Cafés in Spiti Valley- A Fusion of Flavors

Spiti Valley While going to a new place for a trip, what do we generally check out for? Places to see? Where to stay at? Where to do shopping? And the most important question: where to eat? What is a good budget-friendly place to eat? Where to try some local food? Where to find a good vibe with good food? How to know which café is better? Because, as they say, food can make or break your mood for the day. Spiti Valley has an array of restaurants and cafes with a variety of options available for cuisines and offers different seating options, like outdoor seating, terrace seating, etc. Some offer early morning breakfasts, while some have a late-night movie planned for their guests. Some even have a homestay where guests can rest for the night. It is interesting to see a fusion of local foods with international tastes. For most cafes, you might notice that Sea Buckthorn is a pretty common ingredient for the dishes, smoothies, juices and tea alike. So, here we list 5 cafés which you must try on your next visit to Spiti Valley: Sol Café Spiti Organic Kitchen Tara Traveler’s Café Taste of Spiti Himalayan Café 1. Sol Café Photo by TripAdvisor With a very interesting concept of volunteers running the café from different parts of the country, Sol café is slowly becoming a good breakfast café for tourists. The café offers free filtered water for visitors to fill their bottles with and go with the day, which helps them with saving the money that they would have spent on water bottles throughout the day. The café is run by Ecospehere volunteers and donates to various community issues in different villages of Spiti Valley. They offer a wide variety of breakfast and brunch food options, including vegan food options, and are open from 8:30 in the morning to 9 in the evening. The café even has movie nights every evening at 6pm except for Sundays. Price: ₹500 for 2 Address: Main Market Kaza, Kaza, Himachal Pradesh 172114 Timings: 8:30am- 9pm 2. Spiti organic kitchen Photo by Tripoto Spiti Organic Kitchen is a cute café which offers local food options and offers a beautiful view of the mountains and the clear blue sky. They offer different varieties of teas. Some people also feel that it is the highest café in the world because of the height that it is situated at. The café is located in Komic Village, which is also the highest motorable village in the world and has a breath- taking route to the village and the café altogether. People can also stay at the café as they offer rooms to stay, but it is subject to availability. So, if you are lucky enough, you may get accommodation at the homestay/ café. The café offers breakfast, brunch and dinner as it opens at 8 in the morning and closes at 4 in the evening and people can have a good meal at ₹300 for two people. Price: ₹300 for 2 Address: Near Bus Stand, Kaza Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, India Timings: 8am- 4pm 3. 3. Tara traveller’s café Photo by Restaurant Guru A small café located in the Mudh Village has a very beautiful vibe to it. The café provides beautiful views of the Pin Valley. Tara Traveler’s Café offers a multi- cuisine experience. One can taste cuisines like Chinese, Indian, Asian and Tibetan and is open 24/7. Even with the facility of so many cuisines to offer, the food at Tara Traveler’s Café is very homely. The café also has a homestay facility. One can see the beautiful night sky full of stars at which one can stare forever. One should visit the café during the summer season to experience a home-like vibe with a wide variety of cuisines to choose from. Price: ₹300 for 2 Address: Pin Valley Mudh Village, Mud, Spiti- 172117 Timings: Open 24/7 4. Taste of Spiti Photo by TripAdvisor Another café which joined hands with Ecosphere is Taste of Spiti and it has been donating to fifty villages in Spiti Valley for their various community services. With a pocket-friendly menu, which includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks from different cuisines like Italian, Tibetan, Indian, etc, the café also offers some musttry fusion foods. The café also provides a wheelchair facility. Taste of Spiti has outdoor seating for people to enjoy the view of the mountains. The motive of this café is to provide its visitors with some insight into the local ingredients and cuisine. It has a wide variety of vegetarian foods to offer. The staff of this café is very friendly and interactive too. Price: ₹300 for 2 Address: 63FC+PWR, Kaza, Himachal Pradesh 172114 Timings: NA 5. Himalayan Café Photo by Restaurant Guru Himalayan Café offers a wide variety of cuisines to try from, like Chinese food, Indian food, Asian food and local foods as well. It also offers vegan options and a variety of teas to try out. The Himalayan Café also has the option of terrace seating which allows the diner to look at the beautiful view of the mountains and the sky. The staff of the café is very friendly. The walls of the terrace have beautiful graffitimurals and it looks enticing at night when it is lit up using lights and lanterns. The café also offers beer and has guesthouse rooms available for people to stay in. Live music is also played at the café in the evening, and it also has wheelchair accessibility which only adds to its beauty. Price: ₹300 for 2 Address: Main Market, near Kangra Co-op Bank, Kaza, 172114 Timings: 7:30am to 10:30pm Spiti Valley offers a wide variety of food options to try, from be it the local foods or international