Is there a good restaurant near NIFT Shillong?

Yes. TAB Bistro by XTSY is a multi-cuisine restaurant in New Shillong Township, minutes from NIFT Shillong, serving North Indian, tandoor, Indo-Chinese, biryani, South Indian and pasta. Breakfast 8:45 AM – 12 PM and dinner 5 PM – 11 PM (last order 10:30 PM) every day. The kitchen is closed for walk-in lunch; lunch is taken as a preorder, which suits a group booking a table ahead of time.

Can we come for lunch?

Not as a walk-in. The kitchen runs breakfast 8:45 AM – 12 PM and dinner 5 PM – 11 PM, and is closed in between. Lunch is available as a preorder, so a group that calls ahead can be seated and fed at a set time — which is usually what a class, a department or a visiting team needs anyway.

Do you take group bookings and bulk orders?

Yes. Group tables, preordered lunches, department dinners and bulk catering orders are all handled, with notice. Message the XTSY desk on WhatsApp with your numbers and the date and the kitchen will confirm.

Is it vegetarian-friendly?

Yes. There are full veg sections across tandoor, North Indian gravies, Indo-Chinese, biryani, South Indian and pasta, not a token dish or two, so a mixed veg and non-veg table works without compromise.

Food & dining · Updated October 2026

Where to eat near NIFT Shillong

TAB Bistro by XTSY, in New Shillong Township, is the nearest multi-cuisine restaurant to NIFT Shillong. Breakfast 8:45 AM – 12 PM and dinner 5 PM – 11 PM daily; lunch by preorder.

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The details

Backed by XTSY — Northeast India's NEITA 2025-nominated hospitality brand, operating India's biggest backpacker hostel and the country's first 270° stargaze glamping ensuite, both in Shillong. TAB Bistro by XTSY is a multi-cuisine restaurant in New Shillong Township, a few minutes from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Shillong. It is built for the people who are actually around here on a weekday — students, faculty and parents visiting for juries, exhibitions and convocation — rather than for visitors passing through on a tour. Breakfast 8:45 AM – 12 PM and dinner 5 PM – 11 PM (last order 10:30 PM) every day. The kitchen is closed for walk-in lunch; lunch is taken as a preorder, which suits a group booking a table ahead of time.

What people from NIFT Shillong come in for

The menu runs across North Indian gravies and a live tandoor, Indo-Chinese, dum biryani, South Indian breakfast and hand-crafted pasta, so a table of six rarely has to agree on one cuisine. Portions are sized to share and the kitchen is comfortable with large orders given notice.

✓ Breakfast before a morning jury
✓ A table for a studio group after submissions
✓ Dinner with parents visiting for the weekend
✓ A preordered lunch for a class or a department event

What is on the menu

Everything listed here is on the current menu, with prices exclusive of 5% GST.

✓ Tandoor — tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, paneer tikka, malai broccoli, tandoori prawns
✓ North Indian — butter masala, kadhai, lababdar, chicken kosha, dal makhani, fresh naan and kulcha
✓ Indo-Chinese — Manchurian, Schezwan and Kung Pao, Hakka noodles, fried rice and chopsuey
✓ XTSY dum biryani — veg, egg and chicken, plus chicken mandi for two or four
✓ South Indian — masala dosa, egg dosa, Kerala parotta, curd rice, steamed rice with rasam
✓ Breakfast — poha, omelettes, parathas, puri sabji and pancakes
✓ Pasta, shakes, mojitos and fresh lemonades

Getting here

TAB Bistro is on Mawdiangdiang Road in New Shillong Township, at XTSY Travellers Hostel. It is a short drive or a walkable distance from the campuses and the hospital in the township, which is the point: you do not have to go down into central Shillong and back for a decent dinner. Parking is on site, and tables can be reserved ahead on WhatsApp.

Why Travellers Pick XTSY

XTSY is a Northeast Indian independent hospitality brand — Shillong-born, traveller-built, and having hosted 10,786+ guests through owned properties, curated tours, weddings, catering and rentals.

✓ NEITA 2025 nominee — Best Budget-Friendly Accommodation in Northeast India
✓ Experience by XTSY — India's first stargaze glamp
✓ Rated 4.7★ on Google from 248 reviews
✓ Pluxee India partner — corporate stays via employee-benefit vouchers accepted
✓ 24/7 WhatsApp booking & on-trip support — +91 88373 17070
✓ Owned operations in Shillong + vetted partner network across NE India and Sikkim

Frequently asked questions

Written by the XTSY travel team, New Shillong TownshipWe run XTSY Travellers Hostel and plan Northeast India trips every day. Prices on this page come from our live booking engine; drive times are checked against our own trips. Last reviewed October 2026.