Indian Restaurant
Delhi, or New to give it its official title, is divided by the Yamuna River and it is to the west of this that many of the city's finest eateries are to be found. Many of the best restaurants Delhi provides to visitors are incorporated into the 4 and 5 star hotels that are to be found in this district, and in these often grandiose establishments guests and visitors can dine in opulent surroundings with decor that is often reminiscent of British colonial rule of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
As a financial center of growing international prominence, Delhi is also beginning to see a new breed of designer restaurants bars and bistros, where traditional Indian cuisine contrasts with stark, modern designer surroundings. Several internationally-notable chefs have invested in restaurant premises within Delhi, designed to cater for an increasingly-affluent clientèle.
For those to whom time is money, New Delhi is host to a number of so-called 'fast casual' dining establishments, where speed of service is paramount, although not at the expense of quality and range of fare. These diners often feature international as well as Indian cuisine and provide a halfway-house between full-course a-la-carte and fast food.
As with most cities around the world, New Delhi has its share of internationally-recognized brands that offer regional variations on familiar dishes. Several of the largest American fast food outlets have a presence in the city, and feature a menu not too dissimilar to those travelers from the US might be familiar with. It should be noted, however, that beef is often unavailable on Indian restaurant menus, with lamb, chicken or mutton often being used as a substitute.
As well as being famed for its own distinctive food, New Delhi also hosts a full range of international eateries. Quality restaurants are dotted throughout the city and surrounding area, providing the best in Italian, Chinese, European, Middle Eastern and American food.
Over the last decade, India has developed a sophisticated and distinctive café culture. As well as established and well-known coffee shop chains, with familiar brand names and ultra-efficient baristas, New Delhi has an indigenous coffee culture of its own, where locals rub shoulders with tourists and backpackers from around the globe.
Food served at these places, many of which are to be found within the residential areas of Delhi, often comprises exotic local delicacies served in a homely environment. For travelers who wish a taste of authentic Delhi cooking, this kind of diner is not to be missed.
For a quick bite to eat whilst on the road, a visit to one of New Delhi's many roadside 'Dhabas' should be on every traveler's 'to-do' list. Here, open coals cook succulent chicken, tender lamb and crisp vegetables, suffusing the air around these often makeshift surroundings with unmistakable Indian aromas.
Many of the best restaurants Delhi has are located around the area of Connaught Place. This modernist masterpiece serves as the focal point for much of New Delhi's commercial activities and as such has become a hub for fine dining establishments. Here, a range of eateries reflect the disparate culinary styles of the Indian and South East Asian region, with Hyderabadi, Mughlai, Kashmiri and Malay restaurants all rubbing shoulders with each other.
The area directly around New Delhi Railway Station offers a bewildering array of street vendors, cafes and restaurants providing any kind of food one can imagine. Due to the sheer number of eateries, quality can vary, although a classic New Delhi dish such as delicious, deep-fried chaat can be obtained from just about anywhere and is guaranteed to be delicious.
Of all India's great cities, New Delhi is perhaps the one to have taken a love of food and hospitality closest to its heart. The city's modern cuisine is widely considered to have originated in the Punjab region of India, although influences from regions as diverse as Gujarat and Rajasthani are commonplace.
The ancient area of the subcontinent known as the Punjab is straddled by modern-day India and Pakistan and has an ancient culinary culture going back thousands of years. Punjabi restaurants typically serve dishes that are based on creamy, filling sauces, flavored with delicate seasonings and spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and garlic. Much of what has become known to western palates as 'typical' Indian food has its origins in the Punjab, including pakora, masalas, and tandoori-prepared food.
