Hidden and Underrated Cafes in Gulmarg That Most Tourists Miss
Words by
Shraddha Tripathi
I first stumbled onto the hidden cafes in Gulmarg on a misty October morning when the tourist Gondola Road was still quiet, the ski season had not yet begun, and the valley held its breath between summer and winter. While most visitors rush straight for the Gondola or the golf course, I spent three weeks wandering side lanes, following the smell of cardamom and wood smoke into places no travel blog had ever mentioned. What I found were secret coffee spots Gulmarg that felt less like commercial establishments and more like someone had left their kitchen door open and invited the whole neighborhood in.
Gulmarg sits at 2,650 meters in the Pir Panjal Range, a meadow that the Mughal emperor Yousuf Shah Chak named "the meadow of flowers." The town's cafe culture is shaped by this altitude and isolation. Power cuts are frequent, internet is unreliable, and the best places to drink chai or coffee are often the ones with no signage at all. Tourists cluster around the main market near the Gondola base station, but the off the beaten path cafes Gulmarg hides in its residential lanes, near the old Maharani Temple, and along the road toward Khilanmarg. These are the spots where local guides, army personnel from the nearby High Altitude Warfare School, and Kashmiri families actually spend their afternoons.
I wrote this guide because every time someone asks me where to eat and drink in Gulmarg, I want to say something other than "the hotel restaurant." The underrated cafes Gulmarg offers are not polished. They do not have Instagram walls or QR code menus. But they serve some of the best kahwa and fresh bakery items you will find in all of Kashmir, and they do it in settings that make you understand why people have fallen in love with this valley for centuries.
1. The Old Maharani Temple Lane Tea Stalls
Walk past the Maharani Temple, the small Hindu shrine built by Maharaja Hari Singh in the 1940s, and take the narrow dirt path that descends behind it toward the cluster of pine trees. You will find two or three makeshift tea stalls that operate from the front rooms of local homes. There is no formal name for any of them. The one I return to most often is run by a man I know only as Ghulam, who has been brewing kahwa here since before the Gondola was renovated in 2005.
The kahwa at Ghulam's stall is made in a traditional copper kettle called a samovar, and he uses saffron strands that he says come from Pampore, about 60 kilometers away. He adds crushed almonds, cardamom, and a small amount of cinnamon. The tea is served in small handleless ceramic cups, and the whole ritual of watching him prepare it takes about ten minutes. He charges 40 rupees per cup, which is less than half what you would pay at any hotel in the main market.
The best time to visit is between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM, when the afternoon light filters through the pine canopy and the temple bells ring for evening aarti. On weekdays, you will likely be the only non-local there. Weekends bring a few Kashmiri families from Srinagar who come for temple visits, and the atmosphere becomes livelier but never crowded.
Local Insider Tip: "Bring your own small thermos if you want to take kahwa back to your hotel. Ghulam will fill it for 100 rupees, and the tea stays hot for hours because of the samovar's design. Most tourists do not think to ask, but he is happy to do it."
The connection between these stalls and Gulmarg's history is direct. The Maharani Temple was built for Maharani Mohini Bai Sisodia, and the families living along this lane have served tea to pilgrims and visitors for generations. This is not a cafe in any modern sense. It is a living piece of Gulmarg's social fabric, and it will probably outlast every commercial establishment on the main road.
2. Zaika Restaurant and the Back Garden Seating
Zaika is technically a restaurant on the main Gulmarg Road, about 200 meters before the Gondola base station when approaching from the Tangmarg side. Most tourists walk past it because the front facade is unremarkable, a flat concrete building with a faded green awning. I ate here four times during my last visit, and only on the third visit did I discover the back garden.
Behind the main dining room, through a narrow corridor that smells faintly of cedar wood, there is a small enclosed garden with four tables under a tin roof. The garden faces west toward the snow peaks, and in late afternoon the light turns everything gold. This is where the staff eat their own meals, and if you ask politely, they will seat you there. The menu is the same as inside, but the experience is completely different.
Order the rogan josh, which is made with local lamb and a spice blend that includes dried Kashmiri flowers called mawal. The dish arrives in a copper bowl and is best eaten with the restaurant's freshly baked girda bread, a round leavened flatbread with a slightly chewy texture. For dessert, ask for the phirni, a ground rice pudding served chilled in small earthen cups. The total bill for a full meal rarely exceeds 600 rupees per person.
The best time to visit the back garden is between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM, when the sun is low enough to warm the space but not harsh. On clear days, you can see Nanga Parbat's distant silhouette from the garden, though this is more myth than reliable sighting.
