Food · Delhi · India
What to eat in Delhi
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define Delhi, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Marcin Białek, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Butter chicken, Dal makhani and Chole bhature. A guided morning or evening walk through Chandni Chowk's lanes tastes parathas, chaat, kebabs, jalebi and kulfi, with a guide who knows which stalls are reliable. Choose busy street stalls with high turnover and food cooked or fried in front of you.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Butter chicken
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 8
- Tipping
- Tip about 10% in restaurants if service is not included, a small amount to porters and…
- Food experiences
- 4
12 foods to try
Dish
1.Butter chicken (Murgh makhani)
Tandoori chicken simmered in a mild, creamy tomato-and-butter gravy, popularised by Punjabi restaurants in Delhi after Partition and now eaten worldwide. Mop it up with naan.
Where: Punjabi restaurants across the city, especially around Daryaganj and in South Delhi markets.
Dish · Vegetarian
2.Dal makhani
Black lentils and kidney beans slow-cooked for hours with butter and cream until velvety; the vegetarian partner to butter chicken.
Where: Punjabi restaurants and dhabas throughout Delhi.
Breakfast · Vegetarian
3.Chole bhature
Spicy chickpea curry with huge, puffy deep-fried bread, eaten as a heavy breakfast or brunch and served with pickled onions.
Where: Specialist shops in Paharganj, Karol Bagh and Kamla Nagar, and food courts across the city.
Bakery · Vegetarian
4.Stuffed parathas
Flatbreads stuffed with potato, paneer, radish or even banana, shallow-fried in ghee in Old Delhi and served with chutneys and pickles.
Where: Paranthe Wali Gali, a lane off Chandni Chowk lined with paratha shops.
Street food · Vegetarian
5.Chaat
Tangy, crunchy snacks such as papdi chaat, aloo tikki and gol gappe (pani puri), layered with yoghurt, tamarind and mint chutneys and spices.
Where: Chaat stalls in Chandni Chowk, Bengali Market and neighbourhood markets; choose busy stalls.
Dish
6.Nihari
A rich, slow-cooked stew of beef or mutton shank traditionally eaten for breakfast in Old Delhi, garnished with ginger, chilli and lime.
Where: Old Delhi eateries around Jama Masjid, mainly in the early morning.
Dish
7.Kebabs
Seekh, shami and burra kebabs grilled over charcoal in Mughlai kitchens, with rumali roti and onions.
Where: Restaurants in the lanes facing Jama Masjid's Gate 1, including Karim's, open since 1913, and kebab stalls near Nizamuddin Dargah.
Street food
8.Momos
Tibetan-Nepali steamed or fried dumplings filled with vegetables, chicken or paneer, served with fiery red chutney; one of Delhi's favourite street snacks.
Where: Street carts across the city and the Tibetan colony of Majnu-ka-Tilla.
Dessert · Vegetarian
9.Jalebi
Swirls of fermented batter deep-fried and soaked in sugar syrup, eaten hot and crisp, sometimes with rabri (thickened milk).
Where: Old Famous Jalebi Wala at the Dariba Kalan corner of Chandni Chowk and sweet shops across the city.
Dessert · Vegetarian
10.Kulfi
Dense, slow-frozen milk ice cream flavoured with pistachio, saffron or cardamom; Old Delhi shops also freeze it inside whole mangoes and pomegranates.
Where: Kuremal Mohan Lal Kulfi Wale in Chawri Bazar and kulfi stalls throughout the city.
Dessert · Vegetarian
11.Daulat ki chaat
A winter-only Old Delhi speciality of milk whipped into an airy foam overnight, topped with saffron, sugar and pistachio, and sold from street trays in the early morning.
Where: Vendors in the lanes of Chandni Chowk from about November to February, early in the day.
Drink · Vegetarian
12.Masala chai
Black tea boiled with milk, sugar, ginger and cardamom, sold in small glasses or clay cups at stalls on almost every corner.
Where: Roadside chai stalls everywhere; ask for 'kam cheeni' for less sugar.
Food experiences
Old Delhi food walk
A guided morning or evening walk through Chandni Chowk's lanes tastes parathas, chaat, kebabs, jalebi and kulfi, with a guide who knows which stalls are reliable.
Langar at Bangla Sahib
Sit on the floor with hundreds of others for a free vegetarian meal of dal, roti and kheer at the Sikh community kitchen, and see the volunteers making rotis by the thousand.
Dilli Haat state food stalls
At the INA crafts market, stalls run by different Indian states serve regional food from Kashmir to Nagaland in one place.
Kebabs after dark in Nizamuddin
After evening qawwali, the lanes around the dargah serve kebabs, biryani and phirni from old family-run stalls.
Quick bites and street food
- Chole bhature — Specialist shops in Paharganj, Karol Bagh and Kamla Nagar, and food courts across the city.
- Stuffed parathas — Paranthe Wali Gali, a lane off Chandni Chowk lined with paratha shops.
- Chaat — Chaat stalls in Chandni Chowk, Bengali Market and neighbourhood markets; choose busy stalls.
- Momos — Street carts across the city and the Tibetan colony of Majnu-ka-Tilla.
Vegetarian options
Of the 12 foods in this guide, 8 are usually vegetarian: Dal makhani, Chole bhature, Stuffed parathas, Chaat, Jalebi, Kulfi, Daulat ki chaat and Masala chai. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Choose busy street stalls with high turnover and food cooked or fried in front of you.
- Drink bottled water and be careful with raw salads, cut fruit and ice if you have a sensitive stomach.
- Eat with your right hand when eating with your fingers; the left is considered unclean.
- Many restaurants are vegetarian, and some do not serve alcohol or eggs; look for the green or red dot on packaged food labels.
- Tip about 10% in restaurants if no service charge has been added to the bill.
Tipping
Tip about 10% in restaurants if service is not included, a small amount to porters and hotel staff, and a daily tip to drivers and guides at the end of a hired-car trip.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Namaste | Hello (said with palms together) |
| Dhanyavaad / Shukriya | Thank you |
| Kitne ka hai? | How much is it? |
| Haan / Nahin | Yes / No |
| Theek hai | OK, fine |
| Bhaiya | Brother — polite way to address a man, such as a driver |
| Kam teekha | Less spicy |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is Delhi famous for?
Butter chicken, Dal makhani, Chole bhature and Stuffed parathas. Tandoori chicken simmered in a mild, creamy tomato-and-butter gravy, popularised by Punjabi restaurants in Delhi after Partition and now eaten worldwide.
+Is Delhi good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including Dal makhani, Chole bhature and Stuffed parathas.
+Do you tip in restaurants in Delhi?
Tip about 10% in restaurants if service is not included, a small amount to porters and hotel staff, and a daily tip to drivers and guides at the end of a hired-car trip.