Heading to the city of the Golden Temple? Here’s a guide to the best Amritsar street food for all possible cravings. 

Now if you know me, you know that it’s far from a secret that I love food. No matter the day or time, you better believe that a quest for some good eats isn’t too far from my mind.

And while I have my OG favorites (read: macaroni and cheese and desserts) I’ve always been a huge fan of North Indian food– though not so much of the bougie prices

Western restaurants serve it for. So you can imagine that being in India has been all types of epic on the food front – and epic it has! For the most part, that is…

I’ve savored chewy, buttery puris, a million and one sabji filled thalis, and more mango lassis than I’d swallowed in the past year combined.

But alas- something had been missing. As good (and damned cheap!) most of the food I’d eaten so far might have been, it lacked one of my favorite food groups: m e a t.

 Until we arrived in Amritsar, that is.

After nearly two months of having to pay overpriced rates or forego it altogether, the street food of Amritsar brought us back to India’s eats with a bang.

Suddenly, everything from juicy fried mutton chaaps to tangy, baked Amritsari Fish Tikka. The food streets I had so missed while exploring the mountains? Back and better than ever.

It’s well known around India that Punjabis have some incredible culinary traditions – and dang do they show out in the holy city of Amritsar! But what to eat … and where?

Here are some of the can’t-miss Amritsar street food (and best places to eat in Amritsar generally) for your next Amritsar Golden Temple trip.

Amritsar Street Food: The Ultimate Guide

Where to eat the best Amritsar street food

The absolute FIRST thing I did before we made our way to Amritsar was -unsurprisingly- compile a massive list of all the restaurants and Amritsar street food shops I wanted to visit.

If you’re just thinking about the Golden Temple when you hear this city’s name- please redirect your thoughts and get into feeding mode.

Whether you’re a backpacker or not, all these stops are well worth the visit.

Here are my recommendations for some MUST eat Amritsar food- including famous street food in Amritsar as well as random finds- complete with a map for your culinary convenience.

Here’s to hoping you don’t need to be rolled out of the city ;)

Your 24/7/365 Option For Street Food in Amritsar

 

Golden Temple Langar

Amritsar is famous for its magnificent golden temple, and no “Amritsar food guide” is complete without a mention of its 24/7  Langar.

Come late, come early, come again and again: the Golden Temple’s kitchen never stops serving up a basic thali with raita.

And while it might not be the most mouthwatering dish on this list, it’s certainly got the most magical location and significance.

Price: Free

 

Best Breakfast in Amritsar

 

All India Famous Amritsar Kulcha / Kulcha Land

No trip to Amritsar is complete without a taste of mouthwatering kulcha. Picture this: buttery, crispy tandoori naan but stuffed with a thin layer of aloo (potato) and topped with a drizzling of spices- complete with a rich salty serving of chole (chickpeas).

Kulcha can be found all throughout the city, but All India is famous- and rightfully so! It’s one of the most delectable eating places in Amritsar for sure.

You can also check out Kulcha Land- but keep in mind that both close for the day by 4:30PM, so Kulcha sadly isn’t a late-night option.

Price: 30 rupees per plate

Old and Famous Chacha Sweets

 

 

Looking for some tasty snacks to get you through the morning- or afternoon? Do deep-fried savory ladoos and samosas crisped and spiced to perfection sound like a yummy treat?

Even if you’ve tried these bites before, Chacha’s was a random Amritsar street food find that blew away any past competition- plus it’s right near the Golden Temple!

It’s easy to fill up here for less than a dollar- every item is around 10-30 rupees (and should can be bought in bulk!)

Price: 30-100 rupees

 

 

 

Read Next: 102 Incredible Indian Street Food Dishes

 

 

Where to find snack street food places in Amritsar

 

 

Aman Petha Bhandar

After all the fried and buttery goodness.. petha is a different recommendation, but delicious none the less! Made of a firm yet gelatinous texture, this former fruit is bathed in oil and sugar, hardened, and concocted into various shapes for eating.

A sort of sweet ( but technically a fruit), petha is a delectable choice for any of your in-between meals hunger needs.

Aman and his family have been at this for decades- their shop caters to petha only unlike other methai shops- even more of a reason to pay him a visit!

Price: 10-100 rupees

Ahuja Milk Bhandar

Lassis… the ultimate Desi snack perfect for sweltering summer heat (or any weather for that matter.)

This Amritsar street food joint has been servin’ up delicious lassis topped with fat dabs of milk butter on top for the better part of the last century- and boy do they deserve all the notoriety they’ve earned.

As a dessert lover, this spot might just be the best food in Amritsar!

 

 

By this point, I’ve tasted hundreds of lassis and at the time of writing this, none have come close to the thickly-sweet goodness that can be found here.

Plus- they also have multiple flavors including mango and vanilla. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself making a return visit- Ahuja’s definitely serves up some of the best street food in Amritsar!

Price: 40 rupees

Unnamed Mango Shake Stand

Sometimes you just need something sweet and cheap to quench your thirst- (and in my case, the spices) and this mango shake stand is just that.