Local Insider Tip: "Tell the waiter you want to sit in the garden before you order anything. If you sit inside first, they will not move you. Also, the kitchen closes at 8:30 PM sharp, so do not arrive late expecting a full menu."
One honest complaint: the indoor seating area gets very cold in winter because the heating is limited to a single kangri-based system near the entrance. If you are visiting between December and February, insist on the garden only if the staff has set up the portable gas heaters there, or bring extra layers.
3. The Pine View Hotel's Unmarked Ground Floor Cafe
The Pine View Hotel sits on the road that branches left from the main market toward the golf course. It is a mid-range hotel that most tourists book for its views, but almost none of them notice the small cafe on the ground floor, to the right of the reception desk. There is no sign outside advertising it. The entrance is through a wooden door that looks like it leads to a storage room.
Inside, there are six tables, a small counter with an espresso machine that looks like it was imported from Italy at least fifteen years ago, and a glass display case with pastries. The cafe is run by the hotel but is open to non-guests, a fact the hotel does not advertise. The coffee is surprisingly good, a medium-roast Arabica blend sourced from a supplier in Srinagar. They also serve a Kashmiri chai called "noon chai," the pink salted tea that is a staple of Kashmiri households. The noon chai here is made with actual green tea leaves and baking soda, which gives it the characteristic pink color, and it is served with a plate of bakarkhani, a layered flatbread with sesame seeds.
I visited this cafe on a rainy Tuesday afternoon when the rest of Gulmarg was fogged in and every other place felt closed off. The cafe was warm, the espresso machine was hissing, and the only other customer was a retired army colonel who told me he had been coming here for twelve years. The total for a coffee and bakarkhani was 250 rupees.
Local Insider Tip: "Ask for the 'special toast' even though it is not on the menu. It is a thick slice of local bread, toasted on the tawa with butter and a sprinkle of sugar. The staff knows about it, and it costs 60 rupees. It is the best thing to eat when the weather turns."
The Pine View Hotel itself has been operating since the early 1990s, and the cafe reflects a time when Gulmarg's hospitality was aimed at Indian tourists and army families rather than international visitors. The espresso machine is a relic of that era, a small act of ambition in a town where instant coffee was the norm.
4. The Golf Club Canteen
The Gulmarg Golf Club is one of the highest green golf courses in the world, and it is a beautiful place to walk around even if you have no interest in golf. What most tourists do not realize is that the club has a small canteen inside the main clubhouse building, accessible through a side entrance that does not require a golf membership. The canteen is primarily for club members and staff, but the attendant will serve anyone who walks in and asks.
The menu is simple: maggi noodles, omelets, boiled eggs, chai, and sometimes a vegetable pulao if the cook is in the mood. The chai is strong, brewed with loose-leaf tea and plenty of sugar, and it comes in steel tumblers. The omelet is made with three eggs and chopped green chilies, served with two slices of white bread. The whole meal costs under 150 rupees.
I went here on a Saturday morning after walking the golf course perimeter, and the canteen was nearly empty. The attendant, a young man named Irfan, told me that the canteen used to serve full Kashmiri wazwan meals on weekends until a few years ago, but the cook who knew the recipes moved to Srinagar. He said they might bring it back, but he was not sure when.
Local Insider Tip: "Go on a weekday morning before 11:00 AM. The canteen is quietest then, and the cook is more likely to make something special if you ask nicely. On weekends, golf tournaments bring crowds, and the maggi is the only thing available."
The golf course was originally laid out by the British in 1890-91 as a summer retreat, and the clubhouse dates to the colonial era. The canteen, with its steel tumblers and no-frills menu, feels like a holdover from the days when Gulmarg was a quiet hill station for officers and their families.
5. The Tangmarg Road Dhaba Clusters
The road from Tangmarg to Gulmarg is about 15 kilometers long, and along it you will find a series of dhabas, small roadside eateries that cater to taxi drivers, truckers, and local commuters. Most tourists in Gulmarg never drive this road themselves because they arrive by hired cab from Srinagar and the driver does not stop. But if you walk or cycle down the road toward Tangmarg, especially in the morning, you will find these dhabas serving some of the freshest food in the region.
The one I recommend most is about 3 kilometers from Gulmarg, on the right side of the road as you descend toward Tangmarg. It has no formal name, but it is recognizable by the blue tarpaulin roof and the row of parked trucks outside. The specialty here is rajma chawal, kidney beans slow-cooked in a tomato-based gravy and served with steamed rice. The beans are sourced from local farms in the Tangmarg area, and the dish has a depth of flavor that the versions in Srinagar rarely match. A full plate costs 120 rupees.
