LMB (Laxmi Misthan Bhandar)

Description:

• If you're headed for Johari Bazaar to shop, make sure you stop at this renowned local hangout, first and foremost known for its selection of Indian sweets. Anyone with even half a sweet tooth shouldn't miss stepping out of the madness of the bazaar into this cool oasis -- even if it's just to salivate over the huge selection of sweets beautifully (and hygienically) displayed behind glass counters in the sweet (mithai) shop section. Sample the paneer ghewar (honeycomb-like dessert soaked in sugary syrup) -- supposedly the best in India. Beyond the takeout area lies the large air-conditioned restaurant. Perhaps renovated by a set designer with a love for the flamboyant 1980s, it remains strictly vegetarian, and no onion or garlic (believed to inflame the senses) is used in food preparation. No meat or alcohol is allowed on the premises, and only snacks are served between 4 and 7pm. Try the freshly prepared samosas or potato and cashew-nut tikkis, and wash them down with delicious lassis (yogurt drinks) or exotic pomegranate juice. For an authentic, filling meal, order the Rajasthani thali, which begins with tangy papad mangori soup and includes traditional ker sangri, Rajasthani kadhi (dumplings in a yogurt sauce), five different vegetables, and three kinds of bread.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010