The Srinagar Food Guide: Where We Actually Send Our Guests

Most Srinagar food guides list the same restaurants in the same order they appeared in a Google search. This isn't that guide.

We host guests at Maskan year-round, and the question most of them ask — sometimes before they've put down their bags — is where to eat. Over time, our host Sabiya has built what we think is the most honest food map of the city: places where the food is genuinely excellent, not just spots that show up because they've been around long enough to accumulate reviews.

No paid recommendations. No tourist traps. Here's what we actually tell people.

At Your Doorstep: Walking Distance from Barzulla

If you're staying near the Barzulla area (where Maskan is), you have genuinely good options within a 5-minute walk — in the Nirmaan Complex right below us.

Cafe Liberty is our first call for breakfast. Good coffee, excellent Kashmiri Kahwa, continental snacks, reliable service. Modern and light-filled, popular with the young Srinagar crowd. Don't overlook the tea here. Maps →

Koficha Cafe — same complex — is the quieter option. Better coffee (they take it seriously), home delivery available, good for slow mornings or remote work afternoons. Burgers and rolls are solid. Maps →

Le Delice Bakery is the reason you will overspend on pastries. Top-rated bakery in Srinagar — French-style patisserie, custom cakes, fresh pastries made daily. If you want to take something home or need a celebratory cake, this is the place. Multiple branches, including one on Dal Lake Boulevard. Maps →

The Wazwan Question

You're going to eat Wazwan. If you visit Kashmir and skip it, that's like going to Naples and not eating pizza. Technically possible, but a strange choice.

Wazwan is the traditional Kashmiri multi-course feast. The full version comes on a large copper platter (Trami) and includes Mutton Rogan Josh, Gushtaba (minced meat dumplings in yogurt gravy), Tabak Maaz (fried lamb ribs), Seekh Kebabs, and more. Shared between 2–4 people, served with rice. It's a serious meal — you won't need dinner.

The question isn't whether to eat Wazwan, but where. Here's our honest take:

Lazeez Restaurant on Dal Lake Boulevard is our premium recommendation. 20 minutes from Maskan, right on the Boulevard Road overlooking the lake. The Wazwan Trami here is exceptional — the Mutton Rogan Josh in particular is a different calibre from most places. Their vegetarian Kashmiri Nadru (lotus stem) dish is also genuinely worth ordering even if you're not vegetarian. Good service, easy parking. This is where you take people you want to impress. Maps →

Ahdoos Restaurant near Lal Chowk has been running since 1918. Iconic, old Srinagar atmosphere, Creme Bakery attached next door. The make-your-own Trami experience is worth asking for when you arrive. Book ahead if you want the full feast — it needs some notice. Maps →

Kareema Restaurant on Residency Road is the answer to "where do actual Kashmiris eat Wazwan?" Not a tourist restaurant. Same quality and taste as the well-known spots, at significantly lower prices. Families eating proper meals, not tourists on a food tour. We recommend this to guests who want the real thing without paying tourist-facing prices. Best value authentic Wazwan in the city. Maps →

For Vegetarians

Kashmiri food leans heavily meat-forward — the Wazwan is almost entirely non-vegetarian. But there are excellent vegetarian options if you know where to look.

Krishna Dhaba near Dal Gate is the answer. Pure vegetarian, and the Kashmiri Dum Aloo here is a local favourite — genuinely excellent in a way that surprises people who think they've had Dum Aloo before. (They haven't. The Kashmiri version with fennel and dried Kashmiri chilli is its own thing entirely.) Good Rajma Chawal, solid Paneer dishes, clean and hygienic. This is where Srinagar's vegetarians actually eat. Maps →

Gulab Restaurant near Dal Gate is another pure-vegetarian option with good quality sweets available to take home. Maps →

The Café Worth Going Out of Your Way For

Books and Bricks Cafe in Gogji Bagh, about 10 minutes from Maskan, is one of the best café experiences in the city. Exposed brick walls, books on every shelf, good natural light, quality coffee. The kind of place you intend to spend an hour in and end up staying three. TripAdvisor-rated, but it doesn't feel like it — the locals have claimed it too. Maps →

14th Avenue Cafe & Bake Shop in Rajbagh sits on the Jhelum River and is good for a longer meal. Steaks, pasta, pizza, fresh bread, good coffee. The view of the river is a bonus. Worth the 10–15 minute drive when you want something more substantial. Maps →

Tea Culture: The Chai Jaai Experience

On the Bund, overlooking the Jhelum River. Victorian décor, Kashmiri hospitality, a tea menu with real depth — Kahwa, Noon Chai (the pink salted tea), seasonal Kashmiri varieties. In winter mornings they serve Harissa alongside the teas.

This is a proper experience, not just a restaurant recommendation. The room is special, the teas are unique, and going in the afternoon and staying for a while is exactly the right thing to do. Maps →

Evening Street Food: Tujj at Khayam Chowk

Tujj are Kashmiri seekh kebabs — smoky, spiced, grilled over charcoal. At Khayam Chowk, evenings only, there are stalls serving these with local bread. This is where young Srinagar comes out in the evenings. Casual, cheap, excellent.

Key detail: evenings only. Don't go for lunch expecting to find them. Maps →

Dal Lake Dining

Chakosi Makosi on Dal Lake Boulevard is the pick for a special dinner. Italian food — proper pizzas, good pasta — with outdoor seating looking directly over the lake. Sunset here is something. Highly rated, professional staff, not cheap but worth it for the occasion. Plan this one in advance.

Stream Restaurant on Boulevard Road is the answer if you want fresh Trout Fish — Kashmir's best fish, pulled from cold mountain rivers. The lake view is a bonus. Maps →

Majlis in Polo View is worth knowing about for Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food — an elegant option when you want something outside the Kashmiri-Chinese-North Indian circuit that dominates most menus. Instagram →

Markazi by Kabo — Chef Hussain's restaurant — is one of the newer places we've started recommending. The menu takes Kashmiri ingredients seriously and does something thoughtful with them. Two things to order: the kunafa and the haleem. Both are worth the trip on their own. Good for guests who want something contemporary without losing the thread of where they are.

The Thing to Take Home

Moonlight Walnut Fudge — multiple locations including near Boulevard Road — has been making walnut fudge since 1896. Thick, dense, slightly salted, made with proper Kashmiri walnuts. Their fresh walnut ice cream is also excellent. This is the food item that people who've visited Kashmir end up wanting to send to everyone they know. They deliver across India now. Pack some. Maps →

Quick Reference

• Best Wazwan (premium): Lazeez Restaurant, Boulevard Road
• Best Wazwan (local prices): Kareema, Residency Road
• Best breakfast café: Cafe Liberty (walking distance) or Books and Bricks
• Best vegetarian: Krishna Dhaba near Dal Gate
• Best tea experience: Chai Jaai, The Bund
• Best evening street food: Tujj at Khayam Chowk
• Best Dal Lake dinner: Chakosi Makosi for sunset Italian
• Best modern Kashmiri: Markazi by Kabo — try the kunafa and haleem
• Best thing to take home: Moonlight Walnut Fudge