Rishikesh, the holy town nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, is famous for yoga, the Ganga, and a spiritual energy that’s hard to describe until you’ve sat by the river at dawn with a masala chai in hand. But here’s what doesn’t get talked about enough: its cafe scene is exceptional. And I say that as someone who has spent months living here as a digital nomad — which meant a lot of cafe-hopping, a lot of oat milk cappuccinos, and more hours spent staring at the Ganga from a cafe balcony than I care to admit.
All cafes in Rishikesh are vegetarian by default — it’s a Hindu holy town — but don’t let that make you think there’s any shortage of variety, creativity, or flavour. If anything, the vegetarian constraint has pushed Rishikesh’s cafe owners into some genuinely inventive territory. Vegan pizzas on chickpea flour bases. Cashew cheese pasta. Sattvik fine dining. South Indian filter coffee in an open-air jungle setting. You’ll eat well here.
Below is my personally reviewed, regularly updated list of the 25 best cafes in Rishikesh covering views, food quality, vegan options, laptop-friendliness, and value for money. I’ve been to every single one of these. Multiple times.
Here’s my list of 25 Best Cafes In Rishikesh:
(Details below the table)
Key: ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ⚠️ Limited/Ask first | ✅✅ Exceptional
1. Om Shanti Cafe, Laxman Jhula road
Tucked into a narrow alleyway full of souvenir and yoga shops and easy to walk past without noticing — which would be a shame, because inside, every single seat faces the Ganga. Even though since I first wrote this article, the cafe has sized down (trading one floor for hotel rooms) and the vibe seems to be somewhat a shadow of its previous version, this cafe is the first on the list being the first cafe I ever went to in Rishikesh, three years ago!
Inside the decor is spiritual -handmade art, natural materials, a shrine to the great yoga gurus and the vibe is meditative. Which makes the no-laptop policy make complete sense. Om Shanti isn’t a workspace; it’s a place to actually be somewhere. Friday through Sunday there’s live kirtan (devotional music), which only adds to it. Food is average overall, but the peanut salad and the vegan breakfast platter – vegan omelettes, roasted potatoes – are rare offerings and genuinely good.
Average price: ₹250 for a main
2. Social Soul Cafe, Badrinath Road, Lower Tapovan
If you’re looking for a place of solace and good views in the concrete maze of the Badrinath road, look up — all the way to the 3rd floor. Here, at the entrance of the lower Balaknath road and on top of a hostel is the newly opened Social Soul cafe. Started by a sibling duo from Rajasthan, the cafe is perfect for good coffee and food. (One of the very few cafes in Rishikesh to have a professional coffee making machine!)
The cafe’s artistic and contemporary decor on the lower level gets extra brownie points from a home decor-loving me. But even more special is its rooftop with the white furniture and blue tiles giving it a Grecian vibe, and of course great views of the mountains around. On weekends, Social Soul cafe usually has live music and other kinds of gigs including sound healing, yoga drop-ins and others.
Average Price range: Rs. 200 for a main, 150 for a coffee.
3. Shambala Cafe, Laxman Jhula Road
Located a few shops before Om Shanti cafe, Shambala cafe is another favourite of mine and has a view similar, if not better than Om Shanti. Get a corner seat and enjoy the same stunning views of the Ganga and the Ram Jhula in the distance with a very distinct hippie vibe with Buddha and Ganesha tapestries forming the walls of the cafe. The best part is that Shambala doesn’t have a no-laptop policy so it’s a perfect cafe for digital nomads.
The menu is the standard Hummus-Pancake trail one with Indian, Israeli, Italian and Chinese dishes. Vegan options are few and far between. The Arrabbiata pasta and pizza are great and so are the Indian curries with a slight tandoor/smoky taste to them.
Price range: Rs. 180 on average for a main, Rs. 50 for a masala chai.
