17 Best Cafe & Restaurants in Chandigarh: A Culinary Journey
While travelers to Chandigarh often use it as a transit point on their way to the Himalayas, the city itself boasts a growing number of exceptional restaurants worth exploring. Recently, Chandigarh’s food scene has transformed dramatically. Beyond traditional Indian and Chinese eateries, the city now offers a variety of cuisines, dining formats, and captivating aesthetics. Here’s a guide to the best restaurants in Chandigarh, featuring pan-Asian, Italian, vegan delights, and rich Mughlai cuisine.
1. Back To Source
With its fascinating brutalist yet warm interiors, Back To Source is a gastronomical delight that prides itself on using consciously sourced ingredients. Its offerings include classic Indian fare with a twist and a boulangerie that bakes sourdough, focaccia, and gluten-free keto buns. Visiting here for brunch is a great idea. Kick off your meal with a potent cocktail, such as a classic margarita, or an artisanal coffee.
- Dish to Try: Gucchi Pulao
- Address: SCO 10-11-12, First Floor, Sector 17A
2. Cottage
Cottage exudes a warm, cozy aesthetic reminiscent of a country chalet, with its stone, slate, glass, and wood exteriors. The menu is an eclectic mix of Middle-Eastern, English, French, and Indian fare. Favorites include kaffir lime chicken and lamb hummus. In winter, the open backyard with limited outdoor seating is perfect for an evening meal, complete with a stone-clad fireplace for warmth.
- Dish to Try: Kaffir Lime Chicken
- Address: SCO 44, Madhya Marg, Sector 7-C, Sector 7
Also read: 5 Best Instagram-Worthy Cafes To Check Out In India
3. Virgin Courtyard
Before Chandigarh’s restaurant boom, Virgin Courtyard was already a favorite. This Mediterranean-style restaurant, with all-white Grecian interiors, focuses on Italian cuisine. With its easygoing ambiance and comfort food, you can rely on staples like margarita pizza, pasta, and appetizing starters with a side of wine. It’s a popular spot for date nights and family meals alike.
- Dish to Try: Mushroom Risotto
- Address: SCO 1A, Sector 7-C, Sector 7
4. Orchid Lounge
Designed like a safari lodge, Orchid Lounge offers large portions and delicious food in a country club-style setting. The menu features Indian and Pan-Asian fare, with favorites like Thai curry, chicken steak, masor tenga fish curry, and bunny chow. This homey restaurant is a longstanding favorite in Chandigarh.
- Dish to Try: Bunny Chow
- Address: SCO 230-231, Sector 34A, Sector 34
5. Sultry Noodle
Sultry Noodle is a hip, modern pan-Asian restaurant by day and a social club by night. It offers zero-waste craft cocktails and beautifully plated dishes like Thai chicken kebab, katsu chicken sandwich, Indonesian jawa fish, and vegetable tempura wasabi bao. Don’t miss the Mount Fuji dessert, a molten chocolate cake made with Belgian Callebaut chocolate.
- Dish to Try: Indonesian Jawa Fish
- Address: SCO 10, Madhya Marg, Sector 7-C, Backside
6. Rojo Tomate
Rojo Tomate is a quaint pizzeria in Chandigarh’s Sector-10 market. The warm space with wooden accents and a large red-brick wall offers wood-fired pizzas with exciting toppings. Standouts include the Rocket Salad Pizza, Pizza con Spinach e Burrata, Wild Truffle’d Pizza, and Rojo’s Margherita Di Casa. End your meal with the sticky toffee date pudding.
- Dish to Try: Rocket Salad Pizza
- Address: SCO-15, Opposite Mount View Hotel, Adjoining Coal Depot Complex, 10D, Sector 10
7. Noorani
Located in Sector-7, Noorani’s Mughlai kitchen emits mouth-watering aromas that draw you in. The small takeaway restaurant downstairs leads to a bright dining space upstairs, offering biryani, delectable kebabs, dal makhani, nihari, and their rendition of butter chicken. It’s a go-to spot for comfort food.
- Dish to Try: Mutton Khazana Biryan
- Address: SCO 188, Sector 7-C, Sector 7
8. Sundarams
Sundarams, a family-owned restaurant, brings the exquisite flavors of South India to Chandigarh. Started in 2002 by Mr. S Sundaram and Mrs. Uma Maheswari, the menu offers classics like dosas, idlis, and uthappams. The beautiful wooden interiors add to the dining experience, drawing regulars and travelers alike.
