Colloquially referred to as the ‘Pink City’, the sprawling metropolis of India’s Jaipur serves as a hub of culture, history, and lived-heritage, the latter of which is best experienced through its cuisine. That is readily apparent given how tourists from all corners of the globe have travelled far and wide to savour it in person, from the piquant flavours of puaaz kachori, to the sweet delectations of mawa kachori. Let us take you around some of the best street food haunts in Jaipur for a crash course on some of its best.
While Jaipur features many fine-dining restaurants and beautiful cafés, it also has a dynamic street food scene. So prepare yourself for a flavoursome ride, as I guide you through some of the most finger-lickingly good treats in this vibrant city.
While some outlets serve mouth-watering pungent and peppery delights like mirchi vada, visitors can also find heavenly-tasting desserts like ghewar. Although these foods can be found in other major Indian cities as well, particularly Delhi, the authentic taste of those made in Jaipur is hard to replicate.
A couple of points to note before we explore the best places to relish these delicacies, though. As someone who has been residing in Jaipur for a long time and is intimately aware of the city’s street food scene, I will take you through the genuinely exceptional places you must not miss as a foodie. Therefore, this list includes only those eateries that I feel are the best of the bunch.
For instance, while the famous Rawat Mishthan Bhandar is no slouch when it comes to its pyaaz kachoris, there are much better options. Similarly, Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar is a decent enough place for sweets, but again, there are superior alternatives that are a must-try. Furthermore, a few joints have more than one branch; so I have included only the one that I feel is the finest.
Finally, carry additional serviettes — these morsels will leave your fingers smudged with complementing chutneys!
Best of Jaipur’s street food: A sensory journey through Pink City’s culture and cuisine with a foodie
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Gulab Ji Chai Wale
While many popular places to eat in Jaipur are overrated, Gulab Ji Chai Wale is an exception. It definitely deserves its fame. If you love milk tea, only a few places come close to this venerable one. Gulabji kulhad chai, which comes in kulhads (disposable clay cups), is a must if you are in the vicinity and it’s cool out there. The rich, creamy tea and the earthy scent of the cup blend to create a uniquely refreshing experience.
(Image: Courtesy of Amit Sharma / Pexels)
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Shankar Samosa
I thought long and hard for this one! But when it comes to samosa, one of South Asia’s most-loved snacks (despite originating in the Middle East), there is no place better in Jaipur than Shankar Samosa. Quite similar to kachoris, samosas are also deep-fried snacks with a spicy filling. However, unlike kachoris, samosas are almost exclusively potato-based, though some variants come with meat or fish fillings. Those at Shankar Samosa are best eaten piping hot with sweet and spicy chutneys.
(Image: Courtesy of Satyam Verma / Pexels)
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Samrat Restaurant
This place is, I submit, one of the best joints if you are looking for the almighty pyaaz ki kachori. Although it originated in Jodhpur, Jaipurites have now laid claim to it. It has now become an inseparable part of the city’s identity and culinary culture. Unlike Kota kachori, it is flakier and much bigger in size. One kachori is enough for a filling breakfast. It is also stuffed with a spiced mixture of predominantly onions and lentils. As always, variations exist. Samrat’s version is spicy, though not too fiery, and has the right balance of spices. This place is also an excellent spot for South Indian dishes like masala dosa and idli sambar.
(Image: Courtesy of samratrestaurant_jaipur / Instagram)
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Sethi Bar-Be-Que
Jaipur’s vibrant street food scene offers something for all kinds of foodies. Besides vegetarian options, there are several great ones for those who eat meat. One of them is Sethi’s. Also known as Sethi Bar-Be-Que, it is the place for you if you want to enjoy Mughlai food in the Pink City. The kebabs and chicken tikkas are succulently delicious here. They also offer creamy and spicy curries like butter chicken, mutton rogan josh and paneer butter masala.
(Image: Courtesy of Sethi Bar-Be-Que / Instagram)
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Mahaveer Rabri Bhandar
A renowned eatery, Mahaveer Rabri Bhandar offers scrumptious and sinfully sweet rabri (a dessert made by boiling milk on low heat and then adding sugar, nuts and spices). If you don’t like your desserts extra sweet, I do not recommend it. But if you are okay with a syrupy bite now and then, this rabri will be a feast for the senses. However, this place is more than just a rabri joint. It also offers bejad ki roti, a thick multigrain roti or Indian flatbread served with spicy garlic chutney. It is not only tasty but also has a smoky flavour, thanks to the traditional way it is made.
