Best Outdoor Seating Restaurants in Shillong for Dining Under Open Skies
Words by
Shraddha Tripathi
The mist rolls over Shillong's pine fringed ridges every evening around five, and that is when you start thinking about where to grab a meal outside. If you have ever sat in one of the best outdoor seating restaurants in Shillong, you know there is something different about eating under that wide cloud draped sky with a cup of hotsosped stew or a warm plate of locally smoked meat warming your hands. Eating outdoors here is not a luxury. It is part of the Khasi way of life. The British left behind the hillside layout and a love for gardens and verandahs, but the people of Shillong made alfresco dining their own by building patios over three generations around Police Bazar, Laitumkhrah, and the ridge adjoining Raj Bhavan Road.
Laitumkkrah and the Art of Late Afternoon Patio Eats in Shillong
If you want to understand how patio restaurants became a way of life in Shillong, walk through Laitumkkrah after three in the afternoon. This neighborhood just off the main Police Bazar road is where college students, government clerks, and tourists cross paths under corrugated tin and wooden tarps.
Cafe Shillong in Laitumkhrah
Right along the main Laitumkhrah market strip sits a place most people just call Cafe Shillong. Do not let the plain exterior fool you. What to Order: Pork with black sesame and chilled local mustard leaves are what regulars come for. The kitchen sources pork from nearby Mawiong market the same morning, and the preparation uses a mustard seed paste that no other cafe in Laitumkhrah replicates well. Best Time to Go: Weekday afternoons between 1 and 4 pm are ideal. On Saturdays the place fills up fast with groups cramming onto the stone slab steps outside and the two workers behind the counter cannot keep up, so expect a twenty minute wait during lunch rush. The Vibe: It feels like someone built a cafe around a conversation porch and then slowly added a kitchen. A client who used to come here every week once told me the music is always a little too loud near the side wall speakers by seven in the evening.
A local tip: ask for the table closest to the railing that faces the downhill slope. From there you can watch the entire valley settle into evening fog without anyone blocking your view. This corner also catches whatever breeze moves through, which matters on warmer days in March or April.
Ribald and the Mawpoint Hilltop Rule for Open Air Cafes in Shillong
Mawpoint is the other axis of Shillong's outdoor dining story. Locals will tell you this is the "other side" of town, meaning you get the East Khasi Hills version of that open feeling with less of the tourist foot traffic. What to Drink or Try: Cold coffee with crushed local herbs that the staff will not fully explain, just hand you a glass and say try. Best Time to Go: Monday through Thursday after 2 pm, when most office staff have returned to their desks and you get the corner bench. Insider Knowledge: Ask if the afternoon sun shifts enough to warrant moving tables. The staff here are used to it and will help you, and if you stay past six, the lamp lighting over the outdoor tables switches on and the whole terrace takes on that golden brown warmth that defines early night dining in Shillong's alfresco scene.
Police Bazar Evening Stalls and Open Seating Corners
Police Bazar is Shillong's commercial center, and the eating here evolved from street vendors who simply never bothered building permanent walls. The food courts along the main drag and the several generations old tuck shops around the MTC that circle this market have outdoor stools where you squat and eat under strung up bulbs.
Jiva's Restaurant, Jail Road
This place has a covered patio out back along Jail Road that most day trippers miss entirely because the front entrance faces inward. Local Tip: Order the smoked pork with bamboo shoots or the local Bestie's Choice platter, which is an assortment no single tourist blog has accurately described because it changes with the season. The staff knows locals by name, and that is the difference here.
Lapa's Diner at the edge of Police Bazar
The rear patio here gets the most attention because it overlooks the constant foot traffic along the market steps. What to Order: Momos, both steamed and fried, but what matters is the chutney, a bright red fermented chutney recipe that has stayed on the same shelf since 1998. Drawback: If it has rained in the last hour, that back patio floods slightly near the far drainage pipe. The staff mop but there is a standing pool of water near the seating closest to the wall.
Breakfast and the Open Skies Morning Spots along Lummawsingh and the Shillong Golf Course Area
Up near the Shillong Golf Course along Lummawsingh Road there is a cluster of open air cafes Shillong regulars cycle through every morning. The British built the golf course in 1898, and the eateries that supply the clubhouse and nearby residents carry that same long morning energy.
Cafe Diengdoh
What to Order: Sky Gabji local rice and fish with fermented beans, served until 11 am only. The kitchen closes the breakfast stoves and the staff who run the outdoor tables can be slow refilling tea after ten thirty because they are already prepping for lunch. Hidden Gem: The low wall along the far side of the patio has carvings done by the owner's father decades ago, small Khasi motifs that most customers eat beside without ever noticing.
