Dining in Delhi's restaurants means sampling cuisine from India and beyond. Join locals in Connaught Place for a quick lunch of tasty street snacks like puri (bread) or chaat (savoury snacks). You can munch on tasty kebabs at no-frills Old Delhi restaurants or food stalls, or dine in Delhi's stylish restaurants in Chanakyapuri's top hotels. In Connaught Place, sink a cold beer in an English-style bar or sip cocktails with the wealthy set in plush suburban Delhi bars.
You'll find the best and cheapest local food – tasty street snacks or kebabs – in Delhi's city-centre restaurants. Try Connaught Place for a mix of international cuisines, or noisy Old Delhi for hearty food with the locals. Dine on modern European or pan-Asian cuisine in Delhi's upmarket restaurants in suburban Chanakyapuri and Hauz Khas. Some of Delhi's best restaurants are housed in the top hotels that cluster around Central Delhi - perfect for a splurge on meaty Afghan or authentic Chinese cuisine.
Many of Delhi's restaurants close on Mondays. Watch out for steep taxes on your bill, especially at top hotels. Don't worry if you don't eat meat, as all Delhi's restaurants have plenty of strict vegetarian choices, losing nothing on spice. Indian beer goes well with dinner, although not all Delhi restaurants have alcohol licences. Street stalls are your best bet for late-night snacks.
Delhi has no strong drinking culture and Delhi's bars only get going late in the evening, when the music pumps up the volume. Dress up and join wealthy locals at Delhi's cocktail bars, especially around South Extension. If you fancy a no-frills beer, head to Connaught Place where these Delhi bars are more like English pubs. Hang out at popular Delhi coffee bars for a decent cappuccino.
