Delhi Unpacked: A Food and Drink Guide to the City That Invented Butter Chicken — and Never Stopped Arguing About It

Most travelers who come to Delhi for the food make the same mistake. They book a "food walk" in Old Delhi, follow a guide with a flag through Chandni Chowk, eat one reheated samosa, and declare themselves experts. They have not eaten in Delhi. They have eaten near Delhi.

The real food happens earlier, cheaper, and with more chaos than any tour company will show you. You need to know which stall opens at 7 AM and which closes at 10. You need to know that the butter chicken at Moti Mahal in Daryaganj is the original, not the franchise. You need to know that Karim's near Jama Masjid has a neighbor called Al Jawahar that half the city prefers. And you need to know where to drink — because Delhi's bar scene has evolved from beer-and-whisky watering holes to some of the most ambitious cocktail bars in Asia.

This guide is about the specific places where the food is actually good, the drinks are actually creative, and the honest logistics of eating and drinking in a city of twenty million people.

About Your Guide: Tomás Rivera

I am a food writer and former line cook who has eaten through Mexico City's mercados, Bangkok's sois, and Lagos' bukas. I came to Delhi for a week and stayed for six. I have stood in line at Sita Ram Diwan Chand at 7:30 AM in January fog. I have argued with a waiter at Karim's about whether the nihari was better yesterday. I have paid ₹60 for a parantha that changed my understanding of what fried bread could be, and ₹6,000 for a tasting menu that justified every rupee. I do not write about food from a desk. I write about it from plastic stools, shared tables, and the specific corners of cities where the real eating happens.

Old Delhi: Where the City Still Eats Like It Is 1857

The concentration of great food in the square kilometer around Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk is unreasonable. Families have been running the same stalls for four or five generations. The prices have barely moved in a decade. The heat in summer is brutal and the lanes are too narrow for cars. None of this has stopped anyone.

The Parantha Lane That Time Forgot

Paranthe Wali Gali, off Chandni Chowk main road, is a narrow lane where three competing shops — Pt. Kanhaiyalal (est. 1872), Pt. Babu Ram, and Pt. Gaya Prasad — have been frying stuffed paranthas since the 1870s. The menu runs to thirty fillings: aloo, paneer, mooli, rabri, khoya, banana, mixed dal. Each parantha comes with pumpkin curry, peas curry, a sour tomato chutney, and a dollop of white butter that arrives without asking.

Order the aloo first. If you are still hungry, try the mooli. Two or three paranthas is the ceiling before the grease wins. A plate costs ₹60 to ₹120. The shops open around 9 AM and close by 11 PM, though the best batches come out before noon. Address: Gali Paranthe Wali, Chandni Chowk. Nearest Metro: Chandni Chowk (Yellow Line), Exit 3.

The Counter Meals You Eat Standing Up

Natraj Dahi Bhalle Wala sits on Chandni Chowk main road, not down any alley. It has been there since before independence and the dahi bhalla — lentil dumplings in spiced yoghurt — costs ₹60 to ₹80. The aloo tikki, spiced potato patties with the same yoghurt treatment, is equally good. This is not a sit-down meal. You eat standing at the counter while the next customer breathes down your neck. That is the format. Address: 1396, Chandni Chowk Main Road. Hours: 10 AM – 10 PM.

Old Famous Jalebi Wala, on the corner of Chandni Chowk near Dariba Kalan, fries jalebis in a massive kadhai from the 1880s onward. A plate costs ₹40 to ₹60. They are hot, syrupy, and best eaten before 10 AM when the oil is fresh. Address: Corner of Dariba Kalan and Chandni Chowk. Hours: 7 AM – 10 PM.

Around the corner, Roshan Di Kulfi has been making dense, slow-churned kulfi since 1956. A stick or cup costs ₹40 to ₹70. The rabri kulfi is the one to get. Address: 2813, Ajmeri Gate, Chandni Chowk. Hours: 10 AM – 11 PM.

Jama Masjid: Meat, Fire, and Breakfast at 7 AM

The area around Jama Masjid Gate 1 — specifically Gali Kababian and Matia Mahal — is where Delhi's Mughlai food lives. The concentration of smoke, meat, and late-night energy is unmatched anywhere else in the city.

Karim's vs. Al Jawahar: The Debate That Divides Delhi

Karim's, in Gali Kababian since 1913, is the most famous name. The family claims descent from cooks who served the Mughal emperors. The mutton burra kebab, seekh kebab, and mutton korma are the standards. A meal runs ₹200 to ₹450 per person. The restaurant is basic — plastic stools, shared tables, no air conditioning — and the service is fast because the staff has no time for hesitation. Address: 16, Gali Kababian, Jama Masjid. Hours: 9 AM – 12:30 AM.

