Jaipur: Not Centrally Located, But Highly Recommended If Visiting The Pink City

Rampura Kothi

A-59, Vashisth Marg, 
Hanuman Nagar, Vaishali Nagar, 
Jaipur, Rajasthan 302021, India
Phone: +91 82909 00937
Prices: $$$$

The hosts, a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army and his son, are extremely kind, accommodating, and gracious, helping to make travel and sightseeing plans or anything else you may need assistance with.

An excellent value for the very reasonable price (1,050 Rupees or $15/night), the rooms are very clean with nice furnishings, modern fixtures, and all of the luxuries (comfortable bed, cable, flat screen TV, AC, coffee/tea maker) you would find at home. Breakfast is included with the price and eggs, toast, cereal, and coffee/tea as well as traditional savory Indian breakfast choices are available.

The best restaurant I ate at in India, Jammie's Kitchen was recommended by our hosts and is a short walk away. Jammie was executive chef at a 5-star restaurant before opening his own place, so the food is great and the prices extremely fair.

The location is on the outskirts of Jaipur, so if you want to stay near the Pink (Old) City, this location is not within walking distance. However, it is a quiet, upscale neighborhood and a 120 rupee ($2) tuk-tuk ride will get you anywhere in town.

CombatCritic Gives Rampura Kothi 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs ARe Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

"U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

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Title: Jaipur, India: Not Centrally Located, But Highly Recommended If Visiting The Pink City

Key Words: Rampura Kothi, rampura, kothi, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India, hotel, guest house, guest, house, bed, breakfast, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, review, Yelp, Zomato

Pushkar: Great Breakfast, Reasonable Prices, Great View ... Excellent Advice!

Laura's Cafe
Main Market Road
Opp Jhulelal Ghat
Pushkar 305022, India
Phone: +91 95291 05018
Prices: $$$$

A very nice place on the main street with a view of Pushkar from the rooftop terrace. Excellent service, good food, and above average value, Laura's Cafe is recommended for breakfast

My wife had the Rose Muesli (130 rupees/$2.10), handmade muesli with Pushkar rose syrup, dates, and pomegranate seeds (you CAN eat them) in a creamy yogurt (curd). It was quite exotic, delicious, and filling. I had my standard peanut butter and banana on toast. The bread was a brown (whole grain) variety, thick and tasty with the included ingredients. Their lattes are also very good and very reasonably priced, equaling some of the best coffee houses in New Delhi.

We were "scammed" by a couple of self-proclaimed Brahmin at a Hindu temple, of all places, on Pushkar Lake the day prior and we were looking (unsuccessfully) for the "tourist police" to report the culprits (I had taken a photo of one of them). The manager was quite helpful, sitting with us and empathizing with our assessment of the unsavory experience and pointing us in the right direction to make our report (the "Brahmin" was captured, detained, and forced to repay the 500 rupees ($8) he stole from my wife).

We had breakfast there two mornings and were very happy with our experiences on both occasions.

CombatCritic Gives Laura's Cafe 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... Bombs Are Good! 

Eight Bombs Equates To:

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Title: Pushkar: Great Breakfast, Reasonable Prices, Great View ... Excellent Advice!

Key Words: Laura's Cafe, Laura, cafe, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India, breakfast, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, guide, Yelp, Zomato


Translation for Civilians: WTFO! = "What-The-F*** ... Over!"

Menu

New Delhi: Superb Coffee, Fair Pasta, Excellent Value … Just Off Main Bazaar

Cafe Festa

1832 Laxmi Narain Street (Just Off Main Bazaar)

Chuna Mandi, Paharganj, New Delhi 110055, India

Phone: +91-112-358-8000

Prices: $$$$

I found Café Festa and decided to give them a try after reading numerous “rave” reviews, mostly by Americans. The restaurant is just a few blocks from the Ramakrishna Ashram Marg Metro station (opposite end from the train station) on a street just parallel to Main Bazaar. It was easy to find using Google Maps and because of the good signage in front. It has a clean, open, modern feel with a couple tables out front, a small dining area as you walk in, and a larger area downstairs. The waiters, and I use that archaic term only because there are no female servers in India as far as I can tell, speak passable English and are attentive and efficient. I was seated quickly.

The menu is thick with numerous beverage options, including coffees, teas, shakes and other local concoctions as well as vegetarian breakfasts, appetizers, pastas, pizzas, sandwiches, and Chinese dishes in addition to several savory options from India.

I was in the mood for something Italian, so I went with the spaghetti and vegetables (broccoli and olives) in a creamy garlic sauce. I thought that American restaurants unnecessarily drown their pasta in sauce, but this dish was closer to a soup than an authentic pasta dish. It was a decent size and accompanied by two pieces of what I thought to be Italian bread (by the shape), but had the consistency of Wonder Bread. The flavor was good, with a tad too much garlic, even for my taste, but could have used a lot less sauce, more broccoli, and a little more parmesan cheese. No bad.

Along with the pasta I had a Diet Coke, nearly impossible to find in Delhi along with other diet soft drinks, and a liter of water and the bill came to just under 300 rupees (about $4.80). Cheap by American standards for a decent meal in a sit-down restaurant.

Having become disenchanted with my hotel’s rooftop restaurant, I decided to try their coffee the next morning. I went for the “grande” Café Latte (95 Rupees - $1.55), an excellent value compared to Starbucks and their “regular” (80 Rupees - $1.30). The regular comes in a normal size cup and saucer, but the grande is probably twice the size with two shots of espresso. The presentation was nice with just the right foam to milk ratio and a nice leaf pattern made on top of the foam. The coffee was just hot enough not to scald the tongue and delicious. I can honestly say that I have not had a better latte in a long time, in the U.S. or in Italy for that matter.

If you are looking for a reasonably priced meal or drink in an area not abundant with clean, modern facilities, Café Festa is the place for you.

CombatCritic Gives Café Festa 7 Bombs Out of 10 … MORE BOMBS ARE BETTER!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

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Title: New Delhi, India: Superb Coffee, Fair Pasta, Excellent Value … Just Off Main Bazaar

Key Words: Cafe Festa, cafe. festa, CombatCritic, Delhi Coffee, Main Bazaar, menu, new, New Delhi, pasta, product, restaurant, review, service, Tabelog, travel, TravelValue, value, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: S&G = "Shits & Grins"