Bir is a town in the Himachal Pradesh state of northern India, located west of Joginder Nagar Valley. Bir is now known as the “Paragliding Capital of India,” and it is also a popular destination for ecotourism, spiritual studies, and meditation. Bir also has a significant Tibetan refugee settlement, as well as several Buddhist monasteries. While Billing is the take-off location for paragliding and Bir is the landing location, the two locations are referred to collectively as “Bir Billing.”
Bir has grown in popularity among travellers in recent years, particularly among those living the Digital Nomad Life. Popular hostel chains such as Zostel, The Hosteller, The Bunker, and others have opened properties in Bir to meet the growing demand of travellers, and the cafe culture has also grown and developed in the last 2-3 years.
Bir is now home to many creative minds who chose to leave the city and move to the mountains! And the fact that there are daily direct buses running between Bir and Delhi has contributed significantly to the growth of tourism in India’s Paragliding Capital.
Bir Billing has become not only a popular Weekend Getaway destination, but also one of India’s growing Digital Nomad Hotspots as a result of all of these factors.
I was fortunate to spend around 2 weeks in March 2020 (before Coronavirus aka COVID – 19 was declared a Pandemic by WHO) in Bir Billing, getting High on Himalayas, with a bunch of amazing people, and trying out different dishes to Eat in Bir Billing on a daily basis, which helped compile this Bir Billing Food Guide, highlighting what’s special to Eat in the different cafes and restaurants in Bir Billing.
These locations are listed in chronological order as you walk from Choughan Chowk to the Landing Site in Bir.
STEAMED AND FRIED MOMOS – RAM BAHADUR CAFE
If you’re craving Momos, there’s no better place to go than Ram Bahadur Cafe! This small, unassuming food joint has a special place in the hearts of everyone who visits Bir! They come with a filling of vegetable, chicken, or mutton and can be steamed or fried. And I recommend the Chicken Fried Momos with spoonfuls of the delicious spicy chutney!
PS – Their momo chutney is out of this world – yummmmm!
THUKPA AND DEVIL MOMOS – NYINGMA RESTAURANT
A few steps away from Ram Bahadur Cafe, towards Gandhi Chowk, is the Nyingma Hotel, a bright yellow structure on the left side of the road. Because of the plush interiors, this appears to be an expensive restaurant, but trust me when I say that the prices are reasonable and the food is delicious.
While the restaurant serves a variety of dishes, the Thukpa and Devil Momos were my favourites at Nyingma Restaurant. And, of course, Ginger Lemon Honey tea.Unlike in many places, where the Thukpa is either bland or overly spicy, the Thukpa here is perfectly balanced and quite filling!
Devil Momos are fried momos that have been tossed in a spicy garlic gravy. If you’re looking for a place to hang out with your friends while eating delicious food, Nyingma Restaurant is the place to go!
To be honest, I consider this Bir Billing Food Guide to be one of the city’s hidden gems! Locals, rather than tourists and travellers, will predominate here!
HOME COOKED FOOD – KUCKIE’S CAFE
Kuckie’s Cafe deserves to be mentioned specifically in this Bir Billing Food Guide!
Why is this so? You may wonder.
If you ask anyone who has lived in Bir for a while where they go when they want some home-cooked food, the answer will be unanimous: Kuckie’s Cafe!
Kuckie Aunty’s food is simple but delicious, and it’s not too expensive. When you walk into Kuckie’s Cafe, you’ll feel as if you’ve entered your living room, and a few words with Aunty will make you feel right at home.
Whether you’re looking for a quiet place to read a book, work, or simply have a conversation, Kuckie’s Cafe has plenty of seating.
If you’re looking for a place to volunteer, Aunty is always looking for someone to help.
VADA PAV AND CUTTING CHAI – BOMBAY LOCAL
Bombay Local is the place to go if you’re craving some authentic and delicious Maharashtrian street food, such as Vada Pav and Pav Bhaji, as well as the famous Cutting Chai.
The Vada Pav is reasonably priced at INR 40 and will transport you to the streets of Mumbai or Pune.
PASTA’S AND FRESH GREEN SALADS – PALOMA VEGAN BISTRO
Possibly the only cafe in Bir Billing that only serves vegan food.
Paloma Vegan Bistro offers some delectable cakes, pastas, and fresh salads that you should definitely try.
HIMACHALI SIDDU – THE NORTHERN CAFE
With a panoramic view of the landing site in front and the mighty Himalayas in back, the Northern Cafe is one of the best places to catch Bir’s famous sunsets.
While the food is a little pricey, it is one of the few restaurants and cafes in Bir Billing that serves traditional Himachali Siddu. While watching the sunset, try the delicious pakoras.
Also, if you are a Digital Nomad looking for a quiet place to work, I would highly recommend making The Northern Cafe your workspace during the day, when there aren’t as many tourists present.
BANOFEE PIE – SILVER LININGS
The Silver Lining Cafe, located directly across from Avva’s Cafe, is another quaint cafe popular with artists, digital nomads, and the local community.
Typically, travellers will eat a heavy meal at Avva’s Cafe, then cross the street to Silver Lining Cafe, where they will relax, connect with other travellers, and enjoy their cup of coffee!
I recommend that you try the Banofee Pie with Coffee at Silver Lining.
ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING – KAAFILA
A quaint cafe named Kaafila – from the streets of Bombay that offers you a slice of Bombay in the mountains is tucked in the bylanes of Chaughan village, amidst bright yellow fields with the backdrop of snow clad peaks.
Kaafila serves everything from the iconic Bombay wada pav to pav bhaji and other mouthwatering Mumbai street food delicacies.
Occasionally, you will come across artistic souls creating soothing music or simply leaving their imprint by painting a part of themselves on their art wall. On bright sunny days, they also bake amazing sweet treats, giving you the full experience of a guilty food trip filled with tonnes of entertainment as you connect with fellow travellers!
They also host pizza and burger nights, live sports streaming nights, BBQ and bonfire nights, and gaming nights where the travel community can meet and interact.
Musafir Cafe, which was mentioned earlier in this Bir Billing Food Guide, was previously located where Kaafila is now.
VEGETARIAN THAALI – SURYANSH BHOJNALAYA
This is the only restaurant in this Bir Billing Food Guide that is not near the landing site in Bir Billing, but rather on the highway connecting Bir and Palampur. It is approximately 4 – 5 kilometres from the landing site, and the best way to get there is in a cab or your own vehicle, if applicable.
Suryansh Bhojnalaya’s speciality, which only serves vegetarian food, is the Himachali Thaali, which is a fairly simple and straightforward affair. The food is delicious, healthy, and reasonably priced.
If they aren’t starving, one Thali for INR 150 is enough to feed two people.
MAGGI AND CHAI – MULTIPLE PLACES
It goes without saying that the pleasure of eating piping hot Maggi while sipping Chai is synonymous with getting high on Himalayas.
Any trip to the mountains is incomplete if you haven’t sipped hot Chai and slurped Masala Maggi while admiring the majestic Himalayas.
Getting Maggi and Chai in the mountains is simple, and can be found in a variety of locations throughout Bir Billing, but the ones where you’ll have the best experience are literally in the lap of the mountains, away from town.
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