11 of the Best Street Foods in Lucknow

The street foods of Lucknow are as grand as the city’s rich heritage. The Nawabs were not just patrons of literature and music, but also great gourmets when it came to their choice of food. Biryanis, kebabs and the array of lip-smacking dishes the city has to offer is a clear reflection of their rich taste. Of the various street food hubs in Lucknow, the Chowk Bazaar area tops the list.
Lucknow Street Food


Kebab – A Minced Meat Delicacy

Kebab Lucknow Street Food

An authentic and ancient delicacy of Lucknow, kebab is a crispy, smoky dish, made from minced meat, mostly prepared through the process of grilling or barbequing. More than 150 spices were used in the preparation of the traditional kebabs. Though so many ingredients may not be used at present, you could still find an assortment of ginger, garlic, yogurt, cardamoms, chili powder, and cinnamon.

Varieties: Galouti kebab (patties-shaped kebab with a buttery taste, deriving its name from ‘gala’, meaning soft, which is mainly because of papaya used as its primary ingredients); boti kebab (small sized kebabs); kakori kebab (named after its place of origination); patili kebab (patili stands for the round-shaped brass or copper utensil the kebab is cooked in); shaami kebab (minced meat patty also prepared with eggs, chickpeas, and several spices)

Best places to get it:

Tunday (meaning handicapped as its owner Haji Murad Ali was paralyzed and prepared kebab using one hand only) in the Chowk area. Take care to go for the original shop as there have been many copies of the name ‘Tunday’. Dastarkhwan, Hazratganj (famous for seekh kebabs); Naushijaan, Lalbagh are the other popular shops selling kebabs.

Approximate cost:

Rs 80 (4 pieces of Galouti kebab); Rs 60 (2 pieces of seekh kebab); Rs 40-60 (2 pieces of shammi kebab)

Kulcha and Nihari – A Flatbread-Chicken Stew Combo

Kulcha and Nihari Non Veg Street Food in Lucknow

A blend of kulcha (soft flatbread) and thick, tasty chicken stew (nihari), it is of great popularity in Lucknow, serving as a perfect breakfast dish for most localites.


Best places to get it:

Rahim, Akbar Gate, Chowk Bazaar (a 125- year-old outlet, open from 8 am to 11 pm)

Approximate cost:

Rs 15-20 (Kulcha); Rs 50-60 (half plate Nihari)



Nimish – A Delicious Milk-Based Dessert

Nimish Street Food of Lucknow

Also known by the names makhan malai, lab-e-mashook, and daulat ki chaat, nimish is a milky, fluffy, creamy dessert, topped with pistachios, and saffron, mainly available in winters. Nimish, originating in Persia was traditionally prepared from horse milk, while its Indian variant, makhan malai, had cow milk as its main ingredient, though they are sometimes considered synonymous.

You would also be able to get a taste of nimish in its liquefied form in the cold winter evenings, when the vendors serve it into a large glass, calling it doodh (milk).


Best places to get it:

The lanes of the Chowk area

Approximate cost:

Rs 40, while the doodh costs about Rs 10



Lucknawi Chaat – A Spicy Savory Snack

Chaat Vegetarian Street Food in Lucknow

Like most other Indian cities, Lucknow too boasts of an array of chat (savory snack) delicacies.  An amalgamation of spicy and tangy flavors, they are mostly made with white peas, mashed potatoes, crispy wafers, fritters, and tamarind sauce.

Varieties: Matar ki chaat or matara (a crispy savory made from boiled white peas seasoned with lemon juice, spices, and a dash of ginger); aloo tikki (patty made of mashed potatoes and topped with spices, onion, coriander and a tamarind dip); dahi aloo tikki (potato patty, garnished with curd and tamarind sauce); basket or tokri chaat (crispy baskets made by frying grated potatoes, filled with potato croquets, papri or crispy wafers, bhalle or lentil fritters); aloo chaat (a potato snack)

Best places to get it:

Jain Chat, Lalbagh; Shukla Chaat House, Hazratganj; Chhappan Bhog, Sadar Baazar; Pandit Chat Corner, Charbagh

Approximate cost:

Rs 20-40 (Aloo tikki); Rs 80-90 (Tokri chat); Rs 35-40 (Matar ki chat); Rs 15-25 (Aloo chat)



Malai Ki Gilori – Triangular Milk Cream Dessert

Malai Ki Gilori Best Street Food in Lucknow

A soft sweet dessert folded in the shape of a paan, made from dry fruits, mishri (sugar candy), and khoa (a whole milk product), wrapped in layers of malai (milk cream), that would simply melt in your mouth.


