The 12 Best Cafés in Pushkar, India

Looking for the best cafés in Pushkar? I’ve got you covered in this comprehensive guide that includes pertinent information about food in Pushkar, the city’s best cafés, and tips for avoiding Delhi Belly.

Finding the best cafés in Pushkar is a massive undertaking because there are so many to sort through. Breakfast joints with lake views, streetside juice stands, and no-frills eateries— Pushkar has a little bit of everything in terms of food and drink.

As a holy city, Pushkar was once considered a place of pilgrimage for Hindus. Today, it is a haven for yoga enthusiasts, budget backpackers, and digital nomads. This community of chai-crazed travellers can often be found hunkering down in the city’s many cafés to work remotely, catch up with friends and family, or simply enjoy sipping away an afternoon amongst the stunning scenery.

I visited Pushkar for eight days and found myself quickly settling into a routine of yoga, early morning breakfast at one café, working from another café, and then grabbing a coffee at yet another while the sun sank behind the mountains. The pace and beauty of Pushkar made it ideal for what I began calling “coffee shop roulette.” I’ve compiled this list of my favourite spots so that you can skip straight to the best cafés in Pushkar.

tips for avoiding delhi belly ↴

“Delhi Belly” (traveller’s diarrhoea) tends to be a rite of passage for travellers in India. Symptoms include extreme cramps, nausea, fever, headache, bloating, and diarrhoea. It’s usually the result of food-borne or water-borne bacteria and lasts 24-48 hours. There’s no way to completely avoid Delhi Belly, but there a tips and tricks I’ve picked up to help you lessen your risk.

don’t drink tap water | Tap water is not potable in India, so use a Grayl or LifeStraw water bottle to filter water. This helps guarantee that you have clean drinking water and a protected stomach.
avoid ice in drinks | India can be indescribably hot, but having ice in your drink can lead to illness. Grab cold drinks from a refrigerator, but avoid having anything with ice added to it if possible.
avoid meat + dairy | India has some of the best vegan food in the world, so it’s unlikely that you’ll even miss meat and dairy, two products that are often the source of food-borne illnesses.
wash your hands | There are often wash basins or stand-alone sinks in restaurants, and you should make use of them to wash your hands before and after you eat.
take a probiotic | In preparation for your trip, it’s recommended that you take a probiotic regularly to improve your gut health.

quick facts about cafés in pushkar ↴

Pushkar is entirely meat and egg free. This makes the city a vegetarian haven!
While it’s a great place for vegetarians, vegans should be aware that dairy is still widely used in dishes. Most cafés offer soy alternatives to espresso-based drinks.
Many of the cafés on this list have outstanding views of Pushkar Lake, the focal point of the city, but photos of locals bathing in the lake are not allowed. Please be respectful of spiritual practices and take in the sights without snapping photos without consent.
Pushkar is a stop on what is called the “Hummus Trail” due to its popularity with Israeli travellers. Because of this, some menus are available in Hebrew and you’ll find falafel and humus on just about every menu in the city.
Most cafés on this list don’t open until 9 AM or later. This is standard in many places across India that I travelled to.
The city is a dry zone, so there is legally no alcohol for sale. Despite this, there are rooftop establishments that sell alcohol. I’m not sure how legal these alcohol sales are and you should use your best judgement.
Pushkar has a reputation for its “special” or “bhang” lassi, which is THC infused. Bhang lassi is said to be quite strong so, again, use your best judgement and respectfully consume. I do not endorse the use of illegal drugs, however, in Pushkar consuming THC is considered a spiritual practice.

12 best cafés in pushkar ↴

Note: I focused specifically on cafés for this list, but there is a pizzeria added to replace Un-Earth, which temporarily closed just after I left Pushkar. Because of this, I also didn’t include the many falafel street food stands lining the main road of the city.

Un-Earth Café

TEMPORARILY CLOSED

Un-Earth Café is a laid-back spot with a reputation for being one of the most chilled-out places in Pushkar. The carved archways throughout the dining area and the natural lighting make it the ideal spot to grab a coffee and sit down with a book you’ve been meaning to read. The food menu is like most others in town: a mix of vegetarian food from around the world and local Rajasthani plates.

La Pizzeria

If you happen to be looking for western food, La Pizzeria’s wood-fired pizzas will make you feel like you’re a slight step closer to Italy. Set in a garden courtyard, the restaurant’s pink sandstone walls and candle lighting give it a seriously romantic ambience. While the pizza itself wasn’t groundbreaking, it was incredibly affordable (pizzas start at 180 rupees) and each pizza could have fed multiple people. We ate dinner here around 6 PM, but by 7 PM the place was rammed with groups and couples eating by candlelight. While there aren’t any gluten-free base options here, there are lots of cheese-free options, making parts of their menu vegan.

