Restaurant
Suvarna Mahal at Rambagh Palace
Rambagh Palace's formal Indian dining room, set in a hall styled on an 18th-century palace ballroom and serving royal recipes from Rajasthan and beyond.
Laxmi Misthan Bhandar (LMB)
Long-established pure vegetarian restaurant and sweet shop in Johari Bazaar, known for Rajasthani thalis, dal baati churma, kulfi and paneer ghewar.
At a glance
- Type
- Vegetarian Rajasthani restaurant and sweet shop
- Area
- Johari Bazaar, Jaipur, India
- Price
- $$ · Mid-range
Good to know
- Pure vegetarian
- Sweet shop
- Takeaway
Why we recommend it
Laxmi Misthan Bhandar, known to everyone in Jaipur as LMB, is a pure vegetarian restaurant and sweet shop on Johari Bazaar, the jewellers' street of the old city. Its roots go back a long way. When Sawai Jai Singh II founded Jaipur in 1727, he invited traders and craftsmen to settle, among them families of halwais, or sweet makers, who opened a small sweet shop in Johari Bazaar. Around 1949 to 1950 their descendant Maliram Ghodawat gave the business its current name, and in 1954 a hotel was added above the shop.
Today the ground floor is part sweet counter, part restaurant, and it is one of the easiest places in the old city to sit down for a full Rajasthani meal. The restaurant is best known for its Rajasthani thali and for dal baati churma, the classic combination of lentils, baked wheat baati and churma, a sweet made by crumbling baati with ghee and sugar or jaggery. Snacks such as samosas, chaat and aloo tikki make a lighter meal, and the sweet lassi and kulfi are popular ways to cool down after a morning in the bazaars.
Leave room for something from the sweet counter. LMB is particularly associated with paneer ghewar, a richer take on ghewar, the honeycomb-like disc of batter fried in ghee and soaked in syrup that is traditionally eaten around the Teej festival. Sweets can also be bought to take away.
The atmosphere is that of a long-running family institution rather than a fine-dining room, and it can be busy with local families and shoppers from the surrounding bazaars. Everything is vegetarian, which makes it a straightforward choice for vegetarian travellers, and the thali offers a broad taste of regional dishes in one sitting. Prices are moderate. If you want a quieter meal, aim for late morning or mid-afternoon rather than peak lunch or dinner times.
LMB sits right in the middle of the old city sightseeing area. Hawa Mahal, City Palace and Jantar Mantar are a short walk away, so it fits naturally into a day exploring the Pink City. Combine a meal here with a browse through the jewellery shops of Johari Bazaar, keeping in mind that many of Jaipur's markets close on Sundays.
Laxmi Misthan Bhandar (LMB) FAQs
Is LMB vegetarian?
Yes, the restaurant serves pure vegetarian food.
What should I order at LMB?
The Rajasthani thali, dal baati churma, kulfi, sweet lassi and paneer ghewar are among its best-known items.
How old is LMB?
Its sweet-making roots are traced to the founding of Jaipur in 1727. The LMB name dates from around 1949 to 1950.
Where is LMB?
On Johari Bazaar in the walled old city.
Is there a hotel at LMB?
Yes, a hotel was added above the restaurant in 1954.
Is LMB good for families?
Yes, it is a relaxed, family-friendly restaurant.
When is it quietest?
Late morning or mid-afternoon, outside peak lunch and dinner times.
What is nearby?
Hawa Mahal, City Palace and Jantar Mantar are a short walk away.