Where to Eat in Varanasi: as a Tourist and Like a Local
Varanasi is one of the great food cities of North India, and almost all of it is vegetarian. You can eat like a local on the street for very little, or sit in a café by the river. Ideally, do both.
Like a local
The day starts with kachori and spicy sabzi, followed by a hot jalebi. The old city is full of small places that have done one thing for generations. These are the classics Shiva’s guests ask about most:
- Kachori and jalebi for breakfast, in the lanes around Thatheri Bazaar and Kachori Gali.
- Tamatar chaat, the tomato chaat found only here, at the chaat stalls around Godowlia.
- Lassi in a clay cup (kulhad): the best-known is Blue Lassi, in the lanes near Manikarnika, famous for its fruit lassis.
- Malaiyo, a saffron milk foam sold only on winter mornings, from November to February.
- Banarasi paan after dinner, sweet or with tobacco: ask for it without.
Locals eat where the queue is and the oil is hot. A busy stall turns food over fast, which is the best guarantee of freshness.
As a tourist, easy and calm
After a morning in the lanes, a quiet table helps. The Assi Ghat area has relaxed cafés with river views and international menus, and the big hotels in Cantonment have reliable restaurants. Expect higher prices and gentler spice.
Eating safely
- Choose food cooked or fried in front of you.
- Drink bottled or filtered water, and skip ice in the first days.
- Go easy on raw salads and cut fruit until your stomach adjusts.
- Carry hand sanitiser: many stalls have no water to wash.
- In the old city around the temples you will rarely find meat, eggs or alcohol.
Tell Shiva about allergies before the food walk: he chooses stalls where he can ask what goes into each dish.