The best restaurants in Delhi are part of a well-established gastro scene that spans haute-cuisine and no-frills street food. This frenzied mega-metropolis in northern India is renowned for its 17th-century red sandstone fort and compelling street art, but some think its true magic lies in its cuisine. One minute, you can find yourself in a state-run canteen surrounded by motorbikes, and the next, an award-winning bistro in a 5-star hotel.
Restaurants in Delhi entice diners with their aromatic biryanis, hearty homestyle curries and intriguing regional delicacies from the likes of Kerala and Telangana. In its warren of streets, you’ll discover some of the tastiest cooking in the entire subcontinent, informed by thousands of years of customs.
Epicurean haven with multiple awards
Ideal para: Alimentação, Vida noturna, Luxo
Ranked the Number One Restaurant in India by Condé Nast Traveller, Indian Accent transcends all expectations with its heady marriage of traditional flavours and international cooking techniques. Found in The Lodhi, a luxury hotel set in 7 acres of landscaped gardens, the venue is elevated with crisp white tablecloths, golden lighting and plush Art Deco chairs.
Arrive hungry because the dishes are seriously tempting. Think smoked duck shaami with barberry chutney, jackfruit and sweet potato podimas and slow-cooked lamb shank with turnips and baked roti. For dessert, don’t miss the doda burfi treacle tart served with dreamy vanilla bean ice cream, or the Old Monk rum balls made with 70% Valrhona chocolate.
Localização: The Lodhi, Lodhi Rd, CGO Complex, Pragati Vihar, New Delhi, Delhi 110003, India
Abre: Daily from noon to 2.45 pm, from 6.45 pm to 9 pm and from 9.45 pm to midnight
Telefone: +91 11 6617 5151
Indian Accent
Gateway to India’s street food
Ideal para: Econômico, Alimentação
Situated a short drive southwest of the New Delhi centre, Bhawan draws crowds with its retro interior and eclectic selection of street food reimagined for the modern palate. Here, you’ll find a wide range of chaat, which are savoury hors d’oeuvres, and classic curries like chicken tikka, as well as naan bread enhanced with truffles and garlic.
Pair signature cocktails like the Bombay Bellini with plates of smashed lentil dumplings called dahi bhalle served with aromatic chutney, and tandoori zaffran prawns topped with salty olive salsa. For afters, nothing beats a helping of the amritsari kulfa, a traditional Indian ice cream finished with vivid rose phirni. If you don’t have time to venture out, you can always order takeaway.
Localização: Bhawan, Unit 9, 32nd Avenue, NH-8, Sector 15 Part 2, Gurugram, Haryana 122001, India
Abre: Daily from 12.30 pm to 11 pm
Telefone: +91 81785 39537
Bhawan
Unpretentious dishes in rustic-chic surrounds at ITC Maurya Hotel
Ideal para: Casais, Famílias, Alimentação
Located in the ITC Maurya Hotel, Bukhara instantly enchants with its rustic cobblestone walls, log-topped tables and sparkly copper cooking pots that are suspended from the ceiling. The restaurant specialises in tandoori cuisine from the Northwest Frontier like succulent lamb chops, spiced cauliflower florets and whole marinated chickens that’ve been baked in the clay oven.
Bukhara is so esteemed that it frequently attracts A-list celebs like Hollywood action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger and tennis pro Roger Federer. Despite its clout, diners are invited to eat with their hands in traditional Indian fashion, accompanied by plenty of bread to mop up the sauces.
Localização: ITC MAURYA, Sardar Patel Marg, Akhaura Block, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, Delhi 110021, India
Abre: Daily from 12.30 pm to 3 pm and from 7 pm to midnight
Telefone: +91 11 2611 2233
Bukhara
The epitome of romantic fine dining at ITC Maurya Hotel
Ideal para: Casais, Alimentação, Luxo
Bathed in old-world opulence, Dum Pukht restaurant woos with its scallop-shell doorways, chandelier lighting, elaborate silverware and cobalt velvet chairs. Reserve a white-clothed table and indulge in exquisite Indian cuisine informed by a 30-year legacy and executed by chefs with Nawab dynasty lineages.
Listen to lilting piano music while savouring all those Dum Pukht classics like melt-in-the-mouth kakori kebabs, fragrant biryanis and sumptuous spice-infused curries. This restaurant is popular, so make sure you book your spot well in advance via the ITC Maurya website or by phoning the lobby.
Localização: ITC MAURYA, Sardar Patel Marg, Akhaura Block, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, Delhi 110021, India
Abre: Daily from 12.30 pm to 2.45 pm and from 7 pm to 11.45 pm
Telefone: +91 11 2611 2233
Dum Pukht
The cuisine of Karnataka
Ideal para: Casais, Famílias, Alimentação
Boasting multiple locations across India’s bustling capital, Carnatic Café delights famished travellers with its homely interior, warm hospitality and simple southern dishes that boast powerful flavours. Come here for the dosas: a thin fermented crepe made from rice and black gram, accompanied by chutneys and fragrant masalas.
