Manali has a wide range of eating options spread across three distinct zones: the main Mall Road area with its mix of dhabas and tourist restaurants, Old Manali with its long-established traveller cafes, and Vashisht village with its own cluster of cafes. The town is particularly good for Himachali food — try dham (a festive rice and lentil meal), siddu (steamed wheat dumplings with poppy seed filling), and trout from the local rivers.
Several Tibetan restaurants serve momos, thukpa, and butter tea. The traveller cafes of Old Manali are reliable for basic international fare — pasta, pancakes, Israeli breakfast — at low prices.