A Guide to the Best Restaurants in Mussoorie & Landour

Kshipra Bhat maps the best cafes and bakeries in Mussoorie & Landour for Goya’s City Guides.

Mussoorie, queen of hills and Dehradun’s famous neighbour, is known for its long stretches of winding, steep roads, plummeting waterfalls, idyllic colonial cottages, fabled boarding schools and swaths of towering deodar trees. Situated at a height of 2000 m above sea level, the foundation of this dreamy hill station was laid by an Irishman, Captain Frederick Young, in the 1820s. Today, this hill station not only offers jaw-dropping views and a long history, but a wide range of delicious food. Here’s a guide to Landour and all its fantastic eats.

Landour Bakehouse

The wafting scent of baked goods in Mussoorie can only mean Landour Bakehouse in Sister’s Bazaar – a cluster of 3 shops named after British nurses who lived here. Landour is Mussoorie’s prettier and quieter suburb. Thanks to a restriction on construction, Landour retains its quietude; a small handful of establishments service the needs of tourists and residents. While the bakehouse reminds one of a Victorian-era bakery, with exposed brick wall, and a sweet book cabinet, there is inevitably a queue outside. Luckily, while waiting to place my order, I get my hands on the delightful Landour Cookbook: Over Hundred Years of Hillside Cooking by Ruskin Bond. The bakehouse has derived many of its recipes from this very cookbook. Stop by for their decadent tiramisu pudding, rose and almond cake, and wash it all down with a cup of coffee. What caught my attention was the wooden sign outside “We do not have wi-fi. Talk to each other. Pretend it’s 1895.”

Address: Sisters Bazaar, Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand 248179

Emily’s

Another hidden gem in Landour is Emily’s. It occupies the first floor of the beautiful boutique property, Rokeby Manor, built in 1840 by Captain G.N. Cauthy. Resembling an Alpine chalet home with real wood floors and beams, intricate stone walls and two vintage pastel cabinets which showcase all kinds of delicate cutlery, the rooms have an easy elegance. Treat yourself to the vast spread of Indian and continental dishes: the chicken stroganoff and shepherd’s pie are wonderful; the naanzaas – Landour’s version of pizzas and hot chocolate have fast became by personal favourites — yes, especially the chicken tikka naanzaas.

Address: Rokeby Manor, Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand 248179

Anil’s Café

Anil’s café at Char Dukan was one of the earliest cafes to serve hill-friendly snacks and beverages, going back more than 50 years. Char Dukan, is a cluster of four shops (now, about six) set up to service the foreigners enrolled at the Landour Language School, where they were taught Hindi and other regional languages. Time slows down here; I sit with a cup of hot ginger-lemon-honey tea and stuff my mouth with warm Maggi, at a table right outside the small café. The café sells fluffy omelettes, pancakes and parathas, and crispy pakoras and toasts along with delicious waffles. The best part about Anil’s Café is one gets a glimpse into Landour’s slow-paced life while devouring the nippy weather and the sinful food.

Address: F36W+F37, Chardukhan, Cant, Near Sbi Bank, Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand 248179

Café de Landour (CDL)

Right across Anil’s Café at Char Dukan is Café de Landour, offering stunning views of the valley. The place has a unique character with an upbeat vibe, and is the spot for a phenomenal sunset experience over good food and peppy music. It is incredible to witness nature’s spectacular light show over a cup of delicious coffee and a warm donut. The café also serves Italian, Mexican and Indian food.

Address: Char dukan, Luxmanpuri, Rajmandi, Landour, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand 248179

Canadian Bakery

Located in Sainji village, about 7-kms from the famous Kempty falls of Mussoorie, where bunches of golden corncobs hang outside each house. The purpose of hanging corn out to dry is to use them as seeds the following year. The Canadian bakery, thus, is also known as Corn Village Bakery and Café. Started by Kunwar Singh and his wife, Lori who is Canadian by birth, the bakery menu includes a Garhwali thali that includes local vegetables, dal, rice and, of course, corn roti with desi ghee. Don’t miss their seasonal fruit pies, chocolate pie, lemon pie, tarts, cakes, brownies and cookies. The incredible couple also run the Garhwal English Medium school, to make life better for underprivileged children around the hills.

Address: Sainji Gaon, Lagwal Gaon, Uttarakhand 249186

Doma’s Inn

Ever since I started planning a trip to Mussoorie, my travel searches consistently threw up Doma’s Inn as an absolute must-visit. So, on our last day after the Chukker Trail, a 3-km walk that loops around Landour, we stopped for an early dinner at Doma’s Inn. This turned out to be one of my favourite meals in Mussoorie. The moody Wong Kar-wai interiors, the vibrant red façade, the intricate pattern on the ceiling, and walls adorned with movie posters, dragons and masks immediately lifted our tired spirits. Undoubtedly, the Tibetan classics, of thukpa (noodle soup) and pork shyaphaley (deep fried Tibetan bread with pork), were to die for. But there is also an extensive selection of momos, soups and sizzlers to complement the dreamy, chilly weather outside.

Address: Ivy Cottage, Landour, Cantt, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand 248179

Kshipra Bhat is a freelance Travel and Food writer based in Pune, India whose work has been featured in Outlook Traveller magazine, Travel+Leisure magazine, and Lonely Planet amongst others.

ALSO ON THE GOYA JOURNAL

Featured