Poorvi Singhal

Planning a date isn’t always easy – whether it’s the first one or the hundredth, especially if your girlfriend (or boyfriend!) happens to be a picky eater. But oh, to be in love in Jaipur. The city absolutely aces the date night. A bit on the nose, actually, since it’s called the Pink City, and a big reason behind that’s the city’s ties to royalty. Eating out’s a lavish affair: silver thaalis, never-ending courses, and candlelight being swapped out for actual flaming torches. It’s romantic even if you’re dining solo – you’re probably going to walk away cursing your mum and dad, feeling like you ought to have been born royal yourself.  But the city’s also (obviously) always on the move – with newer restaurants that are, slowly but consciously, choosing to do exactly the opposite of Indian maximalism: experimental bars that deliver on design, serve up elevated classics (think aloo tikki with parmesan cheese) and cheekily named drinks to match. And date night means different things to everyone, right? So we’ve taken it upon ourselves to round up the city’s best, most romantic restaurants – and look on the bright side. If your date’s boring, the food and drinks’ll make up for it. 

Are you a history nut? Enjoy romance? Fond of nursing the conviction that you were born royal in another life? You’ve got to go to 1135 AD. Not only is it housed inside the legendary Amer Fort, but it’s also not one of those restaurants that go big on decor only to skimp on food. It’s one of the few places that can say they’re able to deliver on almost every count of what makes a dining experience perfect.  The drive up to the restaurant is on the same winding road that takes tourists up to the fort. It’s a great drive in the day, and plenty a tour operator or cabbie’ll happily take you up the hill, but at night, the lane feels serpentine, secluded, with the lights of Jaipur city growing fainter as you climb, and the view of the glittering fort rising up out of the night to greet you.  Once you’re inside, you’re treated to a royal welcome – with a flower shower, red carpet, and even bespoke table decorations available on request, making it one of the best restaurants in Jaipur for special occasions – anniversaries, date nights, proposals, you name it. You can dine in the open-air courtyard on a clear, pleasant night, or retire indoors to the frescoed Suvarna Mahal or mirrored Sheesh Mahal. Everywhere you look, you’ll be greeted with hundreds of candles, flambeaux, and bits and bobs of the fort left over from centuries ago. The ambience feels languidly rich. The service is par excellence. And the food… The food – North Indian – is indulgent and rich, in the best way. The Kesar

A designer, a curator, and a restaurateur walk into a bar, and....no. Wait. They create the bar, along with the city's slickest Italian restaurant, where drink, design, and dining compete to see which one gets noticed first. Trevi gets its name from Rome’s ridiculously famous fountain (and features one of its own, unseriously encouraging the whole coin bit) and 1932’s when the owner purchased the land on which the family-run hotel Santha Bagh was built, which is now where the restaurant resides.  Founder Namokar Jain's behind some of Jaipur's finest nightlife spots, so Trevi's backed by his hefty reputation, which sings – no, screams – through the craft cocktails and Italian menu, which has been admittedly watered down to better suit the Indian palate. We're not really complaining about that, though, because it works.  The drinks at Trevi – served at the Omakase-style low-slung bar – are named after the gemstones often worn by the maharajas of Jaipur. Coral Reef's a spicy tomato mix full of masala and tequila; Cat's Eye's a hazelnut-Irish cream affair, and the signature 1932's a play on a whiskey sour, featuring bourbon and lemon bitters. They're all pretty great.  The menu's got plenty of impressive items – The Avocado Galouti Kabab with the little Warki paranthas, Jackfruit Korma Tacos, Honey Chipotle Chicken Tikka and Dates Lamb Chops make for solid starters. The Ricotta and Chicken Candy Pasta, spicy Lamb Diavola pizza, Mutton Seekh Kebab, Cacio e Pepe and Laal Maas are b

Once Upon a Time at The Bagh, frankly, is Jaipur showing off. It’s Jaipur’s idea of foreplay. Actually, it’s the sort of restaurant you have to go to for the heck of it.  Fondly referred to as just ‘The Bagh’ by locals, the restaurant’s working with a pretty simple idea: a good menu that acts like the cherry on top of on top of what’s quite obviously the showpiece, which is the venue. The restaurant squats inside the 18th-century Vidhyadhar Ji Ka Bagh, named after Jaipur’s chief architect. It’s the whole hog. You’re wowed at every instance, from the moment you walk in through the long, vast pathway, bordering stepwells, lawns, and fountains, framed with arches around the main courtyard. You’re wowed a second time when you reach the lawn, because you’re met with a spectacularly good view of the Aravali hills. The outdoor seating is place to be, obviously, with tables spaced out in a way that you can talk without being eavesdropped on, all lit with just the one candle. There’s also the fairly exquisite Neela Mahal – the indoor seating – which is a room done in blue and white, offset by chandeliers.  I’ve blathered on enough about the decor. Let’s get on with the food. The menu pretends to be multi-cuisine but everyone knows it’s the North Indian that counts, so: creamy curries, charred tikkas, green chutney, naans that arrive quickly and disappear even faster. Crispy corn does the job of bar snack, the Shakahari Platter is a vegetarian free-for-all, and meat eaters love the Leh