16 Best Restaurants in Side Trips from Delhi, India

This airy indoor restaurant looks out on the Oberoi's gardens, with beautiful views of the Taj Mahal in the distance. Decor is stylish, with chic brown-and-white tile floors, plush turquoise booths, and dusky wooden tables and chairs.

At this unexpected oasis away from the chaos of the ghats, you can find good Japanese food and great cold coffee, perfect after a hot walk. Dark wood accents, warm yellow lights, and pleasing jazz music set a stylish scene—cane "tikki roofs," cozy floor couches, dangling bells, dry corn husks. A Japanese and Indian husband-wife team run the operation, serving varied cuisines from around the world.

Rustic wood tabletops resting on tree-trunk bases, plush, bright-orange seat cushions, and hammered copper plates and goblets create a dark, romantic mood, complemented by the simple, delicious barbecue cuisine of the North West Frontier area in present-day Pakistan and Afghanistan. All kinds of meats are freshly prepared over open flames and served with rich, aromatic sauces, with plenty for vegetarians, and guests are encouraged to eat with their hands.

This charming, two-story restaurant just across the road from the Western Temples (there are stunning views from the terrace) serves a mix of Indian and continental fare. It has a distinctly European aesthetic, with an open courtyard, where marble-top tables are shaded by an enormous neem tree and overhanging branches of bougainvillea, and a small indoor section that is air-conditioned (the summer heat can be quite punishing).

Situated in the plush Clarks Hotel, this upmarket restaurant that's decorated in tones of white and dark wood is best for its Indian food, though there are plenty of fusion and multicuisine choices on the menu. The chef cooks up innovative items in the lively kitchen, with vegetarian and meat-based dishes available.

Though simple and no-frills, this rooftop restaurant, with plastic tables and chairs and just a few potted plants is a longtime traveler favorite. The food here is the main draw, with Italian cuisine that many foreign guests find a welcome respite from the area's ubiquitous spicy curry dishes.

Across from the Vishvanath and Nandi temples, Blue Sky serves decent food, but it's the views here that draw in the crowds. The entire Western Group of temples is visible from the second-floor and rooftop terraces, and dinnertime guests can see the sound-and-light show from their tables.

Handily located behind the Shivala Ghat, this is an impressive haven for homesick Western palates and a great place for breakfast after a morning boat ride. All profits of the café and the art gallery upstairs go to charities, or are used for the employees' education.

Behind the colonial facade of the Surya Hotel, the Canton Royal is a simple but elegant restaurant, with vaulted ceilings, statues, and framed pictures of Benarasi royalty. The menu is eclectic, spanning European, Mediterranean, Mexican, and Chinese, but the Indian is the best. You can dine inside or in the lovely gardens.

The light and spicy South Indian vegetarian dishes served at this casual town favorite are a nice change from Agra's usual rich Mughlai fare. The food is excellent and service is fast at this casual, reliable, chain eatery.

Situated just past The Oberoi Amarvilas's illuminated Mughal-style courtyard and grand marble lobby, this intimate den celebrates local craftsmanship, with square pillars of red sandstone and white marble and carved wooden screens. Through the glass wall of the kitchen you can watch the chefs at work, while live instrumental music, including performances on the dulcimer-like santoor, adds to the mood throughout the week.

Situated at the lobby level of Hotel Haifa, this restaurant's specialty is Middle Eastern food. It's basically a long room with nondescript tables and lots of tourists flowing in and out—and no wonder, because it's incredibly cheap and the only place in town to sample freshly made Middle Eastern treats.

Occupying an elegant, airy space that opens out to the lobby of the Taj Gateway Hotel, Jhankar serves excellent Mughlai dishes every day at dinnertime. Flavors are subtle and distinct; many herbs and vegetables come from the kitchen garden.

A spiral staircase leads up to this indoor, air-conditioned restaurant with cheery bright curtains on a rooftop. The Maharaja Cafe overlooks a maqbara (domed memorial) to the left and the Western Temples to the right; there's a wooden platform with outdoor seating offering great views of the sights and market below.

The panoramic view from a wall of windows takes in both the Taj Mahal and the Fort, while evening live ghazals (Urdu love song) performances set the mood for rich Mughlai dishes served here. A ceiling of faux twinkling stars floats over an interior of rich reds, with brass trays hanging on walls and tables set with silver goblets.

This sleek, modern restaurant is decorated in rich shades of purple, beige, and orange, and lighted by glittering glass chandeliers. The five-page menu includes Chinese and European dishes, but the North Indian cuisine is what makes the restaurant so popular with domestic visitors.