- Dish to Try: Ghee Podi Dosa
- Address: SCO 35, Madhya Marg, Sector 26
9. Oven Fresh
Oven Fresh started as a baked goods store in the 1990s and has become one of the city’s most popular large-format restaurants. The multi-cuisine menu includes paneer tikka, alfredo pasta, Thai curries, and Indonesian satays, with legendary sizzlers. While finding a table can be challenging, the wait is worth it.
- Dish to Try: Chicken or Vegetarian Sizzler
- Address: SCO 43, Madhya Marg, Sector 7-C, Sector 7
10. Backpackers
Backpackers Café, with vintage travel posters and retro Thonet chairs, is a Chandigarh institution. Located in Sector-8, it offers comfort food, huge weekend breakfasts, and hearty mid-day meals with home-baked sandwiches. Board games are available to keep you occupied while you wait.
- Dish to Try: Eggs Benedict
- Address: Madhya Marg, Sector 8C, Sector 8
11. Café De Piccolo
Café De Piccolo’s cottage-core aesthetic feels like a charming country villa. The menu includes Italian classics like pasta, pizzas, and sandwiches, with a standout lamb burger. The hot chocolate and Nutella crepe are also worth trying. The cozy interiors provide a warm contrast to the busy streets outside.
- Dish to Try: Lamb Burger
- Address: SCO 61-62-63, Madhya Marg, 9-D, Sector 9
12. Sage
Sage, a new entrant in Chandigarh’s food scene, is known for its striking interiors and healthy, tasty food. The green-themed restaurant offers a diverse menu from cheese platters and eggs benedict to Vietnamese pho and Mexican burrito bowls. The beautifully plated burrata salad and Mexican burrito bowl are must-tries.
- Dish to Try: Burrata Salad
- Address: Inner Market, 9-D, Sector 9
13. Aja
Aja, with its dark, warm interiors, offers a menu with plenty of vegan options. Classics like avocado toasts and burrito wraps are available alongside local adaptations like Punjabi tofu pizza and Mexican guacamole sev puri. The standout Plantage Burger is infused with avocado and tomato salsa, and the hazelnut chocolate eclairs are unforgettable.
- Dish to Try: Plantage Burger
- Address: SCO 129-131, Madhya Marg, Sector 9
14. Hibachi
Located in the Icon Hotel, Hibachi is a hidden gem known for its sushi and Teppanyaki menu. With excellent sushi offerings, Thai curries, and Burmese dishes, it stands out among Chandigarh’s pan-Asian restaurants. The light and airy interiors make it perfect for a quiet meal.
- Dish to Try: Teppanyaki Menu
- Address: Sector 8C, Sector 8
15. Tin Tin
Tin Tin is a trendy, modern pan-Asian restaurant and bar popular among locals and travelers. Its cocktail menu includes unique concoctions like the Plum and Kokum Martini and Green Mango Sour. The food ranges from dumplings and baos to innovative sushi platters, making it a fun evening outing.
- Dish to Try: Ramen Bowl
- Address: SCO 165-167, Sector 34B, Sector 34
16. Lykke
Lykke is a vibrant restaurant, patisserie, and gelateria known for its pizzas, cakes, and pastries. The eatery offers mouth-watering croissants, fresh gelato, wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, and a ten-layer chocolate cake. Visit Lykke for its cheery vibe and artisanal desserts.
- Dish to Try: Ten-Layer Chocolate Cake
- Address: SCO 12, Sector 9D, Madhya Marg
17. Hops n Grains
Chandigarh’s first microbrewery, Hops n Grains, serves craft beer and delectable bar snacks. The menu features continental and North Indian favorites, perfect for accompanying their brewed on-site beers. Enjoy the relaxing ambiance with a pint of their signature brew.
- Dish to Try: Craft Beer Sampler
- Address: SCO 358, Sector 9, Panchkula
Chandigarh’s diverse culinary scene offers something for every palate. Whether you’re in the mood for Italian, Mughlai, or pan-Asian cuisine, these restaurants promise a memorable dining experience. Bon appétit!