Directly opposite Jama Masjid Gate 1 is Al Jawahar. It is less famous than Karim's, which is why the line is shorter and the food, many locals will tell you, is better. The butter chicken here is excellent — richer and less sweet than the Daryaganj original — and the nihari, a slow-cooked beef or lamb stew, is a breakfast dish traditionally eaten before 9 AM. A meal costs ₹200 to ₹400. If you want nihari, arrive early. It sells out. Address: 8, Jama Masjid Gate 1, Matia Mahal. Hours: 7 AM – 12:30 AM.

Aslam Chicken, on Matia Mahal, serves tandoori chicken drowned in butter. It is messy, excessive, and exactly what you want after walking through Old Delhi for three hours. ₹200 to ₹350 per person. Cash and UPI both work at most of these stalls, though the smallest counters are still cash-only. Carry ₹500 to ₹800 in small notes. Address: 540, Matia Mahal, Jama Masjid. Hours: 4 PM – 11 PM.

Paharganj and Chawri Bazaar: The Breakfast You Will Not Find on a Tour

Sita Ram Diwan Chand, in Paharganj near Chuna Mandi, has been serving chole bhature since before partition. The bhature — puffed, fried bread — come out fresh and the chole, spiced white chickpeas in a thick tangy gravy, is the benchmark for the dish across North India. There is always a queue. It moves fast. A plate costs ₹60 to ₹100. The shop opens at 7:30 AM and the best batches are gone by 10:30. Address: 2246, Chuna Mandi, Paharganj. Nearest Metro: Ramakrishna Ashram Marg (Blue Line).

Shyam Sweets, in Chawri Bazaar, serves bedmi puri — a deep-fried, flaky bread made with urad dal in the dough — with spiced aloo sabzi and meethi chutney. This is an Old Delhi breakfast that most visitors miss because it does not have the marketing machine of chole bhature. ₹50 to ₹80. Available from 7 AM to around 10:30 AM. Address: 2148, Bazar Matia Mahal, Chawri Bazaar. Nearest Metro: Chawri Bazaar (Violet Line).

New Delhi: When You Need a Chair and Air Conditioning

Old Delhi is not the whole story. The city has been expanding outward for a century, and some of the best food is in neighborhoods that do not appear in airport brochures.

The Restaurant That Invented Butter Chicken

Moti Mahal, on Daryaganj, is where butter chicken was invented in the 1950s. The restaurant is simple, the waiters have been there for decades, and the butter chicken is the original — not the orange, syrupy version that export markets turned it into. A meal costs ₹300 to ₹500. They also invented dal makhani here. Order both. Address: 3703, Netaji Subhash Marg, Daryaganj. Hours: 12 PM – 12 AM. Nearest Metro: Delhi Gate (Violet Line).

Connaught Place: Two Essential Stops

Wenger's Bakery, on A Block since 1926, makes puffs, patties, and a chocolate truffle cake that Delhi has been arguing about for generations. Address: A-14, Connaught Place. Hours: 9 AM – 10 PM.

Around the corner in Bengali Market, the chaat stalls serve golgappa — hollow crisp shells filled with spiced water and chickpeas — for ₹30 to ₹50 per plate. This is a different style from Chandni Chowk: lighter, sharper, less sweet. Address: Bengali Market, Todarmal Lane. Best stalls: 4 PM – 9 PM.

Khan Market: Delhi's Most Expensive Zip Code

Khan Market is the most expensive retail space in India, and the food reflects that. The Big Chill Cafe does pasta and cheesecake that became a Delhi institution in the 2000s. SodaBottleOpenerWala, nearby, serves Parsi comfort food — bun maska, keema pav, berry pulao — in a retro-Bombay setting. ₹600 to ₹1,000 per person. It is not cheap, but it is honest. SodaBottleOpenerWala Address: 73, Khan Market. Hours: 9 AM – 11 PM.

Majnu Ka Tilla: The Tibetan Reset Button

Majnu Ka Tilla, Delhi's Tibetan refugee colony in North Delhi, is where you go when the spice has burned through your tolerance. Ama Cafe serves thukpa, momos, and Tibetan bread in a traveler-friendly atmosphere. ₹200 to ₹400. The pancakes with honey are a reliable reset button. Address: House 6, New Colony, Majnu Ka Tilla. Hours: 8 AM – 10 PM.

Where to Drink in Delhi: From Speakeasies to Rooftops

Delhi's drinking culture has undergone a revolution in the past decade. The city that once defined nightlife by Kingfisher beer and Royal Challenge whisky now has bars on Asia's 50 Best lists, speakeasies hidden behind unmarked doors, and cocktail programs that rival Bangkok or Singapore.

