An insider’s guide to Cafés & Shopping in Shimla

Some of my favourite places to explore food while on holiday in Shimla 

Also read : An expert guide to Shimla

Cafe Sol at Hotel Combermere – Located at the end of the Mall Road is Shimla’s finest place for Italian food and continental dishes. The aroma of the fresh bakes wafting around is refreshing. Also, Cafe Sol has the largest variety of pastries and cakes in all of Shimla.

Cecil Restaurant at the Oberoi Cecil – Look no further than the elegant restaurant at the Oberoi Cecil for a romantic rendezvous (Lovely lovely!). There are breakfast and dinner buffets along with the choice of á la carte. The staff is very friendly and will readily take you on a tour of the colonial splendour on display.

Beekay’s Fast Food & Trishul Bakery – Beekay’s is a good place for a quick bite and fresh cakes baked every morning and is located very close to the Scandal Point.

Trishul is the oldest bakery in town on the Mall Road and gives a old school feel. Their breads and plum cakes are sumptuous and this place is a local favourite too.

Wake & Bake café – This relatively new place is a little café near the town hall with dimly lit interiors is a happening café in town with wi-fi at a charge. There is cool artwork and neon lights indoors. The best location at this café is upstairs on the balcony where you can enjoy majestic views of Shimla under lights on cold nights and freshly brewed coffee in hand.

Krishna Bakery & Momos – This is Shimla’s most famous address for veg patties, momos and other fast food items. You will see youngsters hanging around in droves and for a good reason.

Among other coffee shops, Embassy is an old favourite with a vintage feel. Street food lovers will love to try

Mehru’s Halwai – In Shimla’s lower bazaar lies the finest place to gorge raj kachori and on divine jalebis made from desi ghee.

Sitaram Chhole Bhature – This little piece of heaven is located in Lakkad Bazaar, need i say more!

Nattu Halwai – This sweet shop in Lower Bazaar is Shimla’s go-to place for satisfying sweet cravings.

Read : Top Cafés and Restaurants in Leh

Shop like the locals do

A variety of homemade pickles at Jaggi Traders – In the Sabzi Mandi, a Punjabi family has been selling some 15 varieties of hand made pickle since more than 100 years. The varieties include some exotic flavours such as Karela, garlic, lingdi, kachnar, mango chutney, stuffed chilly, gobi gajar & shaljam, kathal, jamikand, amla.

Fancy footwear at Ta Lung & Co., Scandal Point – Excellent place to shop for Chinese Shoes & funky footwear.

Ramlall & Sons at Mall Road – If you want to shop for shawls and woollens, then this is a trusted place to buy.

Hand-woven jackets at Himachal Khadi Ashram – Also on the mall road, this Non profit organization where jackets are sold made by villagers. Reasonable prices for other hand spun & hand woven products.

Emerge – Cool looking shop selling trendy chic merchandise on the mall road.

Maria Bros – A secret shop for book and antique lovers.

Lakkad Bazaar – A wood market, literally. Pretty dry fruit baskets that have to be seen to be believed, and you must buy a well-crafted walking stick. Craftily designed toys and other products are available too.

Lower Bazaar – Down the mall road is a market area where locals shop. All of lower bazaar is full of old establishments; there’s also a fruit and vegetable market to buy fresh strawberries and local products at cheap prices.

Check : Finding the offbeat in Manali

Also check : Ten foodie delights of Manali

Did I miss something? Do you have a favourite place to eat in Shimla?

Tell me about it; come travel with me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

NOTE : This is not a paid/sponsored post.