The best places to eat on the Delhi-Nainital highway

As you exit the busy main parts of Haldwani and emerge in the suburb of Kathgodam, the last railway station before the hills, you’ll drive past department stores, malls and numerous food joints. Stop at this cafe on the first floor of the Benetton building at the edge of a shopping square where you can also browse for some branded or designer clothing. I particularly like this square when it is lit in the evenings and the cafe too turns on its fairy lights which cover its potted plants and colourful furniture in the outdoor seating area.

Get a refreshing lemonade with sliders, fries, or other finger food, or a taco if you have a bigger appetite, and get going towards your destination.
Price: Rs350 per person
Must try: The Mexican fare
Address: First Floor, Brij Vihar building, KFC square, Haldwani, Uttarakhand

Pots & Stones Cafe

A little ahead on the right is one of the first trendy cafes to have popped up in the area, Pots & Stones. The coffee house is the brainchild of Shivendra Goel, a young entrepreneur who created this upmarket community cafe, as he likes to call it, in 2015. From a colourful cafe to the minimalist space it is today, I have seen this spot metamorphose just like its menu; what started as an urban space that brought people together with its coffee and snooker tables, has made way for pottery workshops and art exhibitions. You’ll find everything from fresh fruit juices to gourmet coffee, and thin crust pizzas to my morning favourite, their eggs benedict served with crisp hash brown potatoes and salad. This cafe also doubles as the restaurant for the boutique North House hotel just behind it. A few kilometres from here, you hit the foothills.
Price: Rs500 per person
Must try: Freshly ground coffee with their Italian / European dishes
Address: Bareilly – Nainital road, opposite KFC square, Vaishali Colony, Haldwani

Cafe Arcadia