Embarking on a food trail in Lucknow is one of the most satisfying gastronomical experiences in India. The City of Nawabs has been attracting food connoisseurs from across the country, thanks to its Awadhi delights. Over the last decade, numerous chic cafes and bakeries have sprung up in Lucknow to cater to the city’s urban youth. By Karan Kaushik
Here are the most gram-worthy aesthetic cafes in Lucknow
Cappuccino Blast
Coffee lovers can’t afford to miss this vintage-themed café. The entryway is so beautifully decorated with plants and lights you’d feel like walking into a posh wedding. The floral wall décor makes for a perfect selfie corner. On their menu is a wide array of hot and cold coffees, juices, coolers, teas, shakes, and sodas. For munchies, they serve everything from sandwiches and pizzas to burgers and rolls. Their puddings and sundaes are super yum too.
The Hazelnut Factory
Perhaps the most popular of them all, THF is the best choice for those with a sweet tooth. They serve pastries, cakes, wraps, shakes, cookies, sweets, doughnuts, puffs, pizza, pasta, ice cream, coffee, and much more. Their chocolate cakes and pastries are a must-try. On the aesthetics front, the café features classic blue interiors. The tastefully embellished tan walls and green ceilings are instant mood lifters. The plush café offers both indoor and outdoor seating, making it perfect for all seasons.
The Fresh Factory
With its red brick European-esque exteriors and farm-to-table approach, The Fresh Factory draws conscious eaters throughout the day. They grow their own greens in a hydroponic set up right next to the café. Their salads, toasts, and pizzas are super fresh and tasty. The Power Salad on their menu is a must-try, so is their bestselling The Classic Avo Toast. If you are looking for a wholesome bowl, try out their Burmese Khow Suey Bowl or the Lebanese Bowl. Wash down your meal with their forest fresh smoothies.
Unplugged Courtyard
This casual dining restaurant in Gomti Nagar serves delectable modern Indian, continental, and Chinese. They have Turkish and European fare too. But their hero product is molecular cocktails. You will love the urban chic vibe of the place if you have a thing for laidback and relaxed ambiences. Their terrace dining area is luxuriously decadent, while still having the aura of a fun bar. Although they have a large array of cuisines to offer, if there’s one dish that you just can’t miss, it’s their Chicken Tikka.
Cafe Repertwahr
Bibliophiles, please raise your hand. This one’s exclusively for you. A café with a dedicated space for reading and a library. Sounds like a dream, right. Visit Café Repertwahr and see yourself become a patron. Redbrick walls embellished with imposing artefacts and stained-glass windows make this café instantly likeable. What adds to its charm is the gorgeous display of a great variety of plants and opulent lamps hanging from the roof. On the menu front, they serve continental, Italian, Chinese, and seafood. Must-try dishes include Lasagna, Drums of Heaven, and Sizzler.
Macaron Patisserie
This quaint little café is perfect for those romantic dates with your special one. Located in the heart of the city in the bustling Hazratganj, Macaron is a favourite among Lucknowites. Everyone falls for the bohemian interiors of this Victorian-inspired patisserie. Their pastries and cakes are excellent, especially their floral cakes. Therefore, the interiors also feature a floral theme, with walls decorated with fresh flowers and floral-scented candles. Their Blueberry Cheesecake is simply heavenly. They also sell gluten-free multi-flour breads.
Butter Story
One of Lucknow’s favourite hangout spots, this oh-so-dreamy bakery in Kapoorthala will take good care of your dessert cravings. Featuring pristine white interiors and beautifully lit in a golden milieu, the bakery is a recent addition to Lucknow’s evolving dessert parlour culture. Mexican and Spanish music sets the mood just about right on a Saturday night, making it a great place to chill with your mains. Try their freshly brewed coffees with their Italian offerings after devouring your dessert.