(Image: Courtesy of Mahaveer Rabri Bhandar)
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Lassiwala
Originally a Punjabi beverage, lassi is now a staple of households across the country in summer. For Jaipurites, Lassiwala has been the go-to place for their lassi fix for decades. And yes, like Gulab Ji, Lassiwala well deserves its spot on this list. The lassi is creamy, thick and not too sweet. Like Gulab Ji’s tea, it is served in earthen pots, which somehow enhances the already rich taste. Visitors must note that many eateries and restaurants in Jaipur have cropped up using the same name. But the original Lassiwala remains the one with “Kishan lal Govind Narain Agarwal” in the name and is located on MI road. It claims to have been in existence since 1944, which many older locals I have talked to have vouched for.
(Image: Courtesy of Deepak Maurya / Pexels)
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Gopal Singh Patasi Bhandar
Jaipur also offers some great places to eat perhaps India’s go-to street snack, pani puri or golgappa or, as the Jaipurites call it, paani patashi. Typically, they are hollow, crispy puris filled with spiced potatoes or chickpeas and tangy and spicy flavoured water. Visitors can find variations in flavours of the water and fillings. The snack, however, suffers from hygiene issues due to the extensive hands-on preparation required. Gopal Singh Patasi Bhandar in C-scheme has arguably the finest and most hygienic golgappas one can find in Jaipur. The water is mint-flavoured and just the right amount of spice and heat.
(Image: Courtesy of Shahbaz Ansari / Pexels)
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Masala Chowk
Masala Chowk is not a single eatery, but an open-air food court near Albert Hall Museum that has a variety of cuisines and food items to offer, including spicy chaats and energising beverages. If you are returning home from a hot day at Jaipur Zoo and Albert Hall Museum, it is worth stopping for a quick snack here, enjoying them in its shaded and clean spaces. I cannot say I have tried each and every outlet here, but the ones I have been pretty great.
(Image: Courtesy of Pawana Rajasthani Vyanjan)
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Ghungroo Seth
Making a perfect vada pav is an art that not everyone can master. Ghungroo Seth (whose full name is Ghungroo Seth Vada Pav Company) provides truly appetising vada pavs that you must try if you are in Jaipur. A petite outlet near the entrance of the Crystal Palm Mall (there are other outlets as well) has been serving moviegoers who come out famished and can be found gorging on those vada pavs. I’ve had vada pav in those khau galis of Mumbai, and I can say that Ghungroo Seth’s vada pavs are right up there.
Read more: 7 fancy places in Delhi and Mumbai to enjoy street food
(Image: Courtesy of Dhally Romy / Pexels)
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Kota Kachori
Kota Kachori is a sweet and snack shop franchise with three shops in Jaipur and one in Bengaluru. As the name suggests, its signature dish is the snack called Kota kachori. Kachoris are deep-fried pastries stuffed with a spicy mixture, but Kota kachoris are pocket dynamites — the small-sized snacks are explosions of intense flavours and textures, with a distinct aroma of hing, or asafoetida. One can enjoy notes of turmeric, coriander, cumin and red chilly powder in every bite. For those fasting, there are options like sabudana khichdi, a dish made of tapioca pearls.
While it originated in the city of Kota, this is the best place in Jaipur where you can try it.
Read more: From Mangalore buns to thatte idli, here’s the most unique street food in Bengaluru
(Image: Courtesy of Kota Kachori / Instagram)
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(Hero and Featured image: Courtesy of Kota Kachori website)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
-Which is the famous street food of Jaipur?
Pyaaz ki kachori is one of the best-known street foods in Jaipur, though it is not native to the city. Its origins lie in Jodhpur.
-What is special in Jaipur to eat?
There are many delicacies that you can eat in Jaipur, including pyaaz ki kachori, kota kachori and mirchi vada.
-For which item Jaipur is famous?
Jaipur is famous for pyaaz ki kachori and dal bati churma.
-What is a famous sweet in Jaipur?
Two of the famous desserts in Jaipur include ghewar and mawa kachori.
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Kshitij is a journalism graduate who did not initially intend to become a film critic, but such are the vagaries of destiny. Now, Kshitij is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic and a member of the Film Critics Guild, bringing expertise and experience in evaluating entertainment content with him. Additionally, he serves as a jury member on the Critics' Choice Awards in India. When he's not busy wielding words, catch him nose-deep in books or joyfully lost in the realms of gaming and photography.
