The Tavern

About The Tavern

The Tavern is a long-running bar and restaurant on The Mall Road in Mussoorie, established in 1972 and a hill-station institution for over four decades. Its wood-beamed interiors, vintage décor and dimly lit corners have hosted everyone from Bollywood stars to mountain wanderers, and the room recently reopened with a refreshed menu that keeps its classics alongside contemporary Himalayan and global dishes.

The cooking spans continental, Chinese and North Indian, with steaks and sizzlers at its core. For more of the town's tables, compare the manor-house dining at Emily's at Rokeby Manor, the heritage room at The Savoy and the resort kitchen at JW Marriott Walnut Grove. For more of the area's dining, see our Mussoorie guide.

The Kitchen

The menu is broad by hill-station tradition, running from sizzler steaks through Chinese and North Indian to continental plates, and the recent relaunch bridges the storied past with contemporary tastes, blending iconic classics with modern Himalayan and global flavours. The sizzlers and steaks are the longest-standing draw, the dishes most associated with the room over its decades on the Mall. It serves alcohol, with a full bar, and the cost for two sits around 1,500 rupees, which keeps it firmly in the mid-range for a night out in Mussoorie. This is dependable, characterful cooking rather than a tasting-menu kitchen, and the setting carries much of the appeal.

The Room

The rooms are the draw as much as the food: wood-beamed ceilings, vintage décor, warm low lighting and cosy corners that have built up an atmosphere over fifty years on the Mall. The mood is relaxed and convivial, suited to a long dinner with drinks rather than a quick bite. It sits on The Mall Road, Mussoorie's central pedestrian promenade, an easy walk from the main square. The room fills up during the weekend Delhi-visitor trade and in peak hill-station season, so booking ahead at those times is wise; otherwise walk-ins are usually fine.