OoruBest places to eat in Delhi
Khana is Hindi for food. This guide maps how Delhi eats, by kind of food rather than star ratings: Old Delhi breakfasts, chaat, chole bhature, Mughlai kebabs and butter chicken, state canteens and Tibetan food, and the city's old sweet shops. Each place lists what to order and a local tip.
Old Delhi Breakfast
Pt. Gaya Prasad Shiv Charan
Paranthe Wali Gali, Chandni Chowk · est. 1872 · Veg · Budget
Order: Stuffed paranthas (aloo, paneer, rabri, papad) with sabzi and chutney
The paranthas here are deep-fried in ghee, not griddled. Share several fillings instead of one big plate.
Jung Bahadur Kachori Wala
Chandni Chowk · Veg · Budget
Order: Urad dal kachori with aloo sabzi
A small corner stall. Eat it hot and standing, the way regulars do.
Shyam Sweets
Chawri Bazar · est. 1910 · Veg · Budget
Order: Bedmi puri with aloo sabzi, nagori halwa
A classic Old Delhi breakfast. Nagori halwa is a tiny crisp puri eaten with semolina halwa.
Haji Shabrati Nihari Wale
Chitli Qabar, near Jama Masjid · Non-veg · Budget
Order: Nihari with khameeri roti
In Old Delhi nihari is a breakfast dish, so go early in the morning.
Lotan Chole Kulche
Chawri Bazar · Veg · Budget
Order: Chole kulche
A tiny morning stall known for very spicy chole. Ask for less heat if you need it.
Chaat & Street Food
Natraj Dahi Bhalla Corner
Chandni Chowk · est. 1940 · Veg · Budget
Order: Dahi bhalla, aloo tikki
A counter set into a wall. Follow the crowd, it is always there.
Vishan Swaroop Chaat Bhandar
Chandni Chowk · Veg · Budget
Order: Shakarkandi (sweet potato) chaat, fruit chaat
One of the old names of Chandni Chowk chaat. The sweet potato chaat is best in the cooler months.
Ashok Chaat Corner
Chawri Bazar · Veg · Budget
Order: Dahi papdi, gol gappe
A family-run stall. Tell them what you like and they will adjust the chutneys.
Hira Lal Chaat Corner
Chawri Bazar · Veg · Budget
Order: Kulle chaat (hollowed fruit and vegetables filled with chickpeas)
The fruit version changes with the season.
Prabhu Chaat Bhandar
Shahjahan Road, near UPSC · Veg · Budget
Order: Gol gappe, dahi bhalla, aloo chaat
A long-running stall near India Gate, popular with office workers and students.
Daulat ki chaat vendors
Chandni Chowk (winter only) · Veg · Budget
Order: Daulat ki chaat
Whipped, sweetened milk froth, sold only on winter mornings.
Chole Bhature
Sita Ram Diwan Chand
Paharganj · est. 1950 · Veg · Budget
Order: Chole bhature, paneer-stuffed bhatura
The paneer-stuffed bhatura is the house special. A short walk from New Delhi railway station.
Chache Di Hatti
Kamla Nagar · Veg · Budget
Order: Chole bhature
A North Campus legend near Delhi University. Go in the morning.
Baba Nagpal Corner
Lajpat Nagar · Veg · Budget
Order: Chole bhature, lassi
A South Delhi favourite. Pair it with a glass of lassi.
Kwality
Connaught Place · est. 1940 · Mixed · Mid
Order: Chole bhature, cold coffee
A sit-down Connaught Place restaurant, for chole bhature with air conditioning.
Mughlai, Kebabs & Butter Chicken
Karim's
Gali Kababian, Jama Masjid · est. 1913 · Non-veg · Budget to mid
Order: Mutton korma, seekh kebab, mutton burra, nihari
The original is in a lane off Jama Masjid. Pair it with a visit to the mosque and go before the dinner rush.
Al Jawahar
Matia Mahal, Jama Masjid · Non-veg · Budget to mid
Order: Mutton korma, nihari, sheermal
A few steps from Karim's, with a calmer dining room.
Qureshi Kabab Corner
Urdu Bazar, Jama Masjid · Non-veg · Budget
Order: Seekh kebabs
A street-side grill at its best in the evening, and busiest during Ramzan.
Moti Mahal
Daryaganj · est. 1947 · Non-veg · Mid
Order: Butter chicken, dal makhani, tandoori chicken
An old name in the story of Delhi's tandoori and butter chicken. Who invented the dish is still argued over.
Kake Da Hotel
Connaught Place · est. 1931 · Non-veg · Budget to mid
Order: Butter chicken, dal makhani, keema
A no-frills Connaught Place institution for Punjabi food.
Khan Chacha
Khan Market · Non-veg · Mid
Order: Rolls, seekh kebab
Take a roll to go and eat it while you walk around Khan Market.
