Udaipur unveiled: From royal palaces to leopard safaris and gourmet fusion

Udaipur is the land of lakes and mountains. No better way to enjoy Udaipur than to spectate it from a height. Sunset and Co offers the best views of the city and you can enjoy some of the best food in the city here. With a menu curated by chef Akash Rajput himself, Sunset and Co caters to the best evenings in the city. Fusion food lies waiting for travellers who visit the city and look for stunning views and food to enjoy. Located at the rooftop of Hotel Raj Kuber in Udaipur, the restaurant offers views like no other.

Hotel Raj Kuber has turned itself into a major dining hub in town. The Polo Chamber is another leading bar designed like a polo chamber for horse lovers. With leather interiors and paintings related to horses, saddles for decor as you enter, you feel teleported to Britain in the 1950’s. The bar vibe adds to the modern elegance of late night evening parties and occasional DJ events curated by the owners carefully.

Just the corner away from The Polo Chamber is the Old Rose Cafe, offering expansive views of the city again. The owner Bhanu Pratap Singh Rathore compares Udaipur to Paris and highlights the need to have lakeside restaurants like those in Avenue Des Champs Élysées in Paris. A visionary indeed.

While Udaipur does not seem like the first place which comes to mind when one thinks of food, it has certainly made its way up the culinary map of India and gained a reputation for serving great taste citywide. While I went to Udaipur as a stop away before exploring Jawai, the leopard capital of India, the food totally blew my mind. I stayed back an extra day to try out the local restaurants.

Another interesting facet of Udaipur’s food scene is the rise in tasting menus in the city. Syah is leading the tasting menu culinary scene and the restaurant uses active fresh ingredients found locally. Syah aims to present Rajasthani food and culinary excellence with a dash of modernity and finesse. Though it’s located around 30 minutes away from the city center, the experience of dining here makes the travel worth it.

Another spot I truly loved in Udaipur is Nyoto. Serving interpretive Indian cuisine, Nyoto is helmed by chef Shadab Husain and showcases the best of Indian food. I enjoyed their fusion chaats and recommend it to chaat lovers worldwide. Another element of Nyoto is that it’s located at the rooftop of a luxury hotel and offers expansive close up views of the lake.

While royalty in India has been all about palaces, for me the royal exploration element in Udaipur stemmed from the food. Though I was eating at cafés and luxury restaurants, not necessarily at palaces, the experience of dining was spectacular and made me fall in love with the city more. I truly realised the impact food can have on travel experiences while exploring new cities.

Back at Hotel Raj Kuber, I enjoyed evening swims in the pool and sat by the poolside verandahs. The art around the hotel showcased the history of the destination and the family that owned the property. Each room was intricately designed with peacock paintings on the ceilings and walls. Overall, the hotel felt like staying in a historic home which had been preserved over time and converted to an establishment to serve guests.

Not too far from Udaipur, in Jawai is Ratan Villas - to which I paid a visit. It’s a wonderful property to explore leopard safari in Jawai hills. Serving vegetarian buffet meals, Ratan Villas forms the base to explore Jawai’s leopard areas. We spot 3 tigers in the day - Padma and two of her cubs. In the evening safari, we spot three tigers again - Aravalli and her cubs. It was fascinating to see leopard babies.

On the way to Jawai from Udaipur, I stopped by the beautiful Ranakpur Jain temple which showcases 1444 unique pillars. A moment of quiet and solitude. My trip to Udaipur had been no less than an exploration of history, nature and great food. Walking through the city felt like walking through an ancient museum while I live the life of Maharajas. Seeing leopards was another highlight I didn’t expect ticked off my bucket list.

Are you ready to carve out your own path to Udaipur? Definitely the food makes the trip worth it.