Cafe Royale Rishikesh (Coffee , Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurant), Beside River Ganga Near Gramin Bank, Laxman Jhula Post office Road Above Himalayan Travels Laxman Jhula
Café Royale has prominent signage but is one of those low-profile cafés in Rishikesh, coz of its location in an area with a surfeit of restaurants and its first-floor setting. One doesn't know quite what to expect as it's not visible from street-level, the approach is a bit befuddling too, coz there's a parallel metal staircase leading to yet another café, this time a rooftop café. I'd been wanting to checkout Royale for a long time, and finally one lazy afternoon I decided to miss yoga and do a double lunch. The seating area is pretty enough. There's a small, attractive mezzanine area in addition to a spacious first-floor with warm wicker lamps and a variety of seating, from floor cushions around low tables to comfy cane chairs around dining tables. The plants are for real, a mercy in a Rishikesh Tapovan gone crazy over plastic ones. The floor is a faux wood one, very vitreous despite its faux wood look. The masala chai I ordered as an appetiser was a disappointment. More like milk chai, and a barely hot one at that (on a winter afternoon too). The Salade de Lebanon I'd ordered for lunch didn't disappoint though. The grilled vegetables were crunchy - broccoli, capsicum in three colours, cabbage and carrots - along with amazingly delicious tofu slices. All served with fresh hummus and olive oil. I'm a salad convert now! The "Hello to the Queen" in the dessert section was promising. The presentation though was wanting. The plate looked messy with chocolate smudges. In the beginning it wasn't too disappointing. A bit delicious, though overwhelming and unattractive to look at. Later, the base turned out to have an overload of Goodday biscuits and slightly overripe bananas. That's when both my mood and palate soured. This one's not recommended at all, and indeed I won't be trying "Hello to the Queen" anywhere for a long, long while. I did espy oats porridge on the menu and I may just return for that and the river views, and the salads, of course! Meal type: Lunch Price per person: ₹200–400 Food: 4 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5