Sugar Bake
When life gives you lemons, enjoy a lemon tart at Sugar Bake. Known for their tarts, quesadillas, berry cakes, donuts, pizzas and cakes, Sugar Bake will leave you spoilt for choice. They deliver some of the most gorgeous and intricately done cakes in the city. Their rosy interiors with green wooden windows go well with their sweetilicious offerings. They are so good when it comes to special days like Christmas and Valentine’s. So now you know where to plan your next festive eat-out.
Capoor and Sons
This interestingly-named café is a happy place to be at. With the smell of coffee in the air, the cosy café will leave you spoilt for choice. Under one roof, there’s the café, a restaurant, a banquet, and a bakery shop. So you could spend a significant amount of time with your loved ones here. They are excellent with their beverages. Must-trys include Star Wars Blue milkshake, Toblerone shake, Kitkat shake, Crunchy Oreo Shake, and Mint Mojito. Coffee lovers must order their Irish and Mocha coffees.
Vintage Machine
An all-time favourite among locals, The Vintage Machine is one of the best Italian cafes in Lucknow. Their menu features old black and white and sepia-tinted English newspaper advertisements, justifying the cafe’s name. Among their signature drinks, you must try the Kashmiri Cappuccino and Algerian Iced Latte. If you love your coffee cold, go for their Irish Coffee. For the main course, you could order Veg Canneloni and Steak Sizzlers. If you are watching calories, order their House Special salad that’s filling and yum in equal measures.
Garden Bakery
This super popular bakery will make you develop a new sweet tooth. No, really, the place is nothing less than a paradise for those who have an undying love for everything sweet. From nutty baklavas to delicious cakes, baked breads, cookies, and dry cakes, their offerings are superlative in taste and quality. Their rasmalai cake is a unique blend of modern and traditional and must be tried at least twice. Another bestseller on their menu is their KitKat cake. They also serve sandwiches, pizzas, and burgers. As far as their interiors go, their name should be enough to suggest that they love plants, which is reflected in their peaceful and eye-pleasing ambience.
Free Spirit
Staying true to its name, this cafe is an ode to the spirit of the young and the restless. This is also evident in their interior decor, which boasts posters of legendary rock bands, musicians, actors, and films. The owners of the place also seem to have a special love for vehicles, which can be seen in the metal cut-outs of geeps and cycles and real tire tubes that adorn the walls here. Popular dishes include Hot Chocolate, Alfredo Pasta, Virgin Mojito, Cheese Balls, Nachos, and White Sauce Pasta.
The Brewmers
If your idea of enjoying a night out with your friends includes watching live football matches while sipping some freshly brewed coffee, look no further than The Brewmers. This colourful café in Gomti Nagar has a special dedicated corner for football lovers. The walls are washed with cut-outs of soccer legends, while the bean bags feature a football pattern. Even the ceiling has white and black hexagons. The place is great for hearty breakfasts and weekend brunches. They serve Mexican and Italian, with an impressive range of beverages.
The Coffee Palette
What makes this café extremely attractive are its bright coloured velvety sofas and stunningly decorated walls. It’s possibly one of the classiest dining spaces in town and serves great food. Their humble staff and quick service only add to its value for money quotient. They serve continental, Chinese, and North Indian. Their Barbados Pizza is everyone’s favourite and people also love their Chicken Lasagna. Do try their filling and yum Brownie and Kitkat shakes. Live music performances are held regularly, which gives you another reason to visit this gorgeous café.
Home Sweet Home
Old vinyl records, black and white posters of Hollywood icons on grey walls, and a pink floral ceiling make this rooftop restaurant in Hazratganj one of the most beautiful places to dine in Lucknow. City dwellers just love savouring their Italian offerings, especially the pizzas. Home Sweet Home also serves great Mughlai and Awadhi cuisine. Some of their must-try dishes include Mutton Kakori Kebabs, Whole Wheat Ulta Tawa Parantha, and Mutton Dum Biryani. Their rolls are also sumptuous, particularly the Killer Mushroom Rolls, and Killer Butter Chicken Rolls.