Sidecar: The Bar That Put Delhi on the World Map

Sidecar, in Greater Kailash 2, is the only Indian bar to have earned a place on The World's 50 Best Bars list. What began as a neighborhood bar has evolved into a space that balances world-class cocktails with an unmistakable sense of community. The team crafts all of their flavors in-house — bitters, syrups, shrubs, tonics. The menu changes seasonally but the classics remain: try the Delhi Silk, a gin-based drink with house-made rose cordial and kaffir lime, or the Old Fashioned made with jaggery syrup and smoked cinnamon. Cocktails run ₹800 to ₹1,200. Address: M-60, Greater Kailash 2. Hours: 5 PM – 1 AM. Reservations: Recommended on weekends.

PCO: Delhi's Original Speakeasy

PCO (Pass Code Only), in Vasant Vihar, was Delhi's first speakeasy-style bar and remains one of its best. Hidden behind what looks like a shuttered shopfront, you enter through a telephone booth — dial the code, the back wall opens, and you step into a dim, wood-paneled room that feels like 1920s Bombay. The cocktail program celebrates "forbidden" ingredients: MSG, tobacco bitters, hash oil tinctures. The Corduroy — brandy infused with falernum spice, garnished with mulled wine foam — is the signature. Cocktails ₹700 to ₹1,000. Address: D-4, D Block Market, Vasant Vihar. Hours: 5 PM – 12:30 AM.

Lair: Minimalist, Intimate, Un-Delhi

Lair, in Mehrauli, is unlike anything else in the capital. A striking monochromatic interior with a drinks program that allows individual ingredients to shine. The minimalistic aesthetic prioritizes meaningful conversation over loud music — a rarity in a city that does not grant you one quiet moment. Try the Himalayan Breeze, a gin cocktail with Himalayan herbs and burnt honey. Cocktails ₹750 to ₹1,100. Address: 6, Kalka Das Marg, Mehrauli. Hours: 6 PM – 1 AM.

Hauz Khas Social: The Institution That Started a Movement

Hauz Khas Social, in Hauz Khas Village, is less about the drinks and more about what it represents. When it opened in 2014, it created a template for Delhi's new wave of casual bars: work-friendly by day, party by night, affordable, unpretentious. The DIY Kheema Bruschetta and Social Mezz Platter are reliable. The Oreo Mud Pot Shake is a dessert disguised as a drink. Drinks ₹300 to ₹600. Address: 9A & 12, Hauz Khas Village. Hours: 10 AM – 12:30 AM.

The Leela Palace Library Bar: Old Money, Old Whisky

The Library Bar at The Leela Palace, Chanakyapuri, is where Delhi's establishment drinks. Leather armchairs, a fireplace, a whisky selection that spans decades. It is expensive, quiet, and deliberately old-world. Single malts ₹1,200 to ₹4,000 per dram. Address: The Leela Palace, Chanakyapuri. Hours: 5 PM – 1 AM.

South Delhi: Hauz Khas, Defence Colony, and the Neighborhoods That Define Modern Delhi

South Delhi is where the city's younger, wealthier, and more international population lives, eats, and drinks. The food here is less about centuries-old tradition and more about what Delhi is becoming.

Hauz Khas Village: Lakes, Ruins, and Overpriced Cocktails

Hauz Khas Village — often called HKV — is built around a 13th-century reservoir and Islamic seminary ruins. By day, it attracts photographers and couples. By night, it transforms into Delhi's most concentrated nightlife zone.

Coast Cafe, at OGAAN since 2014, serves coastal Indian recipes — prawn moilee, Malabar fish curry, aubergine kokum curry — in a space that feels like a Goan-Portuguese courtyard. The kokum toddy mocktail is worth ordering. ₹800 to ₹1,500 per person. Address: OGAAN, Hauz Khas Village. Hours: 12 PM – 11 PM.

Naivedyam, established in 1992, is the oldest restaurant still serving in the village. The temple-like setup serves authentic Karnataka-style South Indian food: Mysore masala dosa, bisibele bhath, Malabar paratha with kurma. Pure vegetarian. ₹300 to ₹600 per person. Address: 1, Hauz Khas Village. Hours: 8 AM – 11 PM.

Defence Colony: Reliable, Consistent, Local

Sagar Ratna, in Defence Colony since 1986, revolutionized South Indian food in Delhi. The original outlet is cramped, the service is fast, and the paper masala dosa is still excellent. Curd rice and filter coffee are the sides to order. ₹200 to ₹400 per person. Address: D-1, Defence Colony Market. Hours: 8 AM – 11 PM.

Lavonne Cafe, a Bengaluru import now in Defence Colony, is where you go for croissant-shaped lamps and sun-drenched interiors. The French-inspired coffee and desserts are reliable. Try the granola powerbowl or the grilled chicken with charred pineapple salad. ₹400 to ₹800 per person. Address: D-16, Upper Ground Floor, Shiniwas Puri, Block D, Defence Colony. Hours: 8:30 AM – 10:30 PM.

