Mysore Food Guide

Last updated: Dec 22, 2024.

---

These are my opinions but they are also correct.

Rating scale:

This is loosely based on the Michelin system, in which three means “a destination”, two means “worth a detour” and one means “very good”.

Rating	Interpretation
★★★	A place with a distinct identity or uniquely Mysore flavor. These are the places you should prioritize if you’re visiting Mysore.
★★	The best place in Mysore for a specific category. Consult this list if you’re craving something specific (e.g., pizza).
★	Acceptable. Use this list if you just need to grab something quick nearby.

Three star

★★★ Cafe CCBC
The most authentic Mysore breakfast (map)

CCBC serves the kind of breakfast you’d get in a Mysore household. Try the flagship chow chow baath, a classic combo of a sweet (kesari baath) and a savoury (khaara baath) rava pudding. You might think that you don’t like kesari baath, but you might have never eaten the real thing. Most darshinis don’t use real saffron in their kesari baath, but CCBC does.

Also try their dosa. It’s smaller and softer, the way it’s made in homes. Quite different from the masala dosa you find in restaurants.

★★★ Gayatri Tiffin Room (GTR)
Dosa with a long-standing reputation (map)

Beloved by generations of Mysoreans for their morning dosa. Best paired with a robust hike up the steps of Chamundi hill (start here). Pro-tip: skip the crowds at the much-hyped Mylari dosa and go to GTR instead. Mylari is a worthwhile experience on its own but its hype has far overtaken its quality.

★★★ SAPA
Bakery, lunch & dinner, desserts (map)

A Mysore institution. Set in a converted old bungalow with outdoor and indoor seating. The only place to get good European style breads (sourdough is the house specialty). Excellent savoury dishes and fantastic desserts.

★★★ Little Alwar’s Bakehouse
Desserts and savoury (map • Instagram)

A take-away bakery run by a woman with true passion for her craft. Check Instagram for opening hours and weekly menus. Everything is guaranteed to be good.

★★★ burgerie
Comforting vegan burgers and lunch (map)

A passionate chef cooks a limited menu of burgers and lunch bowls. The rice & dal lunch bowls are the embodiment of the flavors of south Karnataka cuisine.

★★★ Upahara Darshini
Evening snacks (map)

Despite the name, this is not a darshini. They only serve a small menu of deep-fried snacks and are only open 5pm - 9pm. Best to get there between 5-7pm before they start running out of stuff. Try the masala vada, deep fried chickpea snack, kind of like a falafel.

Two star

★★ The Old House
Pizza, salads, gelato (map)

Decent vegetarian pizza and salads. Good coffee and omelettes. They also have a lovely gelato parlor that makes you feel like you’re on a Wes Anderson movie set.

★★ Poojari Fish Land
Kerala and Mangalore-style seafood (map)

A huge place on the Bangalore highway, just outside of Mysore. Good fish curry, grilled and fried fish, ghee roast.

★★ Basaveshwar Khanavali
North Karnataka style jowar roti meals (map)

Best place in Mysore for North Karnataka-style jowar roti meals, part of the same chain that exists in Bangalore and other places.

★★ Depth N Green
Smoothies, sandwiches (map)

A vegan-ish cafe catering to the yoga crowd, in the hip part of town. Their smoothies and juices are fantastic.

★★ Minimal Coffee Roasters
Coffee (map)

The best coffee in Mysore and baristas who know what they’re doing. Not much seating and no food. They also sell their own beans and brewing equipment.

One star

★ Green Leaf
South Indian (map)

Casual sit-down South Indian place that’s been there for 20+ years. I like their poori for breakfast.

★ TKS Iyengar
South Indian (map)

As the name implies, this is authentic Brahmin cuisine. In the popular culture this cuisine is often thought of as being representative of all of Karnataka, but our country is more diverse than that. Good bisi bele baath.

★ Kapoor’s Cafe
Punjabi (multiple locations)

The same chain that exists in Bangalore. Good Punjabi food. I’ve never eaten in Punjab so I’m no expert on this.

★Rongkup’s Lee Restaurant
Indo-Chinese (map)

Decent Indo-Chinese food.