New Restaurants in Nagpur (July 2026)

TL;DR

• 🌶️ Nagpur's restaurant scene is expanding fast, with a clear wave of South Indian and coastal cuisine opening across the city.
• Saoji — Nagpur's fiercely local, very spicy cooking style — is still alive and represented by New Ashish Saoji Restaurant.
• From Udupi breakfasts to Mangalorean seafood to Kerala afternoon meals, the southern culinary tradition is firmly planting its flag here.
• Several of these spots are new enough that they're still building their regular crowds — now is a good time to get there early.
• The Hingna Road, Katol Road, and Dharampeth corridors are the emerging clusters to watch.

Nagpur's Expanding Plate

The city that gave the world its best oranges has always had a strong food culture of its own. Nagpur's local Saoji cuisine — a distinct style of fiery, fat-rich chicken and mutton preparations unique to the Halba Koshti community — has long been the culinary identity marker of this part of Vidarbha. But over the past year, the restaurant landscape has shifted noticeably. A new set of South Indian and coastal establishments has arrived, catering both to the city's migrant professional population and to locals developing a palate for regional cuisines beyond Vidarbha's own traditions.

What follows is a ground-level look at what's open, what's good, and what makes each spot worth visiting.

The South Indian and Coastal Wave

The most striking development in Nagpur's food scene right now is the number of serious South Indian and coastal restaurants that have opened or expanded.

Udupi Gokula opens at 7:30 AM, earlier than almost anything else on this list, and runs until 10:30 PM. Located at Plot 70 Block 50, it brings the classic Udupi format — idli, vada, masala dosa, filter coffee — to a city where that combination is still relatively uncommon outside established chains. Udupi cooking is vegetarian by tradition, which makes it a strong option for a significant portion of Nagpur's population.

The Mangaluru Kitchen at M/3 Plot 345 Mezzanine Floor, Shradha House, operates from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM and represents a rarer find: proper Mangalorean cooking. This coastal Karnataka cuisine — known for its coconut milk gravies, Neer dosa, and seafood preparations like Kane fry and Bangda curry — has very few dedicated practitioners in inland Maharashtra. The Mangaluru Kitchen fills that gap directly.

Malabar South Indian Restaurant in Gandhi Nagar brings the culinary traditions of northern Kerala to Nagpur. Malabar cooking overlaps with Kerala but has its own identity: Malabar biryani (made with the Khyma rice variety and whole spices), Pathiri, and the distinctly aromatic meat preparations of the Malabar coast.

Taste Of Kerala & Co, reachable at +91 99607 82072, opens at 1 PM — a slightly unusual start time that suggests it's targeting the lunch-and-beyond crowd rather than morning tiffin seekers. Kerala food in a landlocked city like Nagpur is an act of culinary ambition. The rice-and-curry format, the fish curries, the stews — these are dishes that require technique and the right ingredients.

Andhra's Godavari South Indian Food Plaza runs a clean schedule: 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, seven days a week. Andhra cooking is known for its bold use of red chili, tamarind, and sesame, and Godavari-region cuisine in particular has a distinct identity within Andhra Pradesh's culinary traditions. Andhra Aaharam at Plot 13 Durga Nagar, Hingna Road, covers similar ground — both are worth checking depending on which part of the city you're in.

Insider Tip: If you're new to Udupi or Mangalorean cooking, go during the morning hours when the batter is fresh and the filter coffee is at its best. Udupi Gokula's early opening means you can have a proper South Indian breakfast before 8 AM — something that's genuinely hard to find in most of Nagpur.

Local Flavor: Saoji, Tandoori, and Beyond

New Ashish Saoji Restaurant on Chhota Tajbagh Road (contact: 9822473206) is the list's representative of Nagpur's own culinary tradition. Saoji food is not for the faint-hearted: the masalas used in Saoji mutton and chicken are among the most complex and heat-forward in Maharashtra, built from a blend of spices that includes dried coconut, red chili, and a range of whole spices that vary by family and restaurant. New Ashish Saoji Restaurant carries this tradition forward. If you're visiting Nagpur and don't try Saoji at least once, you've missed something fundamental about this city's food identity.

Tandoori Villa on Katol Road (+91 8446058963) covers the North Indian end of the spectrum — tandoor-cooked breads, kebabs, and the kind of comfort-oriented curries that travel well across regional preferences.

Shrisant Kirpa Family Restaurant, also on Katol Road (+91 8237119283), does something interesting: a combination of Indian Chinese and South Indian cooking that reflects how eclectic the appetite of a mid-size city like Nagpur has become. Indian Chinese (the Hakka-influenced, street-adapted version) and Dosa coexist on many menus here without conflict.

HUNGRY PUTTAR RESTAURANT at PLOT 8, VNIT Gate (07123574502), positioned near a major technical university campus, caters to a younger crowd with a broader, more casual menu.

Savi's Kitchen at 15 New Subhedar Layout (+91 8329125556) represents the home-style end of the spectrum — the kind of cooking that prioritizes flavor and familiarity over presentation.

CAFE-HOLICS at G-3 Chaitanya Apartments, beside SVC Bank, Dharampeth Mata Mandir Road, fills the cafe-and-quick-bites segment with pizzas and burgers — a different register entirely, but a useful option for mixed groups.

FAQ

Is Saoji food really that spicy? Yes, genuinely. New Ashish Saoji Restaurant serves the authentic version, which is substantially hotter than most other preparations in Nagpur. If you have a low heat tolerance, ask before ordering — or go for a half portion to test the water.

Are there good vegetarian options on this list? Udupi Gokula and Andhra's Godavari South Indian Food Plaza offer extensive vegetarian menus. The South Indian format is generally vegetarian-friendly across the board.

What time should I go to The Mangaluru Kitchen? Opening at 8 AM and closing at 9 PM, the lunch window (noon to 3 PM) is typically when fresh Neer dosa batter and seafood preparations are at their peak.

Is Malabar biryani available in Nagpur? Malabar South Indian Restaurant in Gandhi Nagar is the best bet for this. Call ahead to confirm availability, as biryani is often a limited-quantity preparation.

Are these restaurants new or established? Several are relatively new arrivals. Andhra Aaharam, Taste Of Kerala & Co, and The Mangaluru Kitchen are among the more recent openings. Udupi Gokula and New Ashish Saoji Restaurant have more established footing.

Bottom Line

Nagpur's food map is being redrawn. The South Indian and coastal cooking wave isn't a trend — it reflects a genuine shift in who's living in and moving to the city, and what they want to eat. Alongside the city's own Saoji tradition, you now have a legitimate range of regional cuisines to explore without leaving Nagpur's limits. Get to The Mangaluru Kitchen and Udupi Gokula while they're still finding their crowd — and don't leave without trying New Ashish Saoji Restaurant at least once.