The Sitting Elephant - A Rooftop Restaurant Overlooking River Ganga — Restaurant in Rishikesh

Honest review

During the holiday season in the last week of Dec 23, we were crossing Rishikesh and googled for some good restaurants. The sitting elephant was highly suggested everywhere and was showing as an award winning restaurant and was highly suggested on trip advisor as well. Quite exited, we set our google maps location for this place, and we reached around 4 30 pm. As I assumed this was a restaurant and cafe, and we were not in the mood for any Indian food, we will be welcomed. But to our dismay, as we entered, we were told that the kitchen is closed, and you can get only tea/ coffee. At this point, we were thinking, there is a way to put this point across, but being rude about it was totally uncalled for. Since we had been dwelling over this ‘award winning restaurant’ for quite a while now, we decided to ignore this and have a good coffee whilst overlooking the Ganges. We were pleasantly surprised when we were told that we can order food as well, only Pizza/Pasta.

There were only 2 servers at that time, and I must say the senior server was quite rude and seemed disinterested in the entire process, having a look of- why are you guys here at this time.

We ordered cold coffees with clear instructions of no ice cream, no sugar and strong coffee. And the cold coffee was quite sweet, to our dismay. We ordered 2 pizzas, and I assumed for 500 a pizza, it must be 8-10 inches. But the pizza was 6 inches with just 4 pieces.

Also, to set the context, just to add here, the restaurant had just 1 table occupied at that time, but multiple tables had plates and leftover food from the previous customer, seemed they didn’t bother cleaning it after the customers left. The entire place was untidy, not clean at all, bird poop everywhere, which is fine and can happen if you have an open roof.

When I called the server to put my point across, he clearly said, ‘it is a luxury property’ hence the size and the rates. Ambiguous statement from a restaurant, which clearly had bird poop on the tables and chairs. I did not feel a single emotion of sitting in a luxury property.

Paid 2k for 8 slices of pizza and 4 cold coffees, I would not have minded at all if the food was good, but clearly waste of money at this luxury property. The staff was very impolite and rude, and the only decent and polite staff member was the guard who assisted us with the parking.

It might just have been one of those off days for them, but yeah all talk and no show, at...

“The service was impeccable. We had both dinner and breakfast here.”

The above was my original review. We stayed at the hotel this restaurant is located at and while the staff was friendly they were incredibly pushy when it came to reviews. While we were eating they came to ask us to post reviews saying it was related to their incentives. I said that I would post a review later - that was why I was taking so many pictures in the first place - but they insisted I post my review right at that time and stood by the table until I did. Then they looked up the review on their own phone and when they couldn’t find it took my phone to see it. My grandparents are not that tech savvy and weren’t going to post a review but the staff took their phones and posted a review for themselves. They asked us to post our reviews not only on google but also on TripAdvisor after learning that was how we had booked our stay. The ambiance of the restaurant is very nice - it’s decorated well and has a clear theme. The food was good for the most part - the pizza was not worth it. The breakfast the first day was cold and the next day it was a mix of hot and cold and the final day they were bringing food to the table instead of at the buffet and the food was actually hot. When we had dinner we were first served papad and chutney - the green chutney was good. We ordered then the Manchow soup which was nice - it was spicy but not overwhelmingly spicy but the crispy noodles were put in before the soup was served so they were soggy by the time we got the soup. We also ordered the noodle soup which didn’t have any noodles but did have tofu (not sure if we were served the wrong soup or what) this was also good - not that spicy. The other soup we ordered was cream of tomato which was good/tangy. The Bharwan Aloo Kashmiri was good. The Rumali roti was good but it wasn’t thin. The laccha paratha was good. We enjoyed the achaar that was served on the side. We also ordered gulab jamun and cold coffee which were good. We had ordered pizza which arrived super late (we ordered it the same time as our entrees and soup but it was served some time after we had already finished with dessert) The waiter hadn’t written down our order and we had to ask multiple times about it before it came. Overall it was a nice restaurant but me and my family didn’t have the...

🌟 Five‑Star Review for The Sitting Elephant, Rishikesh

If you’re thinking of heading to Rishikesh, make sure The Sitting Elephant at EllBee Ganga View is at the top of your list. This rooftop restaurant isn’t just about food—it’s an experience. Open on all sides, it offers sweeping views of the Ganges and the surrounding hills—day or night—and, yes, they even have live music under the stars.

Food that steals the spotlight As a long‑time vegetarian, I’m always on the lookout for authentic local flavors—and their Garhwali saag is nothing short of spectacular. Rich, hearty, and perfectly spiced, it’s the kind of saag that makes driving across town worth it. Their dal makhani is another standout: creamy, luscious, and effortlessly comforting. I also can’t stop raving about their “Panchgani dal” (or whichever dal it is, it’s yellow and a mix of many)—each spoonful is pure goodness.

Why it’s a culinary destination • Vegetarian heaven: Everything is veg, with tons of vegan-friendly, gluten‑free options. • Scenic rooftop magic: Whether you choose indoor or outdoor seating, the view of the river and lush hills is breathtaking. • Laid‑back yet classy vibe: The bamboo‑thatched aesthetic, open‑air seating, and mellow evening music create a serene yet vibrant atmosphere. • Warm hospitality: Staff are attentive without being intrusive; it feels personal, not corporate.

Multiple visits later, I’m consistently blown away by the consistency—each plate still tastes like fresh comfort. The saag, the dal makhani, and that punchy dal—these classics are all Michelin-worthy in flavor.

Who should go: • Vegetarian and vegan diners who crave top-tier regional cuisine. • Anyone seeking a restaurant with scenery and soul. • Solo travelers or groups craving authentic Garhwali flavors with a view.

Do yourself a favor—book ahead if you can, and time it so you catch the golden hour glow on the Ganga. Whether you’re there for lunch, dinner, or a night of music under the stars, this place hits every...