For winter food in Srinagar, go to the old city's harissa shops for breakfast, and to the long-running Wazwan restaurants on Residency Road and the Boulevard for lunch or dinner. Harissa, the slow-cooked mutton and rice dish, is only made in the cold months, roughly mid-October to March, and the oldest shops are in Aali Kadal, Fateh Kadal and Maisuma. Our own favourite harissa stop is Dilshad Restaurant near Lal Chowk. We don't have a restaurant reel of our own yet. The closest is our September reel of a UAE guest we took straight from the airport to a Kashmiri wedding for Wazwan.
Watch it on our Instagram: our UAE guest's first Wazwan at a Kashmiri wedding (19 Sep 2026)
This list sticks to places with a long, documented record. We've left out anything we couldn't check, and we haven't quoted menu prices, because they change.
Where to eat in Srinagar in winter: quick list
| What | Where | When to go |
|---|---|---|
| Harissa, the old way | Family harissa shops in Aali Kadal and Fateh Kadal (Downtown) | Early morning, from mid-October to March |
| Harissa later in the day | Shops and restaurants in Maisuma; some Downtown restaurants now serve it too | Morning is still best |
| Harissa (our pick) | Dilshad Restaurant, Red Cross Road, Maisuma / Lal Chowk | Early morning in winter |
| Wazwan, sit-down | Ahdoos and Mughal Darbar, Residency Road | Lunch or dinner |
| Wazwan near the lake | Shamyana, Boulevard Road | Dinner after a shikara |
| Wazwan dishes for two | Stream (serves Wazwan dishes à la carte) | Lunch or dinner |
Harissa: the winter breakfast
Harissa is mutton and rice cooked overnight with Kashmiri spices until it turns into a smooth paste, served hot with oil poured on top and usually a kandur bread on the side. A Fateh Kadal vendor told Greater Kashmir it takes almost 10 hours, cooked through the night in clay pots over firewood, so it's ready at dawn. Locals queue after the morning prayer, so go early or it sells out.
Aali Kadal
Ghulam Mohammad Bhat and his son Zahoor Ahmad Bhat run a harissa shop in Aali Kadal that their family set up about 200 years ago, The Kashmir Walla reported. Regulars sometimes wait two or three days for an order.
Fateh Kadal
Kaka's Harissa, opposite the Baba Karim Sahib masjid in Fateh Kadal, is one of the oldest harissa shops in Downtown, Greater Kashmir reported. The owner, Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, said the family still uses the recipe his elders taught them a century ago.
Maisuma and Lal Chowk
Maisuma has popular harissa shops too, and is easier to reach from Lal Chowk. In November 2025, Greater Kashmir reported old shops in Fateh Kadal, Aali Kadal and Maisuma reopening from mid-October, with one vendor saying they serve harissa every winter until March.
Dilshad Restaurant (our pick)
Dilshad Restaurant on Red Cross Road, Maisuma (opposite J&K Bank, near Lal Chowk) is the Etios team's own favourite for winter harissa. It is a long-running Kashmiri eatery known for mutton harissa: a Hindustan Times winter feature described it as a multi-decade Lal Chowk institution that serves harissa as its winter breakfast, slow-cooked overnight and eaten with Kashmiri roti, often with kebab garnish. Zomato lists the same Red Cross Road / Maisuma address. Go early; locals queue in the cold months.
How we'd do it: a driver drops you near Lal Chowk early for Dilshad or another Maisuma shop, or into Downtown for Aali Kadal / Fateh Kadal. Downtown lanes are narrow and busy, so we park and you walk the last bit.
Wazwan restaurants in Srinagar
A real Wazwan is a wedding feast. Restaurants serve a shorter version, which is the easy way for visitors to try it. Our Kashmiri Wazwan guide explains the dishes (rista, rogan josh, gushtaba) and the trami, and our wedding Wazwan post tells the story behind the reel above.
- Ahdoos, Residency Road: one of Srinagar's best-known heritage restaurants for Wazwan.
- Mughal Darbar, Residency Road: a walk-in Wazwan place with a full trami and individual dishes on its own menu.
- Shamyana, Boulevard Road: handy for a lake-side evening.
- Stream: serves Wazwan dishes à la carte, which suits couples who don't want a full trami.
Vegetarian or Jain? Wazwan is a meat feast, but Kashmiri food has good vegetarian dishes too, like dum aloo, haak and nadru. Tell us when you book and we'll plan meals with your hotel.
Winter drinks and small things to try
- Kahwa: green tea with saffron, cardamom and almonds. Every houseboat and hotel will make it.
- Noon chai: the pink salt tea Kashmiris drink with bread from the local kandur in the morning.
- Bread from the kandur: girda and lavasa, best bought fresh in the morning.
Tips for eating out in Srinagar in winter
- Harissa is a morning dish. By noon the best shops are usually done.
- Winter days are short. Plan dinner early, especially in Chillai Kalan (21 December to 31 January).
- Ramadan in 2027 is expected to start in early February, and some places change hours then.
- Carry some cash for small shops, even though most restaurants take UPI.
FAQ
Where can I eat harissa in Srinagar?
In the old city: family shops in Aali Kadal and Fateh Kadal, shops in Maisuma, and Dilshad Restaurant on Red Cross Road near Lal Chowk (our pick). Go early in the morning between mid-October and March.
Which is the best restaurant in Srinagar for Wazwan?
Ahdoos and Mughal Darbar on Residency Road are the best-known sit-down choices. For a smaller order for two, Stream serves Wazwan dishes à la carte.
Is harissa available all year?
No. It's a winter dish, usually from mid-October to March.
Plan your food days with us
Tell us what you like to eat and we'll build it into your Srinagar days, with an early harissa morning and a Wazwan dinner. See our Kashmir winter packages, or WhatsApp +91 70060 85655, call +91 70060 85655 or +91 95960 44418, or email enquiry@traveletioskashmir.com. Travel Etios Kashmir, Pantha Chowk, Srinagar, 5.0★ from 155 Google reviews.
