5 Best Restaurants in Bagan, Myanmar

This is one of the better spots along this happening strip of restaurants, where you're likely to bump into friends you've made earlier in the day during temple hopping. These places are geared to tourists and so prices are inflated, but the "no good, no pay" offer at this Indian restaurant is hard to resist. Curries are tasty but mild, so definitely ask for more spice if you like a kick. All the breads are worth a try, especially the hot, fluffy naan. Aroma 2 gets packed so it's best to have your hotel make reservations.

A charming little restaurant, Be Kind to Animals the Moon is constantly packed with ravenous temple-goers. The menu offers traditional Burmese dishes like a refreshing tea leaf salad alongside gussied-up backpacker staples. Dip papadums into a chutney and cool down with refreshing shakes or the restaurant's top-notch lime, ginger, and honey juice.

On New Bagan's restaurant row, Black Rose serves up Burmese, Thai, Indian, and Chinese food to tourists staying in the nearby hotels. Most dishes are quite mild, so tell your waiter if you like your food on the spicy side. The chicken curry is excellent. The restaurant owners, a husband-and-wife duo, speak English well and are on hand, but service is extremely slow. Order a drink to start and sip slowly while you wait for your food.

Of the cluster of restaurants just north of Ananda Temple, Golden Myanmar 1 and 2, owned by the same family, are the most popular with local drivers and guides, and offer the most authentic Burmese food. Sit down, smile expectantly, and dishes will begin appearing on your table faster than you can wash the grime from your face. Mutton, pork, and an array of chicken curries, fried fish, sautéed vegetables, Burmese salads (pickled tea leaf), and rice will leave you stuffed, but then dessert comes out—short, squat bananas and sweet little tamarind candies. The friendly staff will keep refilling your plates unless you say otherwise. The buffet is K3,000 per person, excluding drinks.