Broadway Restaurant, Polo Ground
Just a few minutes walk from the main Polo Grounds, Broadway has been feeding clerks and power brokers since the early post independence layout of Shillong's government quarter shifted north. What to See: Order the special thali that comes with one preparation you will not get at any other open air cafes we covered, a dry pork chutney ground with anise mixed specific to Jaintia Hills suppliers. Restrooms: The only downside is that the outdoor dining area downstairs has no shade from noon onward in April and May. The upper covered section with bamboo partitions is more comfortable but loses that full open sky feel.
The Heritage and Hillside Deck Seating near Ward's Lake
Cafe Shillong Heritage
Along the road that circles past Ward's Lake there sits a low roofed place with the patio extending right up to the tree line. What to Order: Smoked trout with local herbs, the fish arrives from Umiam or Sohra depending on the season depending on who landed what, you can ask. Local Tip: Request the table furthest from the kitchen smoke stack. The open side catches the breeze off the lake and if you arrive before 10 am on a weekday, you get uninterrupted silence broken only by mynahs.
Umiam Lake Edge and the Roadside Patio Stretch
If you drive fifteen kilometers toward Umiam Lake along the Um Shyrpi stretch, several eateries with roadside patios offer rare views. What to See: Grilled fish or meat platters open for lunch. The drive itself matters. The route rolls through pine and gives a perspective on why the Khasi Hills held their ground and Special Note: The best ones do not have signs, just a tarp and a smoke trail. Between 1 and 3 pm these roadside stops serve some of the most authentic countryside flavors because several roadside stop owners still source from the same village networks that fed travelers since the road was unpaved.
When to Go and What to Know
Shillong's outdoor dining season runs strong from October through April once the monsoon rains stop hammering the hills. May through September, most open air seating sits under temporary tarps but the mist and wet stone can make Best stretch: mid November to mid March, evenings cool to about 10 to 15 degrees and you want a light jacket after sunset. Cash still matters at the roadside patios. Card acceptance in Laitumkhrah and Mawpoint has improved but Police Bazar stalls and the roadside Umiam patios often take cash only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any specific dress codes or cultural etiquettes to keep in mind when visiting local spots in Shillong?
Shillong is relatively relaxed, but most outdoor and indoor eateries expect modest clothing, and some Khasi run establishments appreciate if women avoid short shorts or revealing tops. When sitting at roadside patios, it is considered polite to greet the server or owner with "Khublei" (thank you in Khasi) before ordering. Removing shoes inside any establishment that has a covered interior section is uncommon, but wiping muddy footwear before stepping onto raised bamboo decking is always noticed and respected.
What is the one must-try local specialty food or drink that Shillong is famous for?
Jadoh, a Khasi style turmeric rice preparation usually made with pork or chicken, is the single dish most associated with Shillong and the broader Khasi Hills. Kyat, the local rice beer served informally at some roadside spots around Mawpoint and the umiam Lake road, carries significant cultural weight and is often shared communally during celebrations. If you sit at any outdoor eatery in Laitumkhrah and ask the server what is freshest from the morning market, half the time the answer involves Jadoh or a smoked meat that was hanging over coals since dawn.
Is Shillong expensive to visit? Give a realistic daily budget breakdown for mid-tier travelers?
A mid tier daily budget for Shillong, excluding accommodation, runs about 1,500 to 2,500 INR per person, covering two meals at outdoor restaurants, local transport by shared taxi or cab, and a few small incidentals. A full meal at a patio restaurant in Laitumkhrah or Police Bazar costs between 250 and 500 INR per person including a drink. Staying in a guest house or homestay in the 800 to 1,500 INR range per night is still available if you book a week ahead for stays along Laitumkhrah or Rochyndor Road, but prices spike 30 percent during the Christmas to New Year stretch and the Autumn Festival in October.
Is the tap water in Shillong safe to drink, or should travelers strictly rely on filtered water options?
Most restaurants and hotels in Shillong provide filtered or RO treated water, and you should specifically ask for filtered water at roadside patios where the supply chain may shift between rain and tap depending on the location. Carrying a personal bottle and refilling at establishments in Laitumkhrah or Police Bazar is standard practice, and the handful of open air cafes with visible water filtration setups are generally safer choices than drinks at the smaller roadside tarps.
How easy is it to find pure vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based dining options in Shillong?
Vegetarian options are available at most outdoor establishments in Shillong, since Khasi cuisine includes several preparations built around local greens, rice, and fermented soybean, though vegan options require you to ask specifically about the use of animal fat in cooking. Jiva's and several Police Bazar listed cafes mark vegetarian items on the menu. Pure vegan dining is still limited to maybe two or three dedicated setups in the Laitumkhrah and Police Bazar area, and at most outdoor restaurants you will need to confirm that vegetable dishes are not finished with any dairy or pork based fat.
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