Il Forno Restaurant — Restaurant in Ladakh

This restaurant has the location going for it. Overlooking the main market and just off Zangsti Road, it is hard to miss. A friend recommended the place after he enjoyed a meal there.

After going there myself, it is apparent that taste is subjective.

Firstly, the stairs leading to the establishment look precarious. I'm sure many people frequently use the stairs, but they could do with a makeover.

I arrived there a little after lunchtime, so the place was empty except for a couple. I was interested in trying something fishy, but as expected, Trout costs around a thousand bucks everywhere in Leh. I settled for the Chicken Steak with Mushrooms. I wanted a glass of mango lassi, but they only had papaya lassi. No way I was going to try that. Settled for a glass of Ginger Lemon Honey Tea.

The restaurant doesn't have a restroom, so I was told to use the public one outside the restaurant. Not a good idea.

The tea arrived before the food. The ginger in the glass of hot water looked like it was dehydrated and I got a teabag to dip into the hot water. A plastic bottle of honey was brought to me and I found that the cap was stuck. I had to call the waiter to help me open it. There was half a piece of lime that I could squeeze into the water. After mixing them all together, I could only taste the lime. Lime water.

The steak looked great when it arrived. I mean, my hunger added a bit to its appeal. After taking a few bites, I realized that it was not seasoned enough. I was getting slight hints of the chicken, the sauce, and the mushroom, but there was not enough salt. I had to add the salt to bring some flavor and make it palatable. The chips on the side were pretty average. It was the salad that stole the show. Hard to believe, I know. It actually had all the flavor that was missing from the steak. I think the dressing was what made it stand apart. I would recommend that salad.

The meal left me unsatisfied and dreading what the other dishes on the menu tasted like.

I went to the sink that is near the entrance to wash my hands and found that there was no water. I had to loosen the knob below the sink to get water. This can easily be fixed by the management.

The bill...

A Genuine Warning: Do NOT Waste Your Money or Risk Your Health Here!

This isn't just a bad review; consider this a public service announcement. This place is an absolute disgrace to the food and hospitality industry.

We ordered two chicken dishes, a soup, and dal khichdi. What arrived was an inedible, health-hazardous insult. Every single item was blatantly HALF-COOKED and completely tasteless. It was pathetic, lazy, and utterly unacceptable.

When we dared to bring this to the staff's attention, we were met with staggering rudeness and unprofessionalism. Instead of an apology or concern, we got attitude. The staff is as appalling as the food they serve.

The place is filthy and profoundly unhygienic. The food is a disaster, but the staff is the worst part of this entire nightmare.

This was without a doubt one of the worst experiences I have ever had. They single-handedly ruined our entire day and our money.

I am begging you: DO NOT be fooled by the promise of live music. It is not worth risking your health, your money, or your evening on this disgusting, poorly-run establishment. Stay away. Go literally...

If I had a choice to stay hungry or eat here. I'd choose to stay hungry. This is one of the worst restaurants I have been to in my life. The ambiance is just OK. The food is ordinary. And the service is hopeless. They do not respect Indians and treated us like they were doing us a favour. On the other hand, anyone with a fair skin (non-Indians) was treated like Gods. Although they wouldn't have spent half as much as we would have. If they did not want us there, they should put up a sign outside saying "Indians not welcome!" They took more than an hour to get fresh fries and green salad. How can such simple things take more than 15 mins? They did not even give us beer mugs to have our beer. We were served at snail pace literally. I would honestly like to give a review which had a negative score. They do not even deserve one star. I would never recommend this place to...