4. Ganga Beach Cafe, Laxman Jhula
Not to be confused with Ganga View cafe located just a few hundred meters down the road, the Ganga Beach view cafe is a beast in its own right! Ganga Beach cafe has arguably the best and closest views of the Ganga of any cafes in Rishikesh and that’s such high praise given the quality of views all around! Located almost on a ghat and located across multiple levels including a patio right on the rocks by the river, the cafe decor is all natural and bamboo lined with one section with only mattresses on the floor with plenty of cushions to make your time too comfortable while you linger. The newly-launched Bajrang Setu is right next to the cafe. One of the older cafes in Rishikesh, the Ganga Beach cafe seems to be a bit of legacy throwback than a cafe trying hard to compete with any of the newer ones. The slightly dusty surroundings and the almost-neglected decor seems to point in that direction. Also, its slightly inconspicuous entrance in the middle of the busy Laxman Jhula market doesn’t help. But missing this cafe in favour of the more polished, new ones would be a travesty. The food, although not the best, is good, reasonably priced, and can be enjoyed at an unhurried pace given the low footfalls in the cafe. I’ve spent many lazy noons curled up with my laptop, a book or doing nothing but simply gazing at the brilliant and expansive stretch of the Ganga in front of me from the cafe and highly recommend the meditative and slightly intoxicating vibe of the cafe.
Price range: Rs. 200 for a main, Rs. 50 for a cup of tea.
5. Tulsi Cafe, Upper Tapovan
The very underrated Tulsi cafe is a bit of a hike from Tapovan but worth a visit for its unique theme and healthy food. It’s a concept cafe that follows sustainable and ecofriendly practices and claims to have been made from waste materials. Set on the second level, the cafe has a nice view of the Tapovan forest and the mountains in the distance. Ambience-wise, Tulsi has a unique decor indeed repurposed from waste materials like cloth scraps, utensils, broken electrics and more giving it a purposeful yet boho feel.
(Check out the 30-second Reel I made on it.)
The menu has tons of vegan and gluten-free options. The smoothies and fresh juice mocktails are great and so are the khichdi bowls when you just need some comfort food.
Price range: 150 on average for a main
6. Harry’s Cafe, Laxman Jhula
Located on the “Freedom Ghat” next to the more popular Freedom Cafe in Laxman Jhula, Harry’s cafe is a great place to grab some snacks before or after some ghat-bumming. It has a lower and an upper seating areas depending on if you want a chair and table or a squat down meal. One of the more chilled out cafes where one can pretty much lounge forever with a chai and roll their own stuff. But I have a soft spot for the place as the cafe is pet friendly and makes it easy for me to hunker down with my dog without being bothered about other stray dogs.
Price Range: Rs. 200 for sandwich, Rs. 40 for a masala chai.
7. Rustic Road Cafe, Tapovan
Located on the slope that goes towards the busy Laxman Jhula road and the point for taking the ferry across, Rustic road cafe enjoys neither the Ganga or the mountain views. Still this cafe makes it on my top 10 cafes in Rishikesh list because of its food itself. It’s one of the few vegan and gluten-free cafes so expect to see options like vegan pizzas made with chickpea flour and pasta with cashew cheese sauce! Has a little bakery section too with some nice gluten-free brownies and cakes. All their pizzas are made in a little wood-fire pizza ovens making them one of the few cafes to have it.
Price range: 250 on average for a pizza/pasta.
8. Cafe Royale, Laxman Jhula main road
Best for: Groups, variety, reliable quality | Laptop-friendly: Yes | Vegan options: Yes
Easy to miss because it’s on the first floor of a building on the main road — don’t walk past it. Cafe Royale is one of the biggest and most versatile cafes in Rishikesh, with multiple seating zones: balcony tables facing the Laxman Jhula street on one side, and lower seating with Ganga and mountain views on the other. Bar stools, chairs, floor cushions — take your pick.
The owner Pravesh is justifiably proud that everything is made fresh from scratch. The menu is international — Pad Thai, bean burgers, the works — and the vegan bean burger is genuinely one of the better things I ate in Rishikesh. Machine-made cappuccino too, which is never a given. There’s even a small stage for live performances.
Average price: ₹200 for a main, ₹120 for a cappuccino.
9. Anna’s Mess, Lower Balaknath Road, Tapovan
Best for: South Indian food cravings | Laptop-friendly: Sometimes | Vegan options: Yes
As someone who spent years in Bangalore before moving to Rishikesh, the absence of a proper South Indian meal was quietly torturing me — until I found Anna’s Mess. Hiding in plain sight on the lower Balaknath temple road, this is the best South Indian cafe in Rishikesh by a comfortable margin. Masala dosa, idli, sambar, filter coffee — the classics, done properly.