The dhaba also serves a morning special of halwa puri, a sweet semolina halwa with deep-fried bread, which is available only until about 9:30 AM. I arrived at 8:00 AM on my visit and found a group of taxi drivers eating together, and they waved me over to share their table without being asked.
Local Insider Tip: "Carry hand sanitizer and your own water bottle. The dhaba has basic facilities, and the single tap outside is the only washing station. Also, the rajma sells out by 1:00 PM, so do not go in the afternoon expecting it."
These dhabas are part of Gulmarg's working infrastructure, the food system that keeps the town running while tourists eat at hotels. They connect Gulmarg to the broader food culture of the Kashmir Valley, where roadside eating is a tradition that predates the tourism industry by centuries.
6. The Khilanmarg Trailhead Tea Seller
If you trek toward Khilanmarg, the high-altitude meadow above Gulmarg, you will pass through a forested trail that starts near the Gondola's second stage. About 2 kilometers into the trail, there is a small clearing where a tea seller sets up a portable stove and a few plastic chairs. He is there most days between April and November, weather permitting, and he sells chai, boiled eggs, and sometimes biscuits.
The tea is basic but restorative, black tea with sugar and sometimes a cardamom pod, served in small glasses. The price is 30 rupees per glass, which is remarkable given that he carries everything up the trail on his back. I met him on a cold morning in late September when the trail was muddy and I was regretting my decision to trek without proper boots. His tea was the only warm thing I encountered for an hour in either direction.
The best time to encounter him is between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. In the early morning, he has not yet set up, and by late afternoon he has usually packed up and headed back down. On rainy days, he is not there at all.
Local Insider Tip: "Bring exact change. He carries very little cash and cannot break large notes. Also, if you are trekking to Khilanmarg and back, stop on the way up for the tea and on the way down for the boiled eggs. The eggs taste better when you are exhausted and descending."
This tea seller represents the informal economy that supports Gulmarg's trekking culture. He is not listed on any map, and his "cafe" exists only because enough trekkers pass by to make it worthwhile. It is one of the most off the beaten path cafes Gulmarg has to offer, precisely because it requires effort to reach.
7. The Old Market Bakeries Near Zero Point
The main market in Gulmarg is small, just a single lane of shops near the Gondola base station. But if you walk to the far end of the market, toward the direction locals call "Zero Point" (the end of the motorable road), you will find two or three small bakeries that are easy to miss because their storefronts are narrow and their signage is in Urdu script only.
The best of these, in my experience, is the one closest to the army checkpoint at Zero Point. It sells fresh bakarkhani, a crisp layered flatbread, and a cookie called "shirmal" that is slightly sweet and flavored with saffron. The bakarkhani costs 20 rupees per piece and is best eaten within an hour of purchase, when the layers are still flaky. The shirmal is 15 rupees and pairs well with kahwa.
I discovered this bakery by following the smell of baking bread one evening at sunset. The baker, an older man with a white beard, was pulling trays from a wood-fired oven, and the heat from the oven warmed the entire shop. He spoke limited Hindi but gestured for me to sit on the wooden bench inside and brought me a piece of bakarkhani without my asking.
Local Insider Tip: "Go in the late afternoon, around 4:00 PM, when the second batch of bakarkhani comes out of the oven. The first batch, ready by 10:00 AM, is good but the second batch is always crispier because the oven has been running all day and the temperature is more consistent."
These bakeries are a direct link to Gulmarg's pre-tourism past, when the town's food economy was built around feeding local residents and the small military garrison. The wood-fired ovens, the Urdu signage, the absence of English menus, all of it speaks to a Gulmarg that exists beneath the surface of the ski resort and the Gondola.
8. The St. Mary's Hill Verandah
St. Mary's Church is one of Gulmarg's most recognizable landmarks, a small stone church built in 1902 during the British colonial period, located on a hill above the main market. The church itself is often locked, but the verandah in front of it is always open, and on most days you will find a local vendor selling chai and snacks from a small cart nearby.
The chai here is ordinary, but the setting is extraordinary. From the verandah, you have a panoramic view of the entire Gulmarg valley, the golf course, the snow peaks, and on clear days, the distant ridgeline of the Himalayas. I spent an entire afternoon here once, drinking cup after cup of chai and watching the clouds move across the valley. The vendor charged me 25 rupees per cup and never rushed me to leave.
