the Main Bus Stand in Pahalgam serves the best South Indian food in Kashmir.
Highly recommended.

Cafe Log Inn in Pahalgam scores high on food and ambience but the staff is surprisingly rude.

Bakeries

Fresh western-style bakery items are available at Jee Enn Sons on the Maulana Azad Road.

Sultan Bakers at Dalgate bake an excellent cheesecake.

Creme at Ahdoos, La Delice, a French-style bakery on the Boulevard and the Just Baked bakery at Rawalpora are new entries on the list.

Indian-style sweet shops

Maharaja Sweets opposite Amar Singh Club in Sonwar and Shakti Sweets are popular Indian-style sweet shops in Srinagar.

Ice Cream

Little Hut off the Zero Bridge is still my favourite place for ice cream.

Other ice cream joints are a middling Baskin Robbins stall at the Sangarmaal Complex, and Hat Trick and Amigo's .

You still cant get a decent hot chocolate fudge anywhere in Kashmir. Maybe at Mahatta’s Cafe.
Try a Honey Fig cone. Awesome!

Dessert

Katherine Wheels served with thick maple syrup in an old-world setting at Hotel Highlands Park are alone worth the journey to Gulmarg. Nothing else comes close.
The fact that Gulmarg is one of the most beautiful tourist spots in Asia helps.
Try the ‘Benjie Burger‘ too.

Honorable Mentions

Cafe Peerzoo on the banks of the Jehlum behind the General Post Office used to be a kind of finishing school for trainees at the Institute of Hotel Management. The food was prepared and served by the students and the quality varied from sublime to passable. These days it is just another government-run facility and the food roulette is history.
Worth a visit for the location.

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