Udaipur is the City of Lakes, characterised by grand palaces, serene lakes, and ancient traditions. The culture is what makes this royal city even more alive, though, with its folk dances, soulful music, and delicious food. Being a tourist or a culture lover, it is a place to enjoy folk dance with dinner in Udaipur because it is the best way to experience Rajasthan in its unadulterated essence.
Below is a list of 10 folklore dance venues in Udaipur that have been chosen based on folklore, music, and taste.
Bagore Ki Haveli
Location: Gangaur Ghat, Udaipur.
Timings: 7 PM onwards
Entry Fee: [150] – [200]
The most traditional cultural experience in the city is the Dharohar Dance Show at Bagore Ki Haveli. This 18th-century haveli is also changed into a vibrant stage where traditional Rajasthani folk dances such as Ghoomar, Bhavai, and Terah Taali can be found every evening. You can have dinner in the surrounding lake-view restaurants after the show, and this way, your royal evening would be complete in Udaipur.
The restaurant is Amet Haveli (Ambrai Restaurant)
Place: Chandpole Lake Pichola.
Food: North Indian, Continental, Rajasthani.
The Ambrai restaurant of Amet Haveli is one of the most renowned live music restaurants in Udaipur, which provides a magical experience in the middle of a lake with the breathtaking views of the City Palace and Jag Mandir. The restaurant is, at times, accompanied by local musicians whose folk songs make your evening dinner even more memorable.
Upre by 1559 AD
Location: Chandpole Bridge- Ambamata.
Cuisine: Indian, Continental
Zest: Dining on the rooftop with a heritage setting.
Against the radiant background of Lake Pichola, Upre is a blend of royal splendour and live folk songs. Visitors are served with Rajasthani cuisine such as Laal Maas and Gatte ki Sabzi as the cool night breeze is dominated by the melodic sounds of traditional instruments.
Chokhi Dhani – Ethnic Village Resort
Location: NH 8, Udaipur
Experience: The traditional village set-up of Rajasthan.
Chokhi Dhani cannot be left out of any list of cultural dining restaurants. In this case, each night is a celebration – puppet show, camel riding, Kalbeliya dancers performing and live music of Rajasthan. The endless thali containing Dal-Bati-Churma, Ker sangri and churma ladoo is a dish that is befitting a royal family.
Raas Leela
Place: close to Lake Palace Road, Udaipur.
Food: Multi-cuisine and Rajasthani delights.
Raas Leela is a calm restaurant located close to the lakeside, where one can eat and hear folk music under the stars. The flickering lamps, the smell of the lake air and the sounds of the sarangi make it a soulful experience that you will never forget.
Shahi Veg Restaurant
Location: Rani Road, Udaipur
Food: Pure Veg, Rajasthani and North Indian.
Momentum: Lakeside restaurant with old school ambience.
Shahi Veg Restaurant is one of the top veg family restaurants in Udaipur that perfectly combines the original taste and the cultural atmosphere of the location, lying on the picturesque Rani Road. It is famous in terms of royal vegetarian thalis and Dal-Bati-Churma, which is made with authentic ingredients, and they serve in a relaxing ambience with a view of Fateh Sagar Lake. There are folk music evenings, which the restaurant organises occasionally to provide a comfortable and culturally enriching evening for diners. Its refined decor, friendly service, and all these make it a perfect place to spend time with family to enjoy the culinary and cultural flavour of Udaipur.
Bujera Fort
Place of location: Udaipur, close to Lake Bujera.
Experience: Private folk shows on commission.
Ten folk dance evenings on request. The Bujera Fort is a boutique heritage hotel that is located in serenity. Visitors are able to eat by candlelight as they watch local performers dance traditional dances with live tabla and dholak, which is a well-deserved royal escape.
Mayur Rooftop Cafe
Place of visit: Udaipur, City Palace Road.
Food: North Indian, Chinese, Italian.
This low-cost rooftop restaurant is a good place to enjoy the city of Udaipur skyline outlook and live music nights. Its combination of affordable yet delicious cuisine and cultural ambience is popular among young travellers and backpackers.
Trident Udaipur
Place: Haridasji Ki Magri, Pichola.
Experience: Dining with live folk music under luxury.
Trident Udaipur can never be compared to any five-star cultural experience. The open courtyard also has folk music and dance shows accompanied by superb Rajasthani food and international hospitality. All the details here, including the decor and the service, are a representation of the grandeur of Rajasthan.
Bawarchi Restaurant
Location: Surajpole, Udaipur
Food: Rajasthani Thali, North Indian.
One of the favourite places among the locals is the Bawarchi Restaurant, which is known for its traditional thali meals. It also serves folk musicians during celebratory seasons, providing the diners with an insight into the local culture of Rajasthan and relishing in tasty vegetarian dishes.
Why Culture and Cuisine Intersect
Dinner in Udaipur is not only food, it is an art, a beat and a royal experience. Be it the dancers dancing around to the tunes of Rajasthani songs in Chokhi Dhani, the musicians singing and dancing at the lakeside in Raas Leela or having a traditional thali at Shahi Veg on Rani Road, each place has a story of traditions and flavours.
The beauty of the city is in the ease with which it amalgamates the past, the hospitality, and the harmony. In Udaipur, then make your evening more than a dinner, make it a cultural tour under the desert sky, where each beat, each flavour and each smile is Rajasthan itself.
