I will be leaving for Manali from Delhi in the early morning hours of Wednesday, and since it will be very early will have to stop over for breakfast, and I would like some suggestions on where to stop. I don't think I need to mention that I would like the place to be hygienic and of course to serve delicious food. I don't want any fast food chain suggestions like McDonalds's. Just in case we miss our breakfast time and decide to keep driving until midday, please also suggest a place to stop at for lunch.
Just before the flyover where you take a right turn for Chandigarh there is a South Indian restaurant where they serve excellent breakfast choices. It is a South Indian restaurant but they do have some North Indian stuff including paranthas and cholae poorie. Chandigarh is just three and a half hours if you leave 3AM ish and another two hours to Shimla from there. If you do not stop by at Chandigarh or the restaurant that I have suggested above then stop at Shimla at some restaurant there.
Hello there! So the route you have to take to reach Manali is this: New Delhi > Sonipat > Panipat > Karnal > Kurukshetra > Ambala > Rupnagar > Bilaspur > Mandi > Kullu > Manali. So usually, stopovers are in the Ambala - Chandigarh Highway. However, since you'd like to eat breakfast along your journey, the halt would have to be much earlier. For breakfast, stopovers can be at Panipat or Karnal. I can recommend these restaurants in Panipat: Food Garage - The theme of this restaurant is vintage cars, which you'd see across the interiors. Food here is good especially for the price you pay. Their exact address is: 330-R Near Lal Tanki Market, Panipat 132103. Shubham Restaurant - They have Chinese and Mediterranean cuisines. The restaurant is very hygienic and neat as well. Meals are very affordable and they have a variety of vegetarian dishes. Their address is: Assandh Road, Near Haryana Petrol Pump, Madlauda, Israna, Panipat 132107. Buddies Cafe - They have Chinese dishes. Food here is average but will do for a road trip. Their address is: Panipat, Panipat 132103. You have more options in Karnal. But my recommendations are the following: Neelkanth Star Dhaba - They have Indian, Chinese and Asian cuisines. Try out their aloo paratha and dal makhni. The design of the restaurant is very simple. It's also well-maintained and clean. Their address is: National Highway-1, Grand Trunk Road, Karnal 13200. Shefali Restaurant - They have Indian and Asian cuisines. Try out their butter chicken and tandoori. Their address is: Civil Hospital Chowk, Karnal. Jhilmil - They have Indian cuisine. This is a pure vegetarian restaurant and the cleanliness is good enough here. Their address is: GT Road, Karnal. Daana Paani - They have Indian, Chinese and Asian cuisines. This is mainly a food court with several eateries around. It's relatively well-maintained as well. Their address is: Sector 45, National Highway-1, Adjacent to Chd City Entrance, Karnal 132001. For lunch, stopover can be at Bilaspur. Here are your options: Rasoi Vegetarian Restaurant - Good restaurant for Indian vegetarian dishes. Their thali has a huge serving size as well. Cleanliness of the restaurant is fine although at times, it's not that clean. But still generally clean compared to other restaurants. Their address is: Tarbahar Chowk, Bilaspur. Shri Bhagwan Vegetarian Thali Restaurant - The unlimited thali here is only for Rs. 90. It's a very clean and maintained restaurant although service is a bit slow. Their address is: Karona Chowk, Juni Lines, Bilaspur 495001. I hope this helps.