Shakespeare wondered whether music might be the food of love. He never got to Delhi — if he had, the locals would have set him straight over a plate of kababs, mid-sentence: it's food, obviously, always was.
You can eat your way across the entire subcontinent without leaving Delhi — and most days, Delhi does exactly that. But “best restaurants" lists are dull and everywhere, so I haven't made one.
Instead I've sorted my picks by what the food did — invented, elevated, perfected, endured, and a few you just go to for the feeling. There will be umpteen guides and webpages telling you Delhi's best restaurants, stalls, cafés and bars.
These are mine (and they will show my age :) But more likely, like I said earlier, a lot of Delhi will disagree — loudly, and with its mouth full. So treat the list the way you'd treat a friend's recommendations: a place to start, not gospel.
Invented
Moti Mahal • Kwality • Kuremal Mohan Lal
Elevated
Nisaba / Indian Accent • Diva • Avartana
Perfected
Bukhara • Dum Pukht • Al Qureshi’s • Nizam’s
Cherished
Pandara Road • United Coffee House • Wenger’s • Sarvana Bhavan
Endured
Karim’s • Al Jawahar • Andhra Bhavan
Steeped
Café Dori • Perch • LoCol
Inebriated
Sidecar • PCO • Piano Man
