In this guide, we will go over all of the best cafes and restaurants in the Gokulam locality of Mysore, a city in India's southern state of Karnataka.
I have travelled to Mysore several times and I always stay in Gokulam, which is a cute neighbourhood filled with yoga shalas, organic stores, fresh coconut stands, and vegan-friendly eateries.
This list of the best cafes and restaurants in Gokulam, Mysore, is compiled from more than 6 months spread over 4 years of spending time in this area of the city.
If you would like to know more about visiting Mysore, check out my guide: A Yoga Students Guide to Mysore.
DINING ETIQUETTE IN INDIA
Most people know that you should only eat food with your right hand in India (your left is for bathroom things) - but did you also know that when you enter a restaurant, before you sit down, you should go and wash your hands first? Most restaurants in India have a wash basin in the main dining area for this specific reason.
Another point worth knowing is that when drinking from a bottle of water, the bottle should not touch your lips, but rather pour from a small height. If the bottle touches your lips it is considered unclean, and a bit rude as it indicates you are not planning to share!
The Best Cafes and Restaurants in Gokulam, Mysore
Chakra House Cafe
Best for: Great vibes + Smoothies + Kind and Welcoming Staff
The Chakra House Cafe is the best cafe restaurant in Gokulam. It is family-owned and run, and the staff are so kind and welcoming and really make you feel at home. Even after all of these years and their growing popularity, they have still kept the prices affordable.
The space is set up with mostly large communal tables and floor cushions - and there is normally always a place to sit. The smoothies are delicious and there are lots of vegetarian Indian dishes and healthy options for Western food.
The Chakra House Cafe is a great place to chill or work on your laptop, the internet is reliable and fast, and there is no pressure from Rajesh or Manju to keep buying things in order to hang out, only good vibes here!
Chakra House Cafe Opening Times: Everyday 07:30 – 20:00.
Everything is vegetarian.
CONS: They don't play music often so it can be quite hard to tune out from other people's conversations at the communal tables, so bring headphones!
White Teak Coffee Roasters
Best for: Coffee + Cake
While some people prefer the new, cool kid on the block in Gokulam – Minimal Coffee Roasters – as a place to hang out, I prefer White Teak Coffee Roasters.
They have a beautiful garden and a great playlist, and the coffee is well-made. The best thing about White Teak Coffee Roasters though is their sweet collection, which is filled with freshly baked goods and luxurious cakes for a real treat!
The wifi is reliable and fast, the service is good, and there is always somewhere to sit.
White Teak Coffee Roasters is open every day from 07:00 – 23:00
A mixture of veg and non-veg cuisine.
CONS: It is a little bit more expensive than other cafes in Gokulam and the savoury food is not great.
Zen Kitchen
Best for: North Indian Food
Zen Kitchen is a cosy spot beloved by yoga students in Gokulam, the staff are lovely and service is attentive. They mostly serve North Indian dishes made really well.
I find a lot of the restaurants in Gokulam serve quite bland Indian food - as the clientele are normally yoga students who like healthy food with no fat, salt, or spice.
Zen Kitchen seems to get the balance just right by keeping its menu healthy but still flavourful.
Zen Kitchen is open every day from 08:00 – 20:00
Everything is vegetarian.
CONS: It is a small spot, therefore it can be difficult to find a space, especially during lunch and dinner hours, this also means that you can't really hang out and work on your laptop.
Gokulam Dosa Corner
Best for: South Indian Food
Gokulam Dosa Corner is a no-frills local restaurant, where the clientele is more likely to be rickshaw drivers than yoga students. This is real, homely south Indian food, at cheap prices, and the dosas are addictive!
If you stick to only the cafes aimed at Western tourists you're really missing out here! And most importantly, if you haven't had coconut chutney before, you haven't lived!
Opening times are not clear, but it is open from early til late most days!
Everything is vegetarian.
CONS: This is just a place to grab a quick bite, so no wifi.
Depth N Green
Best for: Bread + Downloading Stuff
Depth N Green - like Chakra House, is another cafe restaurant in Mysore's Gokulam locality that I hang out in several times a week when I am practising yoga in Mysore.
Their homemade bread is really, really good – and they make a delicious cheese and veg toastie that is to die for. It is normally busy in there, so it makes for a good atmosphere, and often they play soft jazz in the background.
The wifi in Depth N Green is the best I have experienced in any cafe or restaurant in Gokulam, and it is the only place I have successfully and quickly downloaded TV shows to my laptop!
Depth N Green is open Tuesday – Saturday 09:00 – 20:30 (They do appear to open on Mondays too in the high season)
Everything is vegetarian.
CONS: Being on the main road at a busy junction, it can get quite loud. Service can be a bit frosty.
Starbucks
Best for: Hot Days + Remote Work
Okay, so don't hate me. I do not ever go to Starbucks in my home country, the coffee is worse than average and I don't think they are an ethical company. HOWEVER – Starbucks is the only cafe in Gokulam with Air Conditioning (that I have managed to find anyway) so if you need to do some laptop work on a scorching day, this is ideal.
The staff are super nice and they don't seem to mind you just buying one coffee and working there all day, most people in there are working on their laptops so you won't feel out of place.
Starbucks in Gokulam, Mysore is open every day 07:30 – 23:00
A mixture of veg and non-veg
CONS: Everything is very over-priced, the food is crap, and well, it's Starbucks.
Thank you for reading my post on the best cafes and restaurants in Gokulam, Mysore. Outside of this list, there are plenty of street food stalls and local hole-in-the-walls that are worth checking out for a quick bite.
Is there somewhere that I have missed?
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Happy Travels
xx
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