If dosas aren’t your thing, do not fear. Carnatic Café also serves delicious ‘Folk Meals’ like akki roti infused with onions and chillis and patravali oota, a platter of small salads, seasoned vegetables, tomato saar and rice of the day. Wash it all down with a fresh lime soda or hibiscus iced tea, before enjoying a bowl of pink guava ice cream.
Abre: Daily from 9 am to 10.30 pm
Telefone: +91 96671 80766
Carnatic Café
Stylish eatery surrounded by treasures
Ideal para: Alimentação, Foto
Café Lota is situated in the National Crafts Museum, a mesmerising cultural hub filled with prized relics including 300-year-old Bhoota spirit figurines and animistic jewellery showcasing curious totemic cobra heads. Come here for the ever-evolving menus informed by lesser-known culinary traditions and the plant-filled interior helmed by local artisans.
Pair delicious dishes like Kerala vegetable stew and Himalayan trout with single estate coffee and speciality orthodox teas like Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe from the Mancotta tea plantation. For dessert, try the apple jalebi with coconut rabdi, or the bhapa boi cheesecake with pistachios and almonds.
Localização: Gate No. 2, National Crafts Museum, Bhairon Marg, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, Delhi 110001, India
Abre: Daily from 8 am to 9.30 pm
Telefone: +91 78389 60787
Café Lota
Legendary restaurant spanning 3 generations
Ideal para: Famílias, Alimentação, Econômico
Rajinder Da Dhaba is instantly recognisable thanks to its red neon signs and motorbikes parked out front. It might be worlds away from Delhi’s lavish hotel restaurants, but this no-fuss haunt dishes up some of the best street food in the city. Starting off in the 1960s as a simple fish-fry stall, RDD has flourished into a culinary institution, beloved by Bollywood actors and throngs of local foodies.
Swing by for delicious dishes like makhmali fish tikka, mutton korma and tawa chicken seekh, a type of Indian kebab. While the place is always dynamic, it’s anything but boring. Trust us, you’ll be talking about this place for years to come.
Localização: AB-14B, Nauroji Nagar Marg, opposite Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi, Delhi 110029, India
Abre: Daily from 4 pm to 11.30 pm
Telefone: +91 11 2610 0355
Rajinder Da Dhaba
Unassuming diner with a loyal following
Ideal para: Alimentação, Econômico
Andhra Bhavan Canteen is a no-frills, state-run eatery where hungry tourists mingle with Delhi’s chattering locals in an industrial space crammed with wipe-down tables. Drop by for spicy South Indian dishes at irresistible prices. The portions here are more than generous.
The place can get busy due to its popularity, so expect to share a table with a crew of loyalists who flock here for the famed Indian thali: a silver metal platter used to serve 10 or more dishes like rasam, sambar, papad and chutney. Top tip: on Sundays, the eatery dishes up its special Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani to queues of hungry punters. To beat the crowds, arrive by midday and not a moment after.
Localização: 1 Ashoka Rd, Hyderabad House, New Delhi, Delhi 110001, India
Abre: Daily from noon to 3.30 pm and from 7 pm to 10 pm
Telefone: +91 11 2338 7499
Andhra Bhavan Canteen
Flavourful fast-food franchise
Ideal para: Famílias, Alimentação, Econômico
A New Delhi chain founded in 1982, Sagar Ratna specialises in authentic South Indian delicacies that are cooked fresh, multiple times a day. Grab a table in one of its many venues that are peppered across the capital for classics like chettinad dosa, coconut uttapam, vegetable biryani and idli chaat.
In the mornings, savour belly-filling breakfast combos that will set you up for the day before venturing into the capital’s bustling streets. The restaurant also offers a range of delectable desserts, including gulab jamun, a festive dumpling infused with cardamom, and moong dal halwa made with lentils and fried ghee.
Abre: Daily from 7 am to 11.30 pm
Telefone: +91 92055 58828
Sagar Ratna
Tantalising eatery turning out Indian classics
Ideal para: Alimentação, Vida noturna, Econômico
One of Delhi’s culinary stalwarts, Gulati Restaurant, located in the atmospheric Pandara Market, first launched as a modest little dhaba before transforming itself into a fine-dining establishment. It boasts a stunning retro interior. Seat yourself in an upholstered booth and order plate after plate of foodie perfection, inspired by North Indian, Mughlai and Hyderabadi traditions.
Vegetarians will find plenty on the menu including bharwan tandoori aloo, mushroom galouti, vegetable seekh kebab and honey chilli cauliflower. Meanwhile, carnivores can tuck into a wide selection of dishes that are loaded with succulent meats like rogan josh, butter chicken and the aromatic bhuna gosht.
Localização: 6 Pandara Road, Market, near India Gate, New Delhi, Delhi 110003, India
Abre: Daily from noon to midnight
Telefone: +91 11 2338 8836
Gulati Restaurant
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