What makes it special beyond the food is the open-air setting: lots of greenery, dream catchers, a gentle outdoor ambience that no Bangalore darshini can match. The three-chutney spread that comes with the dosa is the detail that gets me every time. If you’re South Indian, or just miss real South Indian food, this is non-negotiable.
Average price: ₹100–150 for a meal.
10. BeMonk Cafe/ Restaurant
Best for: Fine dining, special occasions, Sattvik food | Laptop-friendly: Yes | Vegan options: Yes
The most upscale entry on this list and one of the few genuinely fine-dining experiences in all of Rishikesh. BeMonk is part of a wellness centre, the menu is completely Sattvik (no onion, no garlic, purely sattvic ingredients), and it’s the kind of place you go when you want to eat something beautiful rather than just filling. Quinoa bowls, creative salads, Indian-fusion mains — the menu changes and experiments in ways that most cafes here don’t bother with.
Ganga views from two sides, warm South Indian-influenced decor (the owners are from Chennai), and on weekends the owner herself performs live classical music. It’s a meal and a cultural experience rolled into one. Budget accordingly — this is the splurge cafe on the list.
Average price: ₹400–700 for a main, ₹1,100 for the Sattvik thali.
11. Jungle Calling, Secret Waterfall Road, Upper Tapovan
Best for: Most unique setting on this list | Laptop-friendly: No (network dies up here) | Vegan options: Limited
Technically the eatery of the Jungle Calling resort rather than a standalone cafe, but the location earns it a place here without question. It sits halfway along the trail to the Secret Waterfall in Upper Tapovan, right beside a gushing stream — and eating here is one of those surreal travel experiences where you forget you’re in a cafe at all. The sound of the water, the altitude, the trees closing in around you — it’s something else.
Menu is limited: Kathi rolls, momos, basic snacks. Don’t come for the food. Come for the experience of eating beside a Himalayan stream with no network signal and no reason to check your phone.
12. Secret Garden Cafe, Upper Tapovan
Best for: WiFi, coffee, international crowd | Laptop-friendly: Yes | Vegan options: Yes
Started by an Indo-Austrian couple and popular with the international yoga school crowd that clusters in Upper Tapovan, Secret Garden lives up to its name — a large, plant-dense space that feels genuinely hidden even though it isn’t. The menu leans continental with some Austrian specials thrown in, and the smoothie bowls are among the best I had in Rishikesh: fresh, substantial, and not watery like so many places serve them.
One of the few cafes with a proper coffee machine and reliable WiFi, making it a solid remote work option. Also pet-friendly — though fair warning, the two resident dogs can be territorial with visiting dogs.
Average price: ₹220 for a main, ₹150 for a beverage.
13. 60’s Cafe, Badrinath Highway, Tapovan
Not to confuse with the Beatles’ Cafe, the 60’s cafe on the Badrinath road also pays homage to the legends. If the multiple Tripadvisor badges and certificates at its reception walls don’t tell you enough about the popularity of the place (which unfortunately dimmed post Covid), the decor, the theme and its ethos should. As the name says, the cafe is a homage to the roaring 60s rock n’ roll era, with the biggest nod to the Beatles who came to Rishikesh in the 60’s. The cafe is decorated tastefully with vintage rock posters, antique gramophones, tons of books and magazine. The thing that stood out to me the most was its menu itself as it has generous amounts of texts interviewing some famous people, their lifestyle, and has lot of blurbs on the Hippie Movement of the 60s.
The food is great, menu has a wide range of vegan options (with a writeup about the owner’s decision to go vegan) and they do have a coffee setup. Great outdoors if the weather allows, but inside is even better.
Price Range: Rs. 250 for a pizza, Rs. 180 for a vegan cappuccino.
So here’s the rest of the 25 best cafes in Rishikesh you should check out.
