Sidhpur is the part of Dharamshala most visitors drive straight through. It sits in the lower valley between Dharamshala town and the turn-off up to McLeod Ganj, it is green and flat and quiet, and it holds two of the best things in the district: the Norbulingka Institute and the Gyuto Monastery. What it does not have is a restaurant strip. This is a guide to what is actually worth eating here, and it is a short list on purpose.
The Divine Hima: the full menu, opposite Norbulingka
The Divine Hima’s restaurant, cafe and bar sits directly opposite the Norbulingka Institute gates, which makes it the obvious stop before or after visiting the gardens. It is a boutique hotel with a serious kitchen attached rather than the other way round, and the cafe takes walk-ins every day from 8am to 10pm. You do not need to be staying to eat.
The thing to order is the Himachali Dham, the festive thali of the Kangra hills, which is rarely cooked for visitors anywhere in Dharamshala. Beyond that the menu is unusually wide for a valley this small: wood-fired pizza from the pizzeria, clay-oven kebabs, Tibetan momos and thukpa, whole baked Kangra trout, dum biryanis and tandoor kebabs from the clay oven, South Indian dosas, and hand-rolled Kangra oolong tea served as a set. Everything is cooked from scratch. The full list is on the Divine Menu.
Practical things that matter out here: free parking on site, free WiFi, indoor heating through the winter, an art gallery and a library to wander while the kitchen works, and The Bar By Far upstairs, which is one of very few proper bars in the lower valley. Reservations on +91 86269 83777.
Norbulingka Institute
Norbulingka is a Tibetan arts centre built around Japanese-influenced water gardens, with workshops for thangka painting, wood carving, metalwork and applique, plus the Losel Doll Museum. It has a cafe inside the grounds, which is a pleasant lunch stop while you are working through the gardens and the temple. Go for the setting and the walk as much as the food. Entry to the gardens is nominal and the whole visit takes an easy hour or two.
What else is nearby
Sidhpur is the quiet side of Dharamshala, and it eats well. See rooms at The Divine Hima.
- Gyuto Monastery — about ten minutes away, the seat of the Karmapa, with a huge Buddha hall and views back across the valley. Best in the morning during prayers.
- Chinmaya Tapovan — a quiet ashram complex on the Baner river a short drive on, with a tall Hanuman statue and gardens.
- HPCA cricket stadium — roughly fifteen minutes, and one of the most photographed grounds in the world. See our stadium guide.
- McLeod Ganj and the Dalai Lama Temple — about twenty minutes uphill, where the bulk of the town’s restaurants and cafes are.
Should you eat in Sidhpur or drive up to McLeod Ganj?
Both, on different days. McLeod Ganj has the range: Tibetan kitchens, traveller Italian, rooftop cafes, and the density that comes with being the centre of everything. It also has the crowds, the parking problem and the drive back down a dark hill road afterwards. Our guides to the best restaurants in Dharamshala and the best cafes in McLeod Ganj and Dharamkot cover that side properly.
Sidhpur is for the meals where you do not want to drive anywhere: a long breakfast, a Dham lunch after Norbulingka, a quiet dinner with an actual drink. The sensible pattern for a few days here is to spend the days up the hill and the evenings down in the valley.
Practical notes for eating in the lower valley
- Options thin out after dark in Sidhpur. If you are arriving late, tell your hotel or restaurant in advance.
- Give a day’s notice for the Dham and the seasonal Kangri dishes, which depend on what the valley is growing.
- Parking is free and easy here, which is not true anywhere in McLeod Ganj.
- Taxis to McLeod Ganj take about twenty minutes and are easy to arrange; buses run along the main road but are slow.
- Licensed bars are scarce across Dharamshala. The lower valley is the easier place for a drink with dinner.
Related Dharamshala guides
- The Best Restaurants in Dharamshala
- Himachali Dham: What It Is and Where to Eat It
- Things to Do in Dharamshala and Near Sidhpur
- Where to Stay in Dharamshala
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there good restaurants in Sidhpur, Dharamshala?
Sidhpur is quiet and has no restaurant strip, but it does have The Divine Hima, a multi-cuisine restaurant, cafe and bar directly opposite the Norbulingka Institute, open to walk-ins daily from 8am to 10pm. The Norbulingka Institute also has a cafe within its gardens. Beyond those two, most visitors drive the twenty minutes up to McLeod Ganj for choice.
Where can I eat near the Norbulingka Institute?
The Divine Hima’s restaurant and cafe sits directly opposite the Norbulingka gates and serves a full multi-cuisine menu including traditional Himachali Dham, wood-fired pizza and clay-oven kebabs. Norbulingka itself has a cafe inside the grounds, which is convenient if you are already walking the gardens.
Is there a bar in Sidhpur or lower Dharamshala?
Yes. The Bar By Far sits alongside The Divine Hima’s restaurant in Sidhpur, and is one of very few proper bars in the lower valley. Licensed bars are scarce in McLeod Ganj itself, so the lower valley is generally the easier place for a drink with dinner.
How far is Sidhpur from McLeod Ganj?
About twenty minutes by road, uphill. Sidhpur sits in the lower valley between Dharamshala town and the McLeod Ganj turn-off, near the Norbulingka Institute and about ten minutes from the Gyuto Monastery.
Can non-guests eat at The Divine Hima?
Yes. The cafe welcomes walk-ins every day from 8am to 10pm and serves the full menu, with free parking on site. The separate dining hall is reserved for overnight guests. Calling ahead on +91 86269 83777 helps at weekends and in the summer and Christmas seasons.
Stay where the kitchen is downstairs. Book your stay at The Divine Hima.