The best time to visit is mid-morning, between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM, when the light is clear and the views are unobstructed. By afternoon, clouds often roll in and obscure the peaks. In winter, the verandah is sometimes snow-covered and inaccessible, so check conditions before walking up.
Local Insider Tip: "Bring a pair of binoculars if you have them. From the verandah, you can see the wildlife on the opposite hillside, including Himalayan marmots in summer. The vendor has seen them countless times and can point out where they usually appear."
St. Mary's Church was built by the British as part of their effort to make Gulmarg feel like a home away from home, and the verandah has been a gathering place for over a century. The chai vendor is a modern addition, but the act of sitting here with a warm drink and looking out over the valley connects you to every visitor who has done the same since 1902.
When to Go and What to Know
Gulmarg's cafe and tea culture is seasonal in ways that affect what is available and when. From April to October, most of the places described above are operational, though the Khilanmarg trailhead tea seller and the Tangmarg Road dhabas may close during heavy rain. From November to March, Gulmarg transforms into a ski destination, and many small establishments reduce their hours or close entirely. The Pine View Hotel cafe and Zaika remain open year-round, but the outdoor seating options disappear under snow.
Power outages are common in Gulmarg, especially in winter, and they affect cafes and restaurants as well as hotels. Places that rely on electric espresso machines or refrigerators may have limited menus during outages. Carry a power bank for your devices, and do not depend on any cafe having reliable Wi-Fi.
Cash is essential. Very few of the smaller establishments accept digital payments or cards. ATMs in Gulmarg are unreliable, so withdraw cash in Srinagar before making the 51-kilometer drive. The drive itself takes about 2 hours from Srinagar and passes through Tangmarg, where the road narrows and the pine forests begin.
The best months for exploring Gulmarg's food scene are May, June, September, and early October. July and August bring monsoon rains that can trigger landslides on the Srinagar-Gulmarg road, and the trails become slippery. December through February is ski season, and the town fills with tourists who are focused on snow sports rather than cafe-hopping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there good 24/7 or late-night co-working spaces available in Gulmarg?
Gulmarg does not have any dedicated 24/7 or late-night co-working spaces. The town's infrastructure is oriented toward tourism and seasonal recreation, not remote work. Most hotels offer Wi-Fi in their lobbies, but connectivity is inconsistent after 10:00 PM due to power fluctuations. A few hotels near the main market may allow guests to use their lounge areas late into the evening, but this is at the discretion of the management and not a formal service.
What is the safest and most reliable way to get around Gulmarg as a solo traveler?
Walking is the safest and most practical way to get around Gulmarg's central area, which is compact enough to cover on foot within 15 to 20 minutes from one end to the other. For longer distances, such as the road to Tangmarg or the trek to Khilanmarg, hiring a local guide or shared taxi is recommended. Shared taxis operate between Gulmarg and Tangmarg throughout the day, departing when they fill up, and the fare is approximately 50 to 80 rupees per person. Solo travelers should avoid trekking alone on unmarked trails above the tree line.
How easy is it to find cafes with ample charging sockets and reliable power backups in Gulmarg?
It is difficult. Most of the smaller cafes and tea stalls in Gulmarg have limited electrical infrastructure, with one or two sockets at most, and power backups are typically small inverters that last 1 to 2 hours during outages. The Pine View Hotel cafe and Zaika are among the more reliable options for charging devices, but even these can be affected during extended outages in winter. Travelers should carry a fully charged power bank rated at least 10,000 mAh.
What are the average internet download and upload speeds in Gulmarg's central cafes and workspaces?
Internet speeds in Gulmarg are significantly lower than in Srinagar or other urban centers in India. Based on tests conducted at multiple locations in the main market area, average download speeds range from 2 to 5 Mbps on a good day, with upload speeds between 0.5 and 1.5 Mbps. During peak tourist season or heavy snowfall, speeds can drop below 1 Mbps or disconnect entirely for hours. BSNL and Airtel are the most widely available networks, with BSNL generally performing better in the higher-altitude areas around Gulmarg.
What is the most reliable neighborhood in Gulmarg for digital nomads and remote workers?
The main market area, centered around the Gondola base station and the road toward the golf course, is the most reliable neighborhood for basic connectivity and access to food. Hotels in this zone tend to have the most stable Wi-Fi, and the concentration of cafes and restaurants means alternatives are within walking distance. However, Gulmarg as a whole is not well-suited for digital nomads who require consistent high-speed internet for video calls or large file transfers. For extended remote work stays, Srinagar, 51 kilometers away, offers significantly better infrastructure.
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