The Arty Vegan

The lovely people (Maurelio and Veena) who run The Arty Vegan are on a mission to democratise vegan food. I know that vegan food is sometimes snarkily made synonymous with bland tofu or tasteless baked goods, but The Arty Vegan is exactly the kind of place I use as an example against that baseless stereotype whenever people bring it up. The 100% curated vegan menu here is concise offering only a few options, all of which are creative and packed with flavour. As a zero-waste eatery, this is a café where you can spend your money knowing every dollar (or, in this case, rupee) is going towards good food that puts the people and the planet first.

Café Lake View

As one of the only cafés open before 9 AM, Café Lake View became my morning regular during my stay in Pushkar. The café also has some of the most unadulterated views of the lake available. It also has strong and reliable WiFi, so it’s a great spot for digital nomads and remote workers. The service here is…well, it’s a little hit-and-miss, but when it’s good it’s superb! I rate their iced espressos highly, as well as their Nutella pancakes and peanut butter toast.

Funky Monkey Café

Down the cobblestone streets near Mahadev Chowk sits Funky Monkey, a no-frills café that prides itself on having a real espresso machine. Don’t let the exterior fool you! While, yes, the café itself is teeny tiny, with seating in the form of mismatched tables lining the road, they do food well and coffee well. They also have reliable WiFi if you need to check in with friends and family back home. Their desserts, iced coffees, and soy milkshakes make it a winning spot for some food and drink that you won’t want to miss.

Mugs + Hugs Café

Mugs and Hugs Café is the highest rooftop café in Pushkar, meaning it’s a fantastic sunset spot. Mugs and Hugs is often recommended by word of mouth for its indulgent shakes and homemade pizzas. I found the food at Mugs and Hugs less than noteworthy, but the rooftop setting was definitely something that should be on your radar.

The Laughing Buddha Vegan Café

There is no better balcony view to enjoy a cup of chai from than The Laughing Buddha Vegan Café. The international food, Indian cuisine, and snacks make it a place you can come to nearly any time of the day for good food with an even better view. Their muesli, yogurt, and fruit bowl is a hit amongst travellers and their cheese pakoras are famously well-liked. Better than the food and the vantage point is the fact that a percentage of profits here is donated to a grassroots foundation to help fund the education of children in Pushkar.

Coffee Temple

The coffee at Coffee Temple is decent, but it’s the café’s views of the lake that make it worthy of inclusion on this list. Teas and coffees sit on the menu alongside special lassi and a small number of snacky food items. Coffee Temple tends to be a favourite amongst coffee lovers thanks to it serving French press, but it should be noted that the prices here are pretty steep compared to the other cafés on this list.

Desert Rose Café

I stumbled upon Desert Rose Café while wandering the southwestern part of Pushkar. This café is located inside a hotel, but you don’t have to be staying there to pop in for a bite to eat or drink. I didn’t try the pizza here, but many travellers in Pushkar rave about it. I did, however, try their coffee and can say it was worth the trek out of the city center to get to.

Honey Dew

To passersby, Honey Dew looks more like a brightly painted cove than it does a café. Honey Dew is ideal for a light meal filled with the humming of its Lavazza coffee machine. The staff here are so friendly, and the café itself feels like a cool oasis on hot, dry Pushkar afternoons. Honey Dew is near the main market area of Pushkar, so it’s a good place to pop in for a coffee to wet your whistle after you’ve struck a bargain shopping.

Laura’s Café

Laura’s blue storefront blends right into the busy stalls that line the main market road of Pushkar. The café has a huge menu with both international and Indian cuisine on offer, but their famous eggplant sandwich in particular hit the spot. There is a small balcony that overlooks the street below, making it perfect for people-watching.

Honey + Spice

Around the corner from Rangji Temple are the steps of Honey + Spice’s entrance, which gives way to an open-air courtyard sprinkled with table seating. This family-run restaurant serves fresh salads and detoxifying soups. Even the desserts served here are made with health in mind. Try their turmeric black pepper tea if you feel like truly injecting some health into your day.

Café Nature’s Blessing

Indian cuisine is unarguably delicious, but it’s also typically fried and heavy on calories. Café Nature’s Blessing serves food that’s flavourful and health-focused. The eatery serves fresh, healthy vegan food in an atmosphere that feels homey.