For TEN rupees, you can enjoy the sweet mango-y goodness- ah, the magic of Amritsar street food.

With a price like that, I couldn’t NOT include it on here- plus it was situated on a busy food street in Amritsar that was home to numerous other tasty stalls. Drink up!

Price: 10 rupees

Gian di Lassi

Gian’s is a known competitor to Ahuja’s that serves up plain sweet lassis.

Thick, large and also sporting a large dollop of cream, Gian’s knows how to make a lassi.

Whether or not it’s better than Ahuja’s though is completely up to you… it’s definitely worth trying both to make the comparison!

Price: 40 rupees

 

Where to Find Street Food for Lunch in Amritsar

When you’re eating all day, time can get a little fuzzy. Breakfast foods can be eaten at dinner, desserts for breakfast… and vice versa! And while most lunch foods can be swapped with dinner, here’s some must-try street vibe for your midday meal.

Shinda Meat Corner

 

This low-key spot is missing from Google Maps, but isn’t far from the Golden Temple- it’s right next to the “Old Telephone Exchange” in an Amritsar food market and neighbors the unnamed mango shake stand.

Here, spiced mutton meat is oiled and fried into crispy, palm-sized patties known as chaaps.

Shinda Meat Corner has been around for decades is a true example of Amritsar street food- but don’t expect a seating area or perfect hygiene. The taste though? Worth every green chutney-dipped bite.

Price: 80 rupees per chaap

Brijwasi Chaat Bhander

Like a lot of other Amritsar street food standouts, Brijwasi has been around for years, serving up creamy dishes of dahi bhalla and crunchy golgappe to generations.

Prices were great, the service good, and the food flavorful. But If I were to go again, I’d recommend ordering the aloo tikki burger instead. Nevertheless, it’s still a great place to eat in Amritsar.

Price: 30-100 rupees

 

 Best Amritsar Food for Dinner

Stuffed yet? The answer is most definitely yes- but that doesn’t mean there’s not more to be eaten! These dinner joints serve up some of the best Amritsar food in the way of very tasty meats.

By this time, I was definitely wishing I could rent another stomach! Here’s some of the best places to eat non-veg in Amritsar:

Beera Chicken House

 

Beera’s is known for its chicken… but what’s really worth coming here is the fish. Soft, juicy and lemony the Amritsari Fish Tikka is a must- but the fish fry is also worth a taste (though not quite as delicious, in my humble opinion).

This famous Amritsar food spot isn’t as cheap as your average street establishment, but for some of the best fish in Amritsar, it worth the splurge.

Price: 200-350 rupees depending on your choice of meat

 

Adarsh Meat Shop

 

Juicy, melt-in-your-mouth mutton covered or fried in a spicy gravy stew. Or, perhaps, mutton tikka- no sauce added, and joined by a pancake-like bread softer than anything else you’ll find in the city.

Basically, here’s the deal:  if you’re a non-veg, you cannot NOT go to Adarsh’s. Don’t let modest exterior fool you: this is a true meaty paradise, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any other meat hub in Amritsar that compares.

It’s no surprise it’s one of the most famous eateries in Amritsar.

Price: 200-500 for a plate

 

Rehri Market Amritsar Food Street

 

Ah, the magic of food streets. Where all culinary and munchies dreams can come true. I LOVE food markets, and Rehri Market is one food street in Amritsar where you can try a bunch of true Amritsar street food delicacies all in one go.

Piping hot south Indian dosas, air-filled puris, creamy ice-cream milkshakes, and rich aloo tikki burgers can all be found rubbing elbows here. This is definitely a spot to just eat everything. I know I did.

Price: 60-100 rupees

 

Where to Find Famous Street Food in Amritsar for Dessert

And now to the best part of any given day: d e s s e r t. While a lassi or some form methai (aka Indian sweets) will do, why not try an Amritsar street food specialty instead?

Ram Karan Cool-Spot

 

 

While Ram’s looks like an unassuming street-cart parked near the sidewalk of a main road, don’t let first impressions fool ya’.

Think massive golas (popsicles), swollen over a real wooden stick and dipped in a gluttonous amount of sugary syrup- and some of the best street food in Amritsar!

 

 

 

This place has been around for decades, and Ganesha now runs the family business. While the local fave is the masala-spiced khala, I recommend the lychee- or better yet, why don’t you try both?

Price: 40-60 rupees

 

Where to stay in Amritsar

As the home of the Golden Temple, Amritsar isn’t lacking in accommodation, but good value spots might be hard to gauge from booking sites.

After spending nearly a week there, I overwhelmingly recommend the Asha Guest House, which is definitely the best guesthouse in the city and in walking distance to the best street food of Amritsar.

 

Asha’s is a 5-minute walk from the temple, central to most of the food spots, and is unbelievably backpacker-friendly at just 310 rupees a night- private bathroom included!

Map of Amritsar Street Food

 

Even though we gained more than a few pounds in Amritsar, there’s no doubt dozens of more lip-smacking Amritsar street food spots to be enjoyed- I love a good recommendation so definitely pop in the comments if you have one!