The High End: Two Restaurants That Earn Their Prices

Bukhara: The Restaurant of Presidents

Bukhara, at ITC Maurya, has been serving the same menu since 1978. The dal Bukhara — black lentils slow-cooked for 48 hours in a tandoor — has been eaten by every visiting head of state for forty years. The sikandari raan, a whole leg of lamb, feeds three people. A meal costs ₹4,000 to ₹6,000 per person. There is a smart casual dress code. Reservations are essential, especially on weekends. Address: ITC Maurya, Diplomatic Enclave, Sardar Patel Marg. Hours: 12:30 PM – 2:45 PM, 7 PM – 11:45 PM.

Indian Accent: The Only Restaurant in Delhi That Competes Globally

Indian Accent, at The Lodhi, is chef Manish Mehrotra's progressive Indian restaurant. The tasting menu reinvents dishes you think you know — meetha aachar pork ribs, blue cheese naan, daulat ki chaat made with foie gras. It is expensive at ₹5,000 to ₹8,000 per person, and reservations need to be made weeks in advance. But it is the only restaurant in Delhi that genuinely competes at a global level. Address: The Lodhi, Lodhi Road. Hours: 12:30 PM – 2:30 PM, 7 PM – 10:30 PM.

What to Skip

The restaurants in Paharganj Main Bazaar that advertise "continental" and "Israeli" food are cooking for backpackers who have been on the road too long. The food is bad and the hygiene is worse.

The big-name restaurants in Aerocity, the hotel district near the airport, charge Mumbai prices for food that tastes like it was made by committee.

Haldiram's outlets are everywhere and they are fine for a quick snack, but they are not why you came to Delhi.

The "food walks" in Old Delhi that charge ₹2,000 per person for what you can do yourself with this guide and a metro card.

Hauz Khas Village after 10 PM on weekends if you value your sanity — the crowds, the noise, and the overpriced drinks make it a circus, not a nightlife experience.

Practical Logistics

Getting Around

Metro is the only reliable way to reach Old Delhi. Get off at Chandni Chowk on the Yellow Line for Paranthe Wali Gali and Natraj. Get off at Jama Masjid on the Violet Line for Karim's and Al Jawahar. Auto-rickshaws will refuse to enter the narrow lanes and cabs will get stuck.

For South Delhi, Hauz Khas (Yellow Line) and Defence Colony (no direct metro — take an auto from Lajpat Nagar or JLN Stadium) are your anchors.

Money

Cash vs. UPI: Most street stalls in Chandni Chowk now display QR codes for UPI payments, but the smallest counters — especially the jalebi and kulfi vendors — still prefer cash. Carry ₹500 to ₹800 in notes of ₹100 and below. No one has change for a ₹500 note at a ₹60 stall. Bars and restaurants in Khan Market, Hauz Khas, and Connaught Place accept cards and UPI.

Timing Your Day

Start your food day before 9 AM. The best nihari, bedmi puri, and chole bhature are gone by 10:30. The chaat stalls fire up again around 4 PM. Dinner at Karim's or Al Jawahar peaks at 8 PM and the wait becomes unreasonable by 9. Bars generally open at 5 PM and peak at 10 PM. Last call in Delhi is typically 12:30 AM, though some bars in Hauz Khas Village push later.

Weather

Summer: From May to July, temperatures in Delhi hit 45°C. Walking through Chandni Chowk at midday is not a food experience, it is a survival experience. Plan your Old Delhi circuit for early morning and evening. Sit-down restaurants with air conditioning are not a luxury in July, they are a necessity.

Winter: December and January bring dense fog that delays everything, including your appetite. The morning paranthas and nihari taste better in the cold. Carry a jacket — Delhi mornings at 7 AM in January are genuinely cold.

Hygiene and Health

Look at the crowd, not the stall. A vendor with a line of local regulars is almost always safe. An empty stall in a busy food area is empty for a reason. Drink bottled water between stops. The spice is real and the heat compounds it. Dehydration ends more food trails than bad stomachs.

Carry basic anti-diarrheal medication. Most travelers experience mild stomach adjustment in the first 48 hours. If symptoms persist beyond two days, see a doctor. Max Super Speciality Hospital in Saket and Apollo Hospital in Sarita Vihar both have excellent emergency departments and English-speaking staff.

What a Day Costs

A full day of eating and drinking across Delhi — breakfast in Paharganj, lunch in Jama Masjid, chaat in Chandni Chowk, cocktails at Sidecar or PCO, and dinner at a mid-range spot — costs between ₹2,000 and ₹4,000 per person. A budget day of street food only can be done for ₹800 to ₹1,200. The high-end day — Indian Accent or Bukhara plus cocktails at The Library Bar — will run ₹8,000 to ₹12,000 per person.

The only thing that costs more than eating in Delhi is not going at all.