Delhi India – Best Places to Eat and Dishes to Try

If one were to ask us to define Delhi in three words, we would call it A Foodies’ Paradise. Delhi has simply some amazing food to offer for all palates. Be it international cuisines like Italian, Chinese, Middle Eastern or European, or home grown Indian dishes like Chhole Bhature, Butter Chicken or Mutton Curry, Delhi is a gastronomical delight.

What to expect

Wherever you are in Delhi, delicious food will never be far away. Of course, there are some really iconic places one should visit if you want to enjoy some of the best meals in Delhi, and this article will serve as a good starting point to experience the mouth-watering delight of Delhi.

What is important to note about Delhi is that there are no indigenous people here. Having been the capital of India for a very long time, it has attracted many people who have made it their home and have brought their local cuisines here which over the years have changed with experimentations and become food which has now started to be associated with Delhi.

Local dishes to try

There are some local dishes that are you should absolutely experience in Delhi.

Parathas, be they of potatoes, onions, cottage cheese or cauliflower, is a hugely popular food which can be enjoyed anytime of the day, especially with curd. The Paranthe Wali galli in Chandni Chowk and the dhabas in Murthal, which is an hour drive from Delhi, are the places you should go to try out the Paranthas. A plate of Paranthas usually range from INR 60 to INR 150, but they are well worth it.

Chaat, a sweet and spicy concoction is another delicious snack which Delhi is famous for. Although it is available throughout India, Delhi has its own special versions and the best places for trying out this amazing snack is Karol Bagh and Chandni Chowk. Being a street food, Chaat is very easy on the pocket, and you can enjoy a plate of Dahi Bhalle for INR 50 almost anywhere.

Butter Chicken, Kebabs and Biryani are food which are fit for heaven. The delicious flavours of these delights have converted some of our vegetarian friends into meat eaters and there are some very famous places where one should go to try out these superb dishes. Karim’s near Jama Masijd, Khan Market, Nizamuddin and Moti Mahal in Daryaganj are the places which have always left us licking our fingers after a meal and when it is followed by the heavenly sweet drink Lassi, it just makes your day. A meal at one of these places would come to about INR 400 per person but it will definitely leave you wanting for more.

Chhole Bhature is a special dish of Delhi. For one thing, we cannot stop salivating once we look at a plate of this delicious dish. Nathu’s in Bengali Market, Sarojini Market and Pahargunj are the best places to try out the Chhole Bhature and it costs about INR 80 per plate. But be a little cautious though. This is a heavy food which uses a lot of oil for cooking, so if you are watching your weight, we advise you to avoid it.

No talk of food in Delhi will ever be over without a mention of Momos. This Tibetan dish has caught on like wildfire here and one can spot vendors selling this amazing dish at all corners of Delhi. But if you want the best, GK Market, Yashwant Complex and North Campus are the places you must head to. INR 60 to INR 100 is enough to enjoy this lovely little dish at most places.

Street food and markets

Apart from these specialty dishes, there are many places in Delhi which are famous for its food and it’s more than worth your while to visit them. Whenever we are in Delhi, we always keep one day in hand to visit these places and enjoy the amazing food there. Not only is the food cheap, but is extremely good on your taste buds. Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, Jama Masjid, Yashwant Complex, Karol Bagh and Sarojini Market are some such places which are renowned for their food.

A special mention must be made to Delhi Haat when it comes to food in Delhi. It is a conglomeration of stalls where vendors from all over the country gather to display handicrafts and clothes from their state and also serve up some amazing food. All the local flavours from the different states of India can be tried here and it is an amazing food experience. The prices are a tad high, and depends on the amount and kind of food you eat, but a rough budget of INR 1000 for 2 people should be enough to cover a hearty meal!

Local restaurants

Delhi also has a number of options if we are ever in the mood for a proper sit down meal and there also some fantastically themed places here.

The Victorial styled Rose Café, luxury dhaba styled Bukhara and the Chor bazaar themed Chor Bizzare are some places to have a meal in stunning ambience. The prices range from INR 2000 to INR 5000 depending on the place.

There are also some iconic places in Delhi which truly serve some delicious food like Al Bake, Wenger’s Deli, Gulati Restaurant, Potbelly Rooftop Restaurant and Rajinder Da Dhaba where you can get in a good meal for INR 500 to INR 1500 for 2 people.

Western and international food

Of course, there are times when you miss the taste of home when visiting a foreign country, and if so, Delhi can surprise you with some truly international flavours.

Big Chill in Khan Market and Geoffrey’s in Noida offer some truly spectacular Italian food, Smoke House Deli in Aurobindo Marg and Fresco’s in Connaught Place are known for their steaks and grills while Zizo in Connaught Place and Fez Mediterranean Bar in Chankyapuri serve up some delectable Middle Eastern food. These places are a little heavy on the pocket, and a meal would cost upwards of INR 1500 for two but the food more than makes up for it.

Cafes and coffee houses

If you are in the mood for a quite cup of coffee, Delhi has a lot of beautiful little cafés and the Café Lota, Ama Café and Café Turtle are the places you should head to for some truly wonderful coffee and conversations. There are also a number Café Coffee Day’s, Starbucks and Mocha present around the city where you can head to.

Bars and other drinking venues

There are also a number of places in Delhi, like Connaught Place and Hauz Khas Village, where the young often hang out to have a drink or two while dancing the night away. It always delights us to visit these places to experience the exuberance of the youth and maybe even let our hair down!

But in case you are looking for a more formal setting to have a few drinks with your buddies, The Blue Bar in Chanakyapuri, Tamasha in Connaught Place and Tourist in Janpath are some places to head to. And if you are a fan of Lord of the Rings as we are, there are a couple of outlets of a place called Lord of the Drinks where you can enjoy some ale sitting in an ambience which has been inspired by Tolkien’s world.

These are just some of the places in Delhi that we suggest you visit and one thing is for sure. If you love food, you will keep coming back to Delhi simply because of the amazing flavours and the number of choices that you get here.