10 Best Restaurants in Agra: Places to Eat

Food is a connecting ground, a universal way that binds cultures together. Restaurants in Agra have an endlessly delicious menu that serves you with different varieties of flavors. Wherever you go, the food culture of the place will surely mesmerize your senses. When we talk about Agra, we think of the Taj Mahal, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. But Agra has a lot more to offer besides this fascinating historical monument. It never ceases to amaze you. Agra is one of the places in India where you can experience the rich food diversity with a surreal scene of the Taj Mahal in the air.

Agra boasts of some of the best restaurants which provide impeccable service and food quality that can surely impress anyone. Here is a list of the 10 best restaurants in Agra that can take your senses on a joy ride:

1. Esphahan

One of the finest traditional restaurants in Agra, Esphahan, is located inside the beautiful Oberoi Amarvilas hotel at Taj East Gate Road. One of the most relished restaurants, this place offers limited candlelight tables seating for dinner at 6:30 PM and 9:00 PM, for which reservations have to be made beforehand. The menu of this restaurant does not serve many dishes but all the recipes it serves taste like they are being passed down from the Mughal Emperor’s kitchen.

The menu includes some of the most delicious North Indian tandoori dishes like the bharwan aloo, a potato kebab stuffed with spices, nuts, coriander, and mint. Other mouthwatering dishes such as aloo Bukhara maaz, Mughal lamb kebab stuffed with prunes serve as a delight for the taste buds. While rejoicing the dishes, you can also enjoy live santoor (a stringed instrument) music playing in the background which makes the night more romantic and memorable.

2. Dasaprakash

Dasaprakash restaurant is an authentic restaurant serving South Indian cuisine and has an ice cream parlour, which is one of the top restaurants in Agra. Since 1921, this restaurant has been serving extremely tasty and conscientiously clean vegetarian food including thalis ranging from Rs. 250 to Rs. 360, dosas, rasum (a south Indian soup with a tamarind base) and some continental dishes. Another specialty of this restaurant is the ice cream starting from Rs. 100. A comfortable seating restaurant with bright lightings makes for an intimate dining experience. It is open seven days a week from 12:00 PM to 10:45 PM.

3. Pinch of Spice

An exclusive North Indian dining restaurant with two outlets in Agra serves as the best spot outside five-star hotels to enjoy the traditional Indian, continental, Chinese or Italian dishes. The must-try in this restaurant are Murgh Boti Masala, Chicken Tikka in a rich and local spicy gravy, Paneer Lababdar, and unfermented cheese cubes in a spicy reg gravy with sauteed onions. This restaurant also has a bar to enjoy drinks and have a fun night. No wonder it lists on the best 10 restaurants in Agra.

4. The Mughal Room

One of the best eating options at the Clarks Shiraz Hotel, a rooftop engaging restaurant gives an awe-inspiring view of the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort. This exquisite restaurant with intricate interior designing makes it a must-visit restaurant and one of the best places to eat in Agra. It serves luxurious Mughlai, Chinese and Continental cuisines, with live Ghazals (Indian classical music) every evening.

5. Joney’s Place

For all those who are looking for a quick bite should visit this restaurant. An affordable, pocket-sized and comfortable restaurant with a few tables is a popular place to eat among the locals in Agra. Since 1978, Joney’s Place has been serving the most delicious creamy banana lassis (with a money-back guarantee) in the city. The popularity of this lassi is not only about its exotic taste but also the money-back guarantee that comes with it. The Malai kofta is also a must-try here. It may not look like those high-end, top-notch restaurants in Agra but here it’s more about quality sustenance than the dazzling presentation of the food.

6. Jahanpanah

An Awadhi cuisine restaurant boasts of serving the royal Awadhi richness with the exotic uses of spices, fruits, and nuts. As one of the best 10 restaurants in Agra, it also serves traditional and authentic Lucknow biryanis, Galawat and Kakori kebabs which will leave you licking your fingers. Here, the price is reasonable and the wait staff service is also good. Located in Sadar Bazar, Agra, this restaurant is open every day of the week from 12:30 PM to 11:30 PM.

7. Shankara Vegis

On your way to the Taj Mahal, make a stop at the Shankara Vegis. This vegetarian restaurant with a rooftop seating arrangement is a friendly place providing good quality food to its customers. Mostly solo travelers visit this restaurant as the environment is very calm and relaxing. Customers can also enjoy playing chess or carrom at the restaurant. It’s surely one of the best places to eat in Agra.

8. Jhankar

One of the best restaurants in Agra, Jhankar serves various Indian flavored cuisines with the addition of live dance and music performances for guests till 11:30 PM. The specialty of this restaurant is the mouthwatering aloo dum chutney, potatoes with herbs and dried fruits in mint sauce. The Magazi Murgh Korma - chicken cooked with yogurt, cashews, and poppy seeds, garnished with melon seed and rose petals, smells so good that the aroma itself is enough to titillate your senses.

9. Stuff Makers

Located in Tajganj, Stuff Makers is a lovely rooftop terrace restaurant on top of the Hotel Kamal, presenting a scenic view of the Taj Mahal. This place serves not only Indian cuisine but also some western dishes. The honey pancake is the most ordered food at this restaurant. The restaurant opens at 6:00 AM and remains open till 10:00 PM. The view is much better during the night, hence many people prefer coming at night time to enjoy the food as well as the view.

10. Lakshmi Vilas

Another South Indian centric restaurant beside the Dasaprakash, Lakshmi Vilas is also among the best restaurants in Agra to enjoy authentic South Indian cuisine at reasonable prices. The thalis served here with different varieties of dal and curries, dhokla, chapatis, and sweets make a satisfying meal.