What to Eat in Matheran Today?

Chikki first

Chikki is a brittle of jaggery and peanuts, and Matheran is known for it. Shops along MG Road stack boxes of peanut, sesame, dry-fruit and chocolate versions, and most let you taste before you buy. It travels well, which is why almost everyone goes home with a box.

Snacks between points

The walks here make you hungry. Vada pav, a spiced potato fritter in a soft bun with chutney, is the quick fix, sold at counters around the station and the bazaar. Kanda bhajji, crisp onion fritters, are best on a wet day with a glass of hot chai. Both are cheap and made fresh through the day, so choose a stall with a steady queue.

A proper meal

A Maharashtrian thali brings bhakri or chapati with pithla (a thick gram-flour curry), a vegetable, dal and rice, and koshimbir, a fresh salad. It is a good lunch after a morning on foot. Many hotels in Matheran include meals in their room rates, so check yours before you plan to eat out every night.

Something cold

Fresh fruit ice cream in mango, chikoo or strawberry is a treat on a warm afternoon in the bazaar. Mango is best in April and May.

Prices and supplies

With no trucks in town, supplies come up by the toy train's goods service, by horse and by porter. Expect prices a little above those in Neral, and carry a refillable bottle so you are not buying plastic at every point.

Vegetarian or not

Snacks and thalis are vegetarian, but the town is not. Biryani and kebabs are easy to find in the bazaar. For the kitchens that do each dish, see where to eat.