Guide
Places to Eat in Varanasi (Banaras): A Local Food Guide
The best places to eat in Varanasi are in the old city between the ghats and Kashi Vishwanath Temple: Godowlia, Chowk and Thatheri Bazar. Start with kachori and jalebi for breakfast, have chaat in the afternoon, and finish with lassi or sweets. In winter, add Malaiyo early in the morning. This guide goes meal by meal, with the places locals and food writers name most.
By area
| Area | What to eat there | Near |
|---|---|---|
| Thatheri Bazar and Chowk | Kachori-jalebi breakfast, sweets, Malaiyo in winter, paan | Kashi Vishwanath Temple |
| Godowlia and Dashashwamedh Road | Chaat, lassi, malai toast and kulhad chai | Dashashwamedh Ghat |
| Assi Ghat | Cafés, breakfast after the morning aarti | The southern ghats |
| Lanka and BHU | Paan, sweets, student-priced street food | Banaras Hindu University |
Breakfast: kachori, sabzi and jalebi
The Banarasi breakfast is fried kachori with a potato sabzi, followed by hot jalebi. The Ram Bhandar in Thatheri Bazar, serving since 1887 by its own account, is the best-known place for it; locals queue in the morning. Kachori stalls across the old city serve hing kachori too. For something lighter, malai toast with kulhad chai is a morning favourite at tea stalls such as Lakshmi Chai Wala near Godowlia.
Sources: therambhandar.in, taleof2backpackers.com, buoyantlifestyles.com
Chaat
Varanasi's own chaat is tamatar chaat: a hot tomato and potato mash with spices and a sweet syrup, topped with crunchy bits. Kashi Chat Bhandar near Godowlia is the name most people give, along with Deena Chat Bhandar; both also serve aloo chaat, palak patta chaat and golgappe.
Sources: tripoto.com, taleof2backpackers.com
Lassi and rabri
Kulhad lassi topped with malai is everywhere near the ghats. Blue Lassi, Pehalwan Lassi and Baba Lassi are the best-known shops, and many also sell rabri and kesariya doodh.
Source: buoyantlifestyles.com
Malaiyo (winter only)
A froth of sweetened milk with saffron and pistachio, made only in winter and sold early in the morning. Look for vendors in the lanes of Chowk, including Chaukhamba lane, and arrive before mid-morning. We don't make Malaiyo at our shop; these vendors are the place for it.
Sources: tripoto.com, vacaywork.com
Sweets
Thatheri Bazar is the old city's sweet lane. At our counter, Sri Narayan Misthan Bhandar, people come for Malai Gilori, Lal Peda, Till Barfi and Rasbhari. Rasvanti, in the same lanes, is known for Lal Peda and Parwal mithai. Further out, Ksheer Sagar and Bengal Sweet House are known for chhena sweets. See our full list of famous sweet shops in Varanasi and the famous sweets of Varanasi.
A full meal: thali and baati chokha
For a sit-down vegetarian thali in the temple area, Kesariya Thaal on the first floor of Hotel Vishwanath serves a large thali on a bronze plate. For eastern UP's baati chokha (baked wheat balls with a mash of roasted aubergine, tomato and potato), the Baati Chokha restaurant in Teliyabagh is the best-known name.
Sources: buoyantlifestyles.com, taleof2backpackers.com
Banarasi paan
End a meal the Banaras way. Keshav Paan Bhandar near Ravidas Gate in Lanka and Chaurasia Tambul Bhandar in Chowk are two of the best-known paan shops; meetha paan is the safe first order.
Source: taleof2backpackers.com
A one-day food walk
- Early morning: Malaiyo in the Chowk lanes (winter), or malai toast and chai near Godowlia
- Breakfast: kachori, sabzi and jalebi at The Ram Bhandar, Thatheri Bazar
- Late morning: Malai Gilori and Lal Peda at Sri Narayan Misthan Bhandar, a few lanes away
- Afternoon: tamatar chaat near Godowlia
- Evening: lassi near Dashashwamedh Ghat before the Ganga Aarti, then paan
Planning the rest of your day? See places to go in Varanasi.
Questions
What are the best places to eat in Varanasi?
For a first visit: The Ram Bhandar in Thatheri Bazar for kachori and jalebi breakfast, Kashi Chat Bhandar for tamatar chaat, a kulhad lassi near the ghats, Malaiyo in the Chowk lanes on winter mornings, and an old sweet shop in Thatheri Bazar for Lal Peda and Malai Gilori.
What is the famous food of Banaras?
Kachori-sabzi with jalebi, tamatar chaat, kulhad lassi, Malaiyo (winter only), Lal Peda, Malai Gilori, Launglata and Banarasi paan.
Where can I eat near Kashi Vishwanath Temple?
Thatheri Bazar and Chowk, a short walk from the temple, have breakfast shops like The Ram Bhandar and sweet shops including Sri Narayan Misthan Bhandar. Godowlia, towards Dashashwamedh Ghat, has chaat and lassi.
Where can I eat near Dashashwamedh Ghat?
Godowlia, next to the ghat, has chaat, lassi and tea stalls. Thatheri Bazar, about 500 m away, has kachori breakfasts and sweet shops including Sri Narayan Misthan Bhandar.
Is the food in Varanasi vegetarian?
Most of the famous old-city food is vegetarian, and the lanes around Kashi Vishwanath Temple are almost entirely vegetarian. Non-vegetarian food is available in other parts of the city.
When can I eat Malaiyo in Varanasi?
Only in winter, roughly November to February, and early in the morning. Vendors in the old city lanes sell out by mid-morning.
Stop by in Thatheri Bazar
Sri Narayan Misthan Bhandar is about 500 m from Dashashwamedh Ghat and about 800 m from Kashi Vishwanath Temple, open every day, 8 AM – 9 PM.