Best places to get it:

Ram Asrey, Hazratganj

Approximate cost:

Rs 15-20 (per piece)



Biryani – A Spicy Rice Dish

Biryani Lucknow Famous Street Food

Lucknow has always stood out in its unique way of cooking biryani, with the rice being prepared separately along with a host of spices and the marinated chicken added afterward.

VarietiesChicken biryani; mutton biryani

Best places to get it:

Wahid biryani, Aminabad; Idris biryani, Raja Bazar, Chowk; Lalla biryani, Chaupatiyan Chowk

Approximate cost:

Chicken Biryani (Rs 60-80 for half plate); Mutton biryani (Rs 90-100 for half plate)



Thandai – An Indian Iced Beverage

Thandai Street Food Lucknow

Thandai, a cool creamy drink, comes as a great relief during summer time. Having thickened milk as its base, the other ingredients used include sweeteners, almond, fennel seeds, and black pepper. Often served as a beverage to guests, it is also one of the popular drinks during festivals.

Varieties: Plain thandai; bhang thandai (similar to thandai, with the bhang or cannabis leaf concentrate being an addition)

Best places to get it:

Pandit Raja, Kasturba Market, Chowk

Approximate cost:

Rs 35-40 (big); Rs 30-35 (small)



Khasta Kachori-Sabzi – Fried Flatbread with a Delicious Curry

Khasta Kachori Good Street Food Lucknow

Besides kulcha-nihari, khasta kachori and sabzi is also another sought-after breakfast item. Crispy to taste, it is mostly teamed with a piping hot potato or chickpea curry.


Best places to get it:

Ratti lal, Latouche Road, Lalbagh; Bajpayee Kachodi Bhandar, Hazratganj

Approximate cost:

Rs 20-25 per plate



Sheermal – A Flatbread Baked Dessert

Sheermal Popular Lucknow Street Food

Sheermal has sweetened milk (sheer meaning milk) as its main ingredient, alongside flour and saffron. It was a dish of the aristocrats in the ancient time, though presently it is sold on the streets of Lucknow like hot cake, particularly during the auspicious occasion of Ramadan. Prepared in an oven or tandoor, sheermal is often teamed with kebabs or nihari for a sweet and spicy fusion.

Varieties: Regular sheermal; baqarkhani sheermal (larger than the regular one, popular in weddings); hazri sheermal (thin variety, mostly eaten in Ramadan); zafrani sheermal (the richest of the four, mostly flavored with saffron)

Best places to get it:

Ali Husain Sheermal Wale, Nakhas Police Chowki; Maroof Kabab Sheermal Center, Khadra

Approximate cost:

Rs 10 for one regular sheermal



Kulfi – A Cool Frozen Dessert

Kulfi Lucknow Street Food

Kulfi, a kind of frozen ice-cream, originating during the Mughal era, is one of the famous desserts of Lucknow. Having milk as its main ingredient, it is further garnished with pistachios, saffron, nuts, and cardamom.

Varieties: Regular kulfi; fruit kulfi; falooda kulfi (topped with falooda or vermicelli noodles)

Best places to get it:

Prakash ki Kulfi, Aminabad; Royal Café, Gomti Nagar; Moti Mahal, Hazratganj; Neelkanth Sweets, Gomti Nagar

Approximate cost:

Rs 70-80 (Full plate)



Lucknawi Paan – Betel Leaf- Areca Nut Preparation

Paan Street Food At Lucknow

Though you would find paan anywhere in India, Lucknawi paan comes with an added flavor all because of the rich ingredients it comprises of like saffron, cherries, cardamom, fennel seeds, dry coconut, gulkand (sweet preserve made of rose petals), murabba (sweet fruit preserve), raisins and much more.

Varieties: Meetha paan (sweet flavored); zafrani meetha pan (flavored with saffron); pistai paan (with pistachio); khatta meetha paan (sweet and sour flavor)

Best places to get it:

Azhar Bhai Ka Shahi Pan Shop, Akbari Gate, Chowk

Approximate cost:

Rs 10-15 (minimum, which would increase according to the varieties)


With so much to offer, you would be in for a perfect treat the next time you visit the streets of Lucknow. Besides the significant ones mentioned above, you could satisfy the gourmet in you by tasting other snacks and savories like samosa complemented with a cup of steaming hot tea, buttered buns, dahi vada (fried snack dipped in curd), gol-gappas, varieties of sweets – the list are endless.

Last reviewedJune 4th 2018
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