10 Best Food of Lucknow

We present to you one of the best kabab destinations in the country, Lucknow. Pieces of meat, marinated with a variety of spices, grilled to perfection on charcoal and then served hot with mint chutney and onion slices. Take a bite and your tastebuds will be on cloud nine. There are vegetarian options and they are quite delicious too. The best place to taste these heavenly delicacies is Tunday Kababi. This eatery has been serving kebabs for a long time and has become a favourite of the locals. When you are in Lucknow, you must not leave without digging in some plates of kabas.

There are some people who become instantly happy just thinking about biryani and if you are one of them or even if you are someone who likes to eat a good plate of biryani, Lucknow is going to make you super happy. Because biriyani is a Lucknow food speciality. Long grains of rice, with marinated meat and some selected spices, are kept on dum for a long time and then served with raita and sliced onions. You can have a heart-filling plate of biryani in many food joints in Lucknow. But we do have two suggestions. Try biryani from Idris. The aroma and the flavours are to die for. And to taste the best biriyani from the Awadhi Lucknow cuisine, you have to visit Wahid’s.

Tender pieces of meat are marinated in a rich spice mix, cooked overnight and finally, served with kulcha (soft bread). You can take our words on this, a piece of kulcha dipped in the thick, flavoursome nihari will make you fall in love in seconds. Once you try, you will understand why this combo is on most people’s list of Lucknow best dishes. And when you crave this dish, let Rahim’s be your destination. Their kulcha and nihari have turned every visitor into a fan!

We are sure you have tried many different types of bread. But this is the one that you must try in Lucknow. Sheermal is basically a mildly sweet flatbread. The recipe goes like this. Flour is kneaded with a mix of saffron, yeast and milk and then is kept to rest overnight. Later, small balls of the dough are flattened and baked. Enjoy a sheermal on its own and pair it with a cup of hot tea. It is the perfect snack to munch on. To get your hands on the best sheermal, Chowk is one of the best places to visit in Lucknow.

You may have tried khasta kachori earlier. These deep-fried breads served with potato curry are basically a breakfast (or evening snack) dish. And the ones served in Ratti Lal’s food joint in Lucknow are really special. Visit this food joint and order a plate of khasta kachori. Order the special chickpea sabzi or if you like your food spicy, go for the potato and chilli sabzi.

We all love chats, be it pani ke batashe (pani puri), aloo tikki, dahi bhalla or papri chat! The people of Lucknow are no exception. They enjoy their fair share of chats on a regular basis. But if we have to name one special food in Lucknow in the chat category, it has to be basket chat. The dish goes as it sounds, chat served in a basket. Here chat means a mix of mashed aloo tikki, peas and different chutneys and basket means a potato shelling fried in the shape of a basket. Yes, it is unique and it tastes pretty amazing! Where to taste it? At Gomti Nagar.

This dish is as simple as it gets! Freshly baked buns with a good spread of homemade makkhan (butter). Have it as it is or with a cup of hot tea or coffee. And you will have comfort food on a plate! You can obviously get bun makkhan in many food joints in Lucknow. But, we would suggest you go to Sharma Ji Tea Stall. The ambience around the stall is quite lively and whenever you visit, you can see many people digging in bun makkhan. By the way, the tea served at this stall is also a must-try.

A sweet milky drink made with loads of dry fruits and a touch of saffron. Refreshing, delicious and a must-have drink when you are in Lucknow. Apart from being tasty, people of Lucknow also believe thandai to be helpful for digestion. Another reason to try this drink! To get the best thandai, visit Raja Thandai. This shop has been serving thandai for the last 100 years and is a crowd favourite.

Now, this is a dish of the kings! It is a light, fluffy and creamy goodness that you can’t miss trying. Making this dish takes time but the end result is worth it! A mixture of milk, cream, saffron, rose water and cardamom powder is chilled, then beaten and the foam (makkhan malai) that is formed on the mix is collected. The process is repeated multiple times. The best place to taste this creamy piece of heaven is at the Chowk.

Let’s end our trip to the delicious Lucknow cuisines on a sweet note. Now, kulfi needs no introduction. This dessert/ice cream is served and eaten in many parts of the country. And Lucknow is one of the parts that serve some of the best kulfis. Head to Prakash ki Kulfi shop and order a plate of kulfi. What you will be served is a plate of delicious kulfi served with equally delicious falooda!

With that, our guide to the 10 best Lucknowi foods ends. By now, you may have selected your favourites and you know which food joints and restaurants in Lucknow you should visit to taste them. Happy eating!