De Khambir — Restaurant in Ladakh

The De Khambir is one of Ladakh's hidden treasures. From busy Zangsti Road, the first floor local eatery, looks modest and unassuming. Accessed by a rickety iron staircase, it's easy to miss while on one's way to more colourful restaurants and cafés in Zangsti and nearby Changspa Road. A visit is not just rewarding but will make your day. Run by two Ladakhi women, the space and light inside is a total surprise. The main dining space is the size of an urban banquet hall and doubles up as a yoga space on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday mornings. Located in an old and traditional Ladakhi building, the architecture inside is a tour-de-force in local building materials and design. The ceiling inside has large poplar logs supported by even larger floor logs. The poplar logs support a poplar twig and adobe roof, that is still in vogue all over Ladakh. It's a great insulating material and keeps out the cold on chilly days. The floor is the original adobe floor, only lightly papered over with mortar in some places. There's a variety of seating and you may want to try all three on your visits. Tables and chairs in the narrow entrance corridor with great light streaming in and great for people-watching. The main dining space has intimate low-walled spaces with low tables and cushions and mattresses on low benches ranged against the wall. It's great for lounging over a meal or curling up with a book. There're also wooden tables and chairs at either ends of the hall with awesome light pouring in through huge glass windows. Prayer flags fluttering outside and inside add further local ambience to this beautiful, traditional space. The biggest treasure is its small but delightful menu, composed entirely of local dishes, made from local ingredients. There's cuisine you won't find elsewhere, like tenten, a buckwheat pancake with fried egg, or paba and thaangthur, or tapu. The De Khambir serves authentically local cuisine. Cuisine that's disappearing from rapidly modernising Ladakh, both from eateries and homes. All the more reason for you to check it out, like I did, and take pictures of one of its kind dishes, you won't find anywhere else...

Worst experience !! Food is average !! Customer service is zero! They take your order at the counter and then call u there to pick ur order( which is standard) and ask u to immediately come n return their tray ( not okay ), cutlery is also not given u come n take on your own . Then they tell u to bring back dish and bowl after eating and putting at counter ( still acceptable) then they also have audacity to put a tip jar saying “tip box and be generous may “ .. I mean tip for what ??? U provided no service at all. We do everything on our own from getting food to putting used plates back like in a hostel mess. The girl who wrote down my order charged me 480 instead of 280 but luckily i cross checked my bill and corrected her she did not even apologise .. and u know how she added extra 200 in my bill by seeing an empty bowl kept there by some guest who had eaten some porridge so she saw my plates and that bowl together on the counter and assumed it was mine .. how about checking the damn order u wrote down .. when u had like 4 guests in the cafe ??? How do you mess up that if not on purpose ? Atleast basic decency is to apologise to someone after committing a mistake ? Won’t recommend at all .. I went their on someone else’s recommendation and was totally...

De Khambir in Leh is a gem if you’re looking to try something truly local and wholesome. The place has a calm, minimalist vibe with traditional Ladakhi touches in its décor — simple seating, warm wooden interiors, and big windows that let in plenty of natural light. It’s a self-service setup, which adds to the relaxed, no-frills charm.

Our group tried three types of Khambir — the Egg Cheese Khambir, Farm Fresh Khambir, and Nut Khambir. Each one had its own personality: the egg one was hearty, the farm fresh version came packed with fresh greens and local cheese, and the nut variant had a slightly sweet, crunchy richness that stood out.

The drinks were equally memorable. The apricot juice was refreshing with a natural sweetness, and the Tsampa smoothie was unlike anything I’ve had before — earthy, filling, and rooted in tradition.

If you’re curious about authentic Ladakhi flavors and enjoy exploring regional cuisine, De Khambir is a must-visit spot in Leh. A...