India GOIdli in Mysore
In Mysore idli is the quiet half of breakfast: the city's famous plate is the dosa, and idli comes alongside it, white, soft and mild, with coconut chutney or sambar. Three addresses in our base serve it: Original Vinayaka Mylari in Nazarbad, a six-table room open since the late 1930s; Indra Café's Paras opposite Devaraja Market; and Om Shanthi near the palace.
🍥 Idli
Steamed cakes of fermented rice and lentil batter, white and mild: the gentlest thing on any South Indian menu, and what the region feeds children and anyone recovering from something.
How it's eaten
Dunk it in sambar until it soaks through: a dry idli explains nothing about why the south eats them daily.
The city's food with veg and non-spicy filters, in the app.
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Where to eat idli in Mysore
All three are vegetarian.
Original Vinayaka Mylari, Nazarbad
The tiny room credited with the soft, pancake-thick Mylari dosa serves barely five things at six elbow-to-elbow tables, and idli with a pale coconut chutney is one of them. Copies crowd the lane: the genuine one has a green board reading "The Old Original Hotel Vinayaka Mylari" in red letters, beside Giri Stationery. Price level ₹.
Indra Café's Paras, opposite Devaraja Market
A pure-vegetarian landmark since 1956, a short walk from the palace. Breakfast runs from masala dosa and pooris to idli-vada, the idli served with a fried lentil doughnut on the same plate. It is almost always busy, so be ready to share a table. Price level ₹₹.
Om Shanthi, near Mysore Palace
A long-standing, well-priced vegetarian restaurant with soft idli and dosa made to order, in an air-cooled dining room. Handy between sights; it fills up around lunch. Price level ₹₹.
Thatte idli, on the road from Bangalore
One idli belongs to this road in particular. Thatte idli, large and flat because it is steamed in plates rather than cups, comes from Bidadi, between Bangalore and Mysore, and Karnataka Tourism has a page of its own on it. According to that page, it is sold at quick-service restaurants across the state, including those on the highways between Bengaluru and Mysuru.
The long history of idli in Karnataka, back to a Kannada text of 920 CE, is on the idli page.
✅ Good to know
- Diet: plain idli is rice, black lentils, salt and water, so it is vegetarian, vegan and wheat-free. The chutney is coconut; ask about ghee if you avoid dairy.
- Timing: idli is breakfast food. The old rooms are busiest early, and Mylari has only six tables.
- Dip it: idli is deliberately plain; the chutney and sambar do the work.
More morning addresses on breakfast in Mysore.
❓ FAQ
Where is the best idli in Mysore?
Original Vinayaka Mylari in Nazarbad serves it beside its famous soft dosa; Indra Café's Paras opposite Devaraja Market and Om Shanthi near the palace are the central alternatives.
How do I find the original Mylari?
Look for the green board with red lettering, "The Old Original Hotel Vinayaka Mylari", beside Giri Stationery in Nazarbad. Several copies share the lane.
What is thatte idli?
A large, flat idli steamed in plates, from Bidadi on the Bangalore–Mysore road.
Is idli vegan?
Plain idli is: the batter is only rice, lentils, salt and water. Check whether ghee is added on top.