If there is one thing other than dal baati churma that everyone who travels to Jaipur wants to try before they leave the Pink City, it is laal maas (provided you are a non-vegetarian). The slow-cooked mutton preparation is a city favourite and here’s a roundup of the best places in Jaipur where you must go for laal maas.
Niros
If there is one restaurant that I associate some of my fondest childhood memories with, it has to be Niros. As a family, we would frequent the restaurant every weekend because of how much my father enjoyed the paneer butter masala and spring rolls from there. It is a seventy-six-year-old eatery that continues to operate from its original address in the heart of the city, at MI Road. I would suggest that if you are planning to dine on a weekend, make sure you reserve a table.
My father would also take most of his business friends who travelled from abroad and wanted to taste the best of Jaipur’s laal maas to Niros (that was just his way of visiting the restaurant more often). Some friends claim that it serves Pink City’s best laal maas. The mutton is well cooked and the spices in the gravy are balanced.
Some other highlights from the menu include chicken seekh kebab, fish curry, daal gosht, and chicken curry. You can choose to pair the curries with your preferred bread or their jeera rice. Niros does Chinese really well too. As cliche as it may sound but nothing comes close to their chilli garlic noodles and crispy wonton. Their sweet and sour prawns are another preparation loved by loyalists.
Address: 319, Panch Batti, MI Road, Jaipur
Price: INR 2,200
Spice Court
Another tourist favourite for laal maas is Spice Court in Civil Lines. It is best known for its Indian mains and Chinese appetisers. Their dhungar wala laal maas attract many tourists and locals to the restaurant.
Other highlights from their menu include the hara bhara kebab, murg malai tikka, govind gatta, papad mangodi, rogan josh, daal baati churma, and masala papad. You must pair your meal with desserts of your choice including their seasonal halwa and kulfi. If you visit during the evenings, do stop by to see the puppet show that local artists put up in the premises.
I must also suggest that while leaving spice court, make a pit stop at Dzurt that serves some of the best desserts in the city. It is very close to the eatery and is a must-try if you have eaten all the spice at Spice Court.
Address: Achrol House, Jacob Road, Civil Lines, Jaipur
Price for two: INR 1,700
Peacock Restaurant
Owned by the founders of the celebrated Native Cocktail Room and Primitive is Peacock Restaurant that is also housed in the same building as the former two. It is an al fresco restaurant that attracts loyalists for their food and cocktails alike.
Apart from their laal maas and mutton nihari (that most diners will order on their visit), some other Indian preparations that you must try from the menu include paneer kofta with sweet chilli reduction, jackfruit pepper fry, chicken laisuni, and mutton ghee roast.
Make sure you choose a drink (whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic) from the menu. If you are in the mood to sip on a well-crafted cocktail, go for the espresso martini, vanilla and coffee gin with Indian tonic, and peacock collin’s. They also have an extensive range of mocktails—pink rose and passion are good picks.
Address: 51, Hathroi Fort, Hari Kishan Somani Marg, near Native Cocktail bar, Ajmer Rd, Rajasthan 302001
Price for two: INR 1,000
1135 AD
If there is one restaurant after Mohan Mahal that should be considered one of the most beautiful in the city, it is 1135 AD at the Amer Fort. Stunning interiors and a beautiful view of the city, the restaurant is an underrated spot that does very well with its food too.
My visit to 1135 AD has always been with tourists and friends who want to see the city from the fort while enjoying dishes that bring the best of the cuisine to their table. Most people’s first picks from the menu is their laal maans which is authentic, spicy, and flavourful.
Some other highlights from the menu include, murgh shorba, malai jhinga, paneer angaar, Zaffrani murgh korma, Amber gosht, Hyderabadi dahi bhndi, and shahi subz biryani. From the desserts section, go for the shahi tukda, kesari phirni, and moong daal ka halwa.
Address: Level 2, Jaleb Chowk, Amer Palace, Near Sheela Mata Temple, Amer, Jaipur
Price for two: INR 3,000
Handi
You know that a restaurant is doing well in Jaipur when more than one outlet comes up in the city. Handi is one of them. What Niros is for me, Handi is for many in the Pink City. The restaurant opened up at MI Road in 1984 and continues operation from there, however, another outpost has come up on Sikar Road that only delivers across the city.
Apart from their Jaisalmeri laal maans, some other highlights from their menu includes tandoori platter, chicken pataka, tangri kebab, mutton tikka masala, kadahi paneer, and rogan josh. They also offer a separate section for Chinese, Continental, and Italian preparations that are done well too but not as good as their Mughlai and Rajasthani dishes.
Their fruit salad cream is one of the most talked about desserts from the menu. They also offer a range of ice creams for you to choose from.
Address: Opposite GPO, Maya Mansion, MI Road, Jaipur
Price for two: INR 1,200