14. Bistro De Lavenia Cafe, Upper Tapovan
Bistro De Lavenia has a brand new location in the narrow Upper Tapovan lane leading uphill a few hundred meters from the famous Deecon Valley. Run by a dear friend and supermum Amrisha, and named after her daughter, the cafe is all things boho, cosy, green and comfort. Get lost admiring the myriad pieces of cute curios, rock memorabilia, antiques, and random knick-knacks all over the cafe making it one heck of a colourful chaos! Lavenia’s has both an indoors section with private chambers for intimate private gatherings, and even a lush green garden area that comes alive at nights with live jams and bonfires (in the winter.) The food is a mix of western and Indian snacks, fancy machine-made coffee, and mains with a focus on being healthy and “everything made from scratch in-house”.
Price range: Rs. 200 for cappuccino, 350 for a main
15. Monks Hostel And Garden Cafe, Gulab Nagar, Upper Tapovan
Best for: Live music, social evenings | Laptop-friendly: Sometimes | Vegan options: Limited
More hostel garden than standalone cafe, but 12 Monks earns its place here for what happens on weekends: open mic nights, stand-up comedy, live music Friday through Sunday, and kirtan on Thursdays. Set in a garden area with a relaxed, sociable energy, it’s the kind of place where you go alone and leave having met three interesting people. Less about the food, entirely about the atmosphere and the community.
Average price: ₹150 for a meal.
16. Om Freedom Cafe, Laxman Jhula, Tapovan
Located near the Little Buddha cafe on the other side of Laxman Jhula, Freedom Cafe too has a stunning view of the Ganga, especially if you manage to land one of the two tables in the Ganga-facing patio (even though they’re only meant for smoking, and they don’t serve food there.)
The cafe gets really busy on weekends and not ideal for working. Extensive menu and most of the food we tried was good.
17. Karma Cafe, Badrinath Road, Lower Tapovan
A true boho cafe with the most elements of nature, it’s the unassuming Karma cafe located opposite the more famous 60s cafe, on the farther end of the busy Badrinath Highway road.
Set in a heritage bungalow style building, what strikes out the most about Karma cafe to me is the hundreds of plants of all size, colours and varieties strewn all over the cafe. Most of the plants are in planters repurposed from old jars, bottles and cans giving it the eco-boho look and feel that speaks to me. (they’re available to buy too.) Other than that, the cafe is large, spread out across an indoor and the patio section, the latter offering views of the Himalayas above and a stream right below adding to the nature theme of the place.
Price Range: Rs. 350 for a bowl, Rs. 200 for a cappuccino.
18. Ganga View Cafe, Laxman Jhula
Best for: Sunset views, upscale experience | Laptop-friendly: Sometimes | Vegan options: Limited
Located almost at the end of the Laxman Jhula road and often touted as the best cafe in Rishikesh, the popular Ganga View Cafe has a reputation that precedes it — and the scramble for a good seat (or sometimes a seat at all) would testify to its popularity among both locals and travellers. The decor and aesthetics are genuinely cosmopolitan, rivalling upscale cafes in Bangalore or Delhi. The sunset views over the Ganga are especially stunning.
Where Ganga View scores lower, in my opinion, is its pet-unfriendliness and its above-average prices. Great for an occasional treat, but perhaps not a daily haunt or somewhere you can linger too long without spending a fair amount.
Average price: ₹400 for a main, ₹300 for a soy cappuccino.
19. Aarcana Cafe, Secret Waterfall road, Upper Tapovan
One of my favourite cafes in Rishikesh since it’s a 2 minute walk to my place, Aarcana is a sprawling open air cafe with a mediterranean vibe to it. Maybe it’s the colourful and lush garden space or the central courtyard or the cosy indoors section (complete with a vintage fireplace that’s a saviour in the winters), but Aarcana is a space like no other. Often the venue to exciting events such as ecstatic dances, cacao ceremonies, yoga classes, and even flea markets, this cafe is always buzzing with activity. But one of my favourite things to do at Aarcana is just to plonk down at one of the low-level mattresses, grab a book and spend a lazy morning enjoying its delicious (but slightly pricy) meals and cappuccino.
