The street food of Varanasi is as legendary as the holy city itself. Its street food scene is a bustling and aromatic affair, with numerous food stalls and carts lining the narrow lanes and bustling marketplaces to sell everything from chaat to lassi. As you step into the chaos, let your nose guide you to the tempting aromas of sizzling spices and sweet doughs that permeate the air. Get in line with these top places to visit in Varanasi for the most mouthwatering of street food.
Kachori sabzi is the most popular breakfast option in Varanasi. Its origins are thought to be rooted in Rajasthan among the Marwari community who brought it to town when traders settled there. It comes in two different types: badi (big) and choti (small). Badi kachori is stuffed with masala made of lentils called dal ki pithi while choti kachori is stuffed with a spicy potato mixture. As with many street foods, it evolved as a quick snack for hungry workers to start the day with something hot and wholesome and has since become an integral part of the city’s culinary identity. The best place to visit in Varanasi if you want to eat it is at The Ram Bhandar. Make sure you order a plate of jalebis to go with your order.
Address: C.K 15/29 Katra Ratanlal, Thatheri Bazar, Govindpura, Varanasi 221001
This unique snack is a variation of the popular dahi vada. The dish is prepared with mashed potatoes, fresh cottage cheese or chhena, grated ginger, corn flour and other ingredients. They are shaped round like vadas, deep-fried in oil, and topped with sweet curd, tamarind and coriander chutneys, and masalas. It is the perfect mix of sweet and sour. Although a typical breakfast item, you can have this snack at any time of the day. Kashi Chat Bhandar is one of the best places to visit in Varanasi to get the dish's best version. To wash it down, end your meal with a cool glass of kulfi faluda.
Address: D, 37/47, Dashashwamedh Ghat Road, Godowlia, Varanasi 221001
Those with a high tolerance for spicy food will love Varanasi’s tamatar chaat. This spicy preparation consists of tomatoes mixed with asafoetida, pounded ginger, green chillies and spices with the addition of boiled potatoes. It is served in a dona (bowl made with palash leaves) along with chaat masala and small-sized crispy namak pare. One of the best places to eat this in Varanasi is the Deena Chat Bhandar which has been in business for than 50 years. The shop also offers dishes like choora matar, palak patta chaat and golgappe.
Address: D47/184, Luxa Road, near PDR mall, Luxa, Varanasi 221001
Popularly known as litti chokha, this is a tasty snack that you can enjoy at different street food joints and eateries around the city. The round baatis or littis are made with wheat flour and stuffed with a flavourful sattu masala. They are then cooked over charcoal. The chokha is a spicy mixture of roasted eggplants and tomatoes, boiled potatoes, ginger, chillies, and other ingredients. People like to keep the chokha simple and less spicy. Taste it at the Popular Baati Chokha Restaurant and buy a round of kheer while you’re at it.
Address: Sigra-Mahmoorganj Road, near Padmini Hotel, Sigra, Varanasi 221010
Launglata is a sweet dish that locals mostly eat during Holi. However, it is available all year round in the sweet shops and street food stalls of Varanasi. The crispy covering is shaped in the form of a clove (laung in Hindi) and is made of all-purpose flour or maida. The delicious filling is prepared with mawa or khoya, saffron, chopped nuts, sugar and cardamom powder. It is then deep-fried in ghee, soaked in sugar syrup and served hot. Launglata is a sweet and fragrant preparation that is best enjoyed with a samosa. Try it at Shri Rajbandhu, one of the top places to visit in Varanasi for street food and whose rasmalai is equally good.
Address: B21/54, Rathyatra Kamachha Road, Gurubagh, Bhelupur, Varanasi 221010