It’s surprising how our list of cafes below surpasses our list of things to do in Bir. But hey, Bir has several cafes so we gotta try out the delicious food they serve right? What’s even more surprising is that the majority of these cafes are owned by travellers from around India who left the city life to settle in the mountains and set life goals for us. *sighs*. Another thing that we noticed here was that all the cafes bake their own bread and desserts. During our stay we were spoilt with loads of banana bread, brownies, chocolate cakes and cookies.
P.S. We still missed out quite a few cafes.
Avva’s Cafe
Any South Indian food lovers like us? Look no further. Who could have thought that you’d find an exclusive uber cool South Indian Cafe in the mountains. Well Avva’s is run by a family earlier based out of Pune and now settled in Bir. The owner’s wife cooks all the meals herself so we assure you can taste the love in there and it goes without saying the dosas are yum! What’s even better is the lemongrass masala chai (yes we are obsessed with chai). They have an outdoor seating as well overlooking the step fields. Now who would eating with a pretty view right?
Silver Lining Cafe
This cute little cafe has a pristine setting and feels very homely. It looks like a setup in a countryside and is right opposite Avva’s. We tried the Pancakes and Lentil Burger here and it was so freakin’ good. We regret not visiting here again before leaving to try out other delicacies on the menu.
Paloma Cafe
The first vegan cafe we came across during our many trips to the mountains and to our surprise the food here was really nice. The cafe has an indoor as well as rooftop seating. The view from the rooftop terrace is quite mesmerising with paragliders embellishing the sky above you. It is owned by an Austrian women( we sure do know now where the fancy food is coming from) and run by locals who have been trained by her. We loved the Avocado Toast and the in-house banana bread here while sipping on some delicious peanut butter smoothie.
Garden Cafe
As the name suggests the cafe has a beautiful garden setting and we were completely blown away by how pretty everything looked. It’s decently priced with good portion sizes. We ordered a pancake, a green detox and an orange juice. As we stood there in the kitchen we could see how lovingly they were preparing our food and using fresh fruits and vegetables to make our juice. While we are salivating just thinking about it, we say you must checkout this cafe when you’re there.
Kuckie’s Cafe
This newly opened gem in Bir is a must visit for anyone who’s missing their home or shall we say maa ke haath ka khana. It’s easy to miss this place since it’s located on the first floor and has a rather small sign board so use google maps to navigate your way here. Owned by a beautiful lady named Kuckie, who also happens to be a scientist in mountain herbs, the cafe has some amazing food options. She makes delicious desserts right from brownies, cakes, cookies to gingerbread. But if we have to suggest one thing that you should not miss here it’ll be the Mawa Parathna that aunty makes and calls it her secret recipe.
Ram Bahadur Fast Food
The first day we arrived, the first steaming hot cup of tea we had, the first conversation with a local and the first smile that lit up our face was at this small food joint tucked in a corner. We instantly connected with the owners here who were so warm and hospitable that we didn’t hesitate once to ask them if they serve local Himachali food and before we knew that night we were having dinner with their family. They cooked their staple rajma khichdi especially for us and we couldn’t help but be filled with gratitude. And for the rest of our days in Bir we ended up visiting this place at least once a day. The food here is pretty nice and also decently priced.
Ara Cafe
Ara is a rooftop cafe offering a stunning sunset view with nicely done decor. It is located in a homestay called Parvath owned by an ex-financer who quit his job to start this homestay in Bir and certainly gives you all the homely feels. We came here to try the Himachali Thali. It’s a little expensive compared to other meals that you might have otherwise( INR 600 for veg and 650 for non-veg)but definitely worth trying. Be sure to keep your stomach empty before eating here because it’s going to fill you up to the brim. See our vlog here to know more about this.
Himalayan Pizzeria
If you’re craving pizza then head out to this cafe located just next to the landing site. They have a couple of freshly made wood-fired pizza option on the menu along with a variety of beverages. You can enjoy a good view of the paragliders while digging in your cheesy pizza. Another good pizza place we heard of but couldn’t go to is Glider’s Pizza just next to Avva’s. If you have been here let us know below what did we miss.
Tibetian Cuisine
No matter how many cafes we try, staying right in the middle of Tibetian colony and not trying Tibetian food would be unjustified. There are a couple of places that you can go. All of these are run by Tibetians and offer authentic Tibetian meals. Just walk along the Tibetian colony and you’ll easily spot them on either side. momos, thukpa, chowmein are all delicious.
If you’ve visited or are planning to visit any of these cafes above, let us know in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you.
Check out our vlog from this trip below.