Average price: Rs. 250 for a soy cappuccino, Rs. 400 for a main
20. Tattv Cafe, Badrinath Road, Tapovan
One of the older cafes that has survived the test of time is the Tattv cafe located in the middle of all the action! Tattv cafe serves as the perfect landmark due to being located on the busy Badrinath Main Tapovan road and right below an Ashtanga Yoga school and next to the two supermarkets in Tapovan. The cafe itself has a nice Indo-Western menu and great salads. Some tables have a Ganga view.
21. Maharani Shri, Tapovan
Almost hidden from view on a narrow lane in the upper, lush parts of Tapovan near the Secret Garden cafe is the large and surprisingly impressive Maharani Shri. The multi-level, red-brick stone building houses a part cafe, with large sections – both open and covered – a yoga hall and huge patio which is perfect for working, chilling and enjoying the uninterrupted view of the Tapovan forest from. The menu is mostly South Indian – the dosas are fresh and there are South Indian staples like Pesarattu and Payasam on offer at incredibly good prices for North India. Look out for occasional and weekend events like live gigs, yoga drop-ins, and ecstatic dances. I attended a Mahashivratri event from 7pm till well after midnight here and the experience still leaves me feeling warm and fuzzy about the space.
22. VJ’s by the Ganges, Badrinath Road, Tapovan
A 100% open-air cafe/restaurant, VJ’s by the Ganges is a departure from the usual lower-seating, hippie-decor cafes that are typical of Rishikesh. It’s a family and group friendly cafe in a garden setting with a great view of the Ganga, especially at sunset. They have an extensive menu with wood-fired oven pizzas, a variety of pastas, Chinese mains and starters, and the whole Indian fare. I’ve only ever been there with large groups but I did spot a few couples on seemingly romantic dates.
The music choice isn’t the greatest (they seem to play trashy 90’s Bollywood music) and the mosquitoes can be annoying at night, but barring that, it’s a great place for an evening out.
23. Babylon German Bakery Cafe, Laxman Jhula
A true hole in the wall cafe, the unassuming bakery/cafe on the Laxman Jhula road has a couple of tables in the balcony that face the Ganga and are a great spot for catching the sunset with a coffee. It’s one of my favourite cafes to grab a morning cuppa and a fresh-right-out-of-the-oven croissant. German Bakery seems to have a loyal client base and if you come here often enough, chances are you’ll end up meeting some familiar faces and making friends rather easily.
Price Range: Rs. 140 for a soy cappuccino and Rs. 60 for a cinnamon bun.
24. Moktan Cafe, Upper Tapovan and Lower Tapovan
Not so much a sit-down cafe as a hole-in-the-wall bakery and coffee shop with takeaway options — but Moktan is wildly popular, and its success is almost a case study in doing one thing exceptionally well. First started on the lower Balaknath road leading up to Laxman Jhula, a second branch has since opened in Upper Tapovan near Secret Garden Cafe. The few seats on offer are almost always taken.
Moktan is best known for its baked goods — chocolate walnut brownie, Danish, chocolate croissants, Bhagsu cake — and its coffee, the smell of which wafts into the street and does all the marketing needed. Always buzzing, always a good place to run into someone interesting.
Average price: ₹150 for coffee and a bake.
25. The Arches Cafe, Laxman Jhula
Located right next to the (erstwhile) Laxman Jhula on the Tapovan side, cafe Arches is part of the Salvus hotel and one of the most upscale cafes in Rishikesh. Its great decor and vegan food earns a well-deserved a spot on my list of 25 best cafes of Rishikesh. Compared to the other cafes on the list, this isn’t a hippie or a boho cafe with lower seating but a modern one with neutral colour tones in walls, sofas, the green door ‘Arches’ (and hence the name) and a plethora of plants giving it a minimal midcentury aesthetic. It does have a view of the Ganga with the iconic Triyambakeshwar temple from the balcony and an interesting bed-like seating on a raised platform. Food wise, one of the most extensive menus with largely continental fare and a few Indian options include some interesting options like Buddha bowls, and the small eats.
Price Range: Rs. 350 for a bowl, Rs. 200 for a cappuccino.
Frequently Asked Questions
This by no means is an exhaustive list of all the cafes in Rishikesh. I’m sure there are many I still haven’t explored, while new ones keep cropping up. I’ll be sure to update this list with more cafes as I continue to call this amazing place my home.
