Some of the best restaurants in Hyderabad are located in the Old City, Abids and Banjara Hills.
Hyderabad is located in South India so therefore most of the restaurants in Hyderabad cater to South Indian food. South Indian food is largely vegetarian with an emphasis on small snack-like meals or large vegetarian thalis.
Hyderabad has its own distinct cuisine which is a blend of Mughlai, Turkish and Arabic along with the influence of the native Telugu and Marathwada cuisines.
The two most popular dishes in Hyderbad are Hyderabadi Biryani and Hyderabadi Haleem and you cannot leave Hyderabad without trying their specialty, Hyderabad biryani and during the festival of Ramadan, Hyderabadi haleem.
Most of the restaurants in Hyderabad are located in the Old City around Charminar, and Nampally Station Road in Abids area. If you care to go upmarket head to Banjara Hills, home of Hitec City, for some of Hyderabad’s classiest restaurants; some even overlook the waterfront and the life-size Buddha statue. Here you can find not just Indian fine dining establishments but also restaurants that cater to Continental menus featuring Mexican, Thai, Chinese, Italian and even BBQ.
Hyderabad restaurants in the Old City and Abids areas are well priced and therefore suitable for both the budget traveller as well as travellers looking for mid-range options. Here the emphasis is on good quality, affordable dining experiences however the décor and ambiance is lacking. For finer dining experiences, head to Banjara Hills where the décor and atmosphere can be soaked up in the posh and newer restaurants that cater to the well-heeled local residents. For those looking for Western cuisines or want to mix it up, Banjara Hills is the place to be.
Our pick for ‘Best value restaurant in Hyderabad’ is Hotel Shadab – located in the Old City. If you’re not too fussed about décor and ambiance and want to try some of the best Hyderabadi biryani in town this is the place to visit.
Below is a list of popular restaurants in Hyderabad.
1. Shadab Hotel Hyderabad
[singlepic id=3581 w=720 h=560 float=center]Shadab Hotel is an institution for lip-smacking Mughlai food in Hyderabad. This is the place to visit if you want to try Hyderabadi biryani at its best. During the festival of Ramadan, they also make the best haleem. If you don’t mind rubbing shoulders with the locals this is the place to visit when in Hyderabad.
2. Kamat Hotel Hyderabad
[singlepic id=3572 w=720 h=560 float=center]Kamat Hotel is well known for their delicious South Indian meals which are really delicious and cheap. This chain of South Indian restaurants has quite a few branches around Hyderabad and Secunderabad so you won’t have to travel far to find one. Duck into any branch for lunch, dinner or simply a snack.
3. Kamat Andhra Meals Hyderabad
[singlepic id=3587 w=720 h=560 float=center]Kamat Andhra Meals is an ‘all-you-can-eat’ restaurant specialising in Andhra style vegetarian thalis. Don’t be fooled by this advertisement because the food here is so unappetising that you wouldn’t want another serve of anything. The only saving grace is their desserts which isn’t saying much.
I think Nayab restaurant is also one of the oldest restaurant in Old city which serves authentic Hyderabadi cuisine.