Lucknow for two nights

proxyindian

We got overexcited watching the old Umrao Jaan film and decided that it would be much more interesting to spend two nights in Lucknow than in Mathura. The next question is, where will we stay? I think the answer is Carlton Hotel or Capoor's. From the reviews, it seems they've both got old-fashioned charm. Carlton is a bit run down, probably, but we like run down if it still has an aura of previous eras.

Does anyone have experience in Lucknow? What hotel is a nice midrange. Please don't tell me to look in your hotel review section because there is scant material there. Thanks.

jyotirmoy

Can't help with old world hotel.
While in Lucknow check out the excellent "Chikan work" The kurtas are great.
Also try the fabulous Kababs sold by Tunda Miya.

Amitava343

Carlton is a good hotel. Apart from that there is Clark Avadh on the Gomti.
There is plenty to see in Lucknow:
Romi Darwaza (apart from Lucknow only in Rome hence the name)
Bara Imamba
Chota Imambara
Residency Ruins
Dilwara Palace
Imamba Shahnajab
Shahid Minar and the clock tower
Lamatenear Schoool(the building)
Rah Bhavan
If religious don't forget the Hanuman Temple on Monkey Bridge
The best place to hangout in the evenings is Hazratgung known to locals and students as gunging
Cheero

proxyindian

Only thing is, I'm not all that relgious. We're going to Lucknow in place of Mathura/Brindavan, because those religious towns would be too much after three nights in Varanasi. When I follow John up to altars to pray, I have no idea what to do. All that goes through my head is my family's dinner prayer: Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, let this food to us be blest. And I'm not trying to be funny, becuase I'm not even Christian anymore. This little prayer is one I heard every single day of my life until I left for college so it's one that I'm comfortable with. And what is John praying? I think he knows quite a lot of names for Ganesh, or maybe he's doing the Mahamantra....

I think I've seen this type of material on some handsome men on Flickr... (can't locate picture right now). It seems like it would be overly drafty in the winter though very nice in the summer.

And kababs! Just saying the word makes my mouth water. Here in Chicago, there's a joint for taxi drivers. We went there and it was very crowded. We ordered the kababs but they came hot on the outside and cold on the inside. Very sad after Karims in Delhi.

mousourik

Jyotida,
we're planning to go to Lucknow - where is "Tunda Miya"?
Also, any suitable hotel there ? double bed nona/c attached bath around 400/500 ?

jyotirmoy

Bhai mousorik,
You will find Tunda Miya's eatery in Aminabad. It is very popular so anybody will direct you.

Sorry can't help you with the hotel question. There is one Bengali lodge in Chaarbagh with in walking distance from the railway station you can check that out.

mousourik

thnx Dadabhai.

sannna

Proxyindian and Mousourik, I have sent you a private message with a tip for hotel. Enjoy LKO!

singsub

not to nitpick, but i think it would have benifitted a lot more members if you had shared it here.

wonderwomanusa

I stayed at the Hotel Gomti in Lucknow and would stay there again. I had a large room with windows, a private bath with hot water and Western toilet, and a view of someone's cows!

Oh, and there's a good Chinese restaurant to the left, and good kebabs to the right! I didn't try the hotel restaurant, except for some hardboiled eggs to take on the train.

I have posted about this in the Hotel section, by the way.

sannna

You're right. I recommended Naheed Varma's Homestay at Mall Avenue. A small homestay in a good area run by a friendly family. It is mentioned in the last edition of LP as well.

Cheers.

EL ES DEE

Make sure you eat chicken tikka rice/kebabs they are ultra delicious.

proxyindian

Mrs. Varma is very quick with her reply! I'd emailed Capoor's earlier this week and they still haven't replied... Oh well, they lose. John and I are glad to very take the reservation at the Naheed Varma's Homestay. It's 400 for a single, and 550 for double, inclusive of breakfast and dinner.

I don't think we'll be there for the dinners, though, since there is a lot that needs to get eaten while we're in Lucknow.

proxyindian

We have a book, Food Path: Cuisine Along the Grand Trunk Road from Kabul to Kokata by Pushpes Pant, and it gives a history of the GTR and all the yummy things to eat along the way. Pushpesh recommends going up to Lucknow (which isn't on the GTR) just to taste all the things they have there.

Kakori kebab - this is the "melt-in-the-mouth skewered kebabs" developed so that you don't have to masticate. The nawabs conscidered it rude to chew food, apparently.

Dum pukht - "the art of steam and low pressure cooking in a sealed clay pot" This was invented during a famine and seems to be some kind of pulau that was given to the needy in the morning.

Shahi tukra - "the silver leaf draped, square or round piece of bread with clotted cream, a hint of saffron and slivers of pistachio and almond!"

Last year, on our second trip, we didn't lose any weight at all even with all the walking we did. I'm afraid this year we'll leave India fatter....

steadyfriend

I know the area around Carlton Hotel well, as I had attended the nearby St. Francis' School (now College) many years ago.

Right bang in front of Carlton Hotel, in 2006, I found they had built an air conditioned 'Sahara Shopping Mall'(on the grounds of the large front garden of Carlton ?).... on the ground floor is a MacDonalds outlet, and a Marks & Spencer showroom; on the first floor is a multi-screen cinema complex and on the top floor is an eating place, which I am told does a good buffet meal.