Rajinder Da Dhaba
Safdarjung Enclave · Non-veg · Budget to mid
Order: Galouti kebab, chicken tikka
A busy South Delhi stop for kebabs that stays lively into the evening.
Bukhara
ITC Maurya, Chanakyapuri · Non-veg · Upper
Order: Dal Bukhara, sikandari raan, tandoori kebabs
The city's most famous kebab dining room. Book ahead; diners traditionally eat with their hands here.
State Canteens & Other Cuisines
Andhra Bhavan Canteen
Ashoka Road, near India Gate · Mixed · Budget
Order: Andhra thali
A favourite Sunday lunch. Buy a coupon at the counter first and expect a queue.
Maharashtra Sadan
Kasturba Gandhi Marg · Mixed · Budget
Order: Puran poli, thalipeeth, misal
Maharashtrian snacks you rarely find elsewhere in Delhi.
Banga Bhawan
Hailey Road · Mixed · Budget to mid
Order: Bengali fish thali
Fish curries and Bengali sweets, close to the Mandi House theatres.
Majnu ka Tilla
North Delhi, near Vidhan Sabha metro · Mixed · Budget
Order: Laphing, thukpa, momos, butter tea
Delhi's Tibetan colony, a short ride from Vidhan Sabha metro. Spend an afternoon in its cafés.
Dilli Haat
INA · Mixed · Budget
Order: Food stalls from different states
A crafts market with food stalls run by different states. There is a small entry fee.
Bengali Market
Near Mandi House · Veg · Budget
Order: Chole bhature, chaat, Bengali sweets
A small market of old sweet shops and chaat counters, good before a show at Mandi House.
Sweets, Kulfi & Old Cafés
Old Famous Jalebi Wala
Dariba Kalan, Chandni Chowk · est. 1884 · Veg · Budget
Order: Jalebi with rabri
Thick jalebis fried in ghee. Ask for rabri on the side.
Kuremal Mohan Lal Kulfi Wale
Kucha Pati Ram, Chawri Bazar · est. Early 1900s · Veg · Budget
Order: Stuffed fruit kulfi (mango, pomegranate, jamun)
The kulfi is frozen inside the hollowed fruit, and the flavours change with the season.
Chaina Ram Sindhi Confectioners
Fatehpuri, Chandni Chowk · est. 1901 (Lahore) · Veg · Budget
Order: Karachi halwa, Sindhi sweets
The business began in Lahore and moved to Delhi after Partition.
Giani's di Hatti
Fatehpuri, Chandni Chowk · Veg · Budget
Order: Rabri falooda
A summer essential after a walk through the old city.
Wenger's
Connaught Place · est. 1926 · Mixed · Budget to mid
Order: Patties, pastries, cold coffee
Takeaway only. Grab a patty and eat it in the Connaught Place colonnades.
Indian Coffee House
Mohan Singh Place, Connaught Place · Mixed · Budget
Order: Filter coffee, cutlets, dosa
A rooftop café run by a workers' cooperative, with old-world waiters and old-world prices.
Questions people ask
What is the best breakfast in Delhi?
Delhi breakfasts are hearty: deep-fried stuffed paranthas in Paranthe Wali Gali, bedmi puri with aloo sabzi in Chawri Bazar, kachori at Jung Bahadur in Chandni Chowk, and chole bhature almost everywhere. For something meatier, Old Delhi eats nihari, a slow-cooked stew, early in the morning.
Where can I find the best chole bhature in Delhi?
Sita Ram Diwan Chand in Paharganj (since 1950), Chache Di Hatti in Kamla Nagar, Baba Nagpal Corner in Lajpat Nagar and Kwality in Connaught Place are the names Delhiites argue about. The street stalls are at their best in the morning and early afternoon.
Where should I eat in Old Delhi?
Start at Paranthe Wali Gali and the chaat counters of Chandni Chowk, then walk to Jama Masjid for Karim's, Al Jawahar and the kebab grills in the lanes around it. Finish with kulfi at Kuremal in Chawri Bazar or jalebi at Old Famous Jalebi Wala. Take the metro to Chandni Chowk or Jama Masjid: the lanes are too crowded for cars.
What are the state bhawan canteens in Delhi?
Many Indian states run guest houses in New Delhi with canteens open to the public, serving home-style regional food at low prices. Andhra Bhavan's thali and Maharashtra Sadan's snacks are among the best known. They serve at fixed meal times, so check before you go.
When can I eat daulat ki chaat?
Only in winter, roughly November to February. It is a cloud of whipped, sweetened milk sold by vendors in Chandni Chowk in the mornings, and it disappears once the weather warms up.
More in our guides: our Delhi city guide, everyday Hindi phrases and events in Delhi this weekend.