10 Best Restaurants
Udaipur spreads around Lake Pichola, where the City Palace rises above the waterfront and white island palaces catch the evening light. Narrow old-city lanes lead to Jagdish Temple, shops and lakeside havelis. Beyond them are the gardens of Saheliyon Ki Bari, the craft village of Shilpgram and the Aravalli hills. Stay by the lake for easy sightseeing, or choose a countryside hotel for more space, allowing for transport into town.
Sheesh Mahal
The Leela Palace Udaipur, Lake Pichola, India
Sheesh Mahal serves Indian cooking on two open-air levels overlooking Lake Pichola. The menu draws on royal kitchen traditions, with dishes such as Dal-e-Sheesh and Raan-e-Sheesh giving the meal a clear focus beyond the view. This is an evening restaurant, suited to an unhurried dinner as the city lights come on across the water. Reserve through The Leela and discuss seating when booking, particularly if you are celebrating or would prefer a sheltered table.
An Indian dinner above the lake
Neel Kamal
Taj Lake Palace, Jag Niwas island, India
For guests staying at Taj Lake Palace, Neel Kamal is the place to explore the region's cooking without leaving the island. The dinner menu centres on Mewari, Rajasthani and Northwest Frontier traditions, with spices and long-established techniques shaping the meal. Its richly decorated dining room suits a deliberate evening rather than a quick stop between sights. Access is reserved for resident guests, so include a dinner reservation in your plans when booking the hotel itself.
Mewari cooking for palace guests
Sawai Kitchen
Raffles Udaipur island, Udaisagar Lake, India
Sawai Kitchen builds its Indian menu around recipes associated with Rajasthan's royal households. Seasonal local produce and traditional preparation give the restaurant a distinctive theme, rather than simply reproducing the familiar dishes found across hotel menus. The island location makes dinner part of a wider evening at Raffles, away from the bustle around Lake Pichola. If you are staying elsewhere, arrange the reservation and transfer together so the journey onto the island fits comfortably around your meal.
Rajasthan's royal culinary traditions
Poppy by Royal Repast
Bedla House, Chetak Marg, Udaipur, India
At Bedla House, the family behind Royal Repast connects its restaurant to a long tradition of Mewari hospitality. The house provides intimate indoor rooms and courtyard seating, while the cooking remains the reason to come. Regional preparations sit alongside a broader Indian repertoire, making it a useful choice for a group wanting to share several dishes. Concentrate on the Rajasthani side of the menu and ask which family specialities are available on the day of your visit.
Family heritage and Rajasthani cooking
Bhairo
Taj Lake Palace rooftop, Jag Niwas island, India
Bhairo gives Taj Lake Palace guests a different evening from the hotel's regional Indian dining. The rooftop restaurant concentrates on European cooking, framed by Lake Pichola and the surrounding hills. It is particularly appealing when you want to linger outdoors over a carefully paced meal after several days of Rajasthan's richer traditional dishes. The palace restricts restaurant access to resident guests, and the rooftop setting makes it sensible to confirm seasonal opening and weather arrangements before planning a special dinner.
European dining with a panoramic setting
Dore
Manuscript Jhilwara Haveli rooftop, Old City, India
Dore brings a distinctly Rajasthani vocabulary to the rooftop cocktail bar, pairing drinks inspired by local ingredients with a short menu of substantial bites. The City Palace forms the backdrop, but the more interesting details are at the table: playful interpretations of regional flavours, local craftwork and food that goes beyond the usual bar snacks. Treat it as an evening of cocktails and shared plates rather than a conventional multi-course dinner, and describe your tastes before choosing a drink.
Rajasthani cocktails and inventive small plates
Suryamahal and Chandni
The Oberoi Udaivilas, Lake Pichola, India
Suryamahal's domed dining room and the adjoining Chandni terrace offer two settings for the same unhurried meal at Udaivilas. The menu spans Indian and Western cooking, useful when companions want different things from lunch or dinner. Chandni looks towards Lake Pichola and the City Palace, with candlelit tables and traditional music advertised for the evening. Choose the terrace for its outlook, while keeping the indoor option in mind when the weather makes open-air dining less comfortable.
A flexible meal with an outdoor option
Page Break
Manuscript Jhilwara Haveli, Bhatiyani Chohatta, India
Page Break offers local cooking in a contemporary haveli setting beside the City Palace. Its menu gives space to Mewari and Rajasthani traditions, with the choice of an enclosed, temperature-controlled room or outdoor seating. That flexibility makes it a useful pause after exploring the surrounding lanes, particularly if you want a proper lunch rather than another rooftop drink. Ask about the current regional specialities, and allow time to enjoy the palace-facing setting before returning to the Old City.
Regional food close to the City Palace
Upré by 1559 AD
Lake Pichola Hotel, outside Chandpole, India
On the terrace of Lake Pichola Hotel, Upré looks across the water to the City Palace, temples and waterfront ghats. The kitchen offers local and international dishes, with kebabs and Rajasthani preparations the most convincing starting point for an order. Cabanas and an open-air bar give the terrace a relaxed atmosphere, suited to a leisurely dinner with friends. Reserve ahead and be specific about seating; a rooftop address alone does not guarantee the table or outlook you have in mind.
Kebabs with a broad lake panorama
Garden Restaurant
Garden Hotel, Gulab Bagh Road, India
Garden Restaurant offers a focused alternative to Udaipur's long international menus: a traditional Rajasthani thali in the Garden Hotel near Gulab Bagh. A selection of vegetables, lentils, breads and accompaniments makes this a meal to approach with an appetite and a willingness to try several flavours together. The simple, established dining room suits lunch between visits around the city. Ask about the day's thali and dietary requirements when reserving, especially if you need a meal prepared without particular ingredients.
A traditional vegetarian thali