Holidays in Delhi is fun because there are a whole lot of things to do. Be it the historical landmarks or the offbeat and exciting activities to enjoy in and around Delhi. And then of course the delicious food options that you have in plenty when you are out exploring. But the foodie capital of India has many more classy eating joints that will give you immense gastronomical pleasure. Hence when visiting the city, which are the best offbeat restaurants in Delhi you should be heading to? Certainly the ones with the best Chefs.
Must Read- Delhi Transport, Hotels & Landmarks Guide
Best time to visit Delhi
What’s the weather got to do with food during your vacation in Delhi? Well Delhi is hot and humid during the summer months. And the peak winter months are when the smog hits town making the city gloomy. Definitely not the months to enjoy the best the city has to offer, be it fun or food.
The best months to visit Delhi are February, March, September, October & November. Moreover these incidentally are the months when the most popular festivals of India are celebrated in Delhi. Adding a fresh color to your holiday. And that’s when you have some great delicious sweets & savories to enjoy and take back as food souvenirs with you.
So what’s special on offer during these three prominent festivals- Holi around March, Dussehra and Durga Puja during October & Diwali during November. Let’s have a look as we go around using the vast Delhi Metro network.
Holi – The festival of colors
What’s special!
After spending a day in Delhi head to Mathura & Vrindavan for a day trip to experience a very different Holi, including the rare sight of widows playing Holi defying the orthodox traditions set centuries back. You could also stay back for a night or two to experience the magic of these twin towns devoted to Sri Krishna.
Dusshera & Durga Puja – The festival of Goddess Durga
What to feast on?
Also Read- Offbeat & Exciting Things to do in Delhi
Diwali or Deepawali – The Festival of Lights
With Sweets
India & International Holiday Bookings
Best Offbeat Restaurants in Delhi
Delhi is a huge city and every prominent neighborhood here is full of eating options. No wonder it’s called the Foodie Capital of India. And that makes it all the more difficult to choose one restaurant over the other when here on a holiday. Despite having stayed in Delhi for a long period of time, it wasn’t easy for us either to bring to you these select few which you would love. Therefore choose and pick from these offbeat restaurants, all with a creative bend and good food. And eat what makes you happy.
1. By the Bay
Thinking of Goa while in Delhi? Well you don’t have to spend any more on airfare and hotel bills to be there. Rush to By the Bay with the feel of a beach holiday. A shack bar, a swimming pool and comfy chairs are bound to give you the perfect seaside vibe with great cocktails and food for company. Must try out their Pizza with your choice of drinks.
Location: Hudson Lane, Kingsway Camp, GTB Nagar, Delhi-110009
2. Runway 1
Do you hate airlines food? If yes, you have an opportunity to turn the table and have your choicest meal sitting right on the wings of a real aircraft. Head to Runway 1 which offers you some excellent range of North Indian, Mughlai, Chinese, Fast Food and beverages. My favorite is their Chinese food.
Location – Adventure Island, Metron Walk Mall, Rohini, Delhi-110085
3. The Hogwarts Kafe
If you are a Harry Potter fan, the lunch or dinner at Hogwarts Kafe would be a completely new experience all together. The restaurant with a Harry Potter theme and photo props all around will transport you into your familiar world once again. The menu on offer consists of North Indian, Italian, Continental, Oriental Mexican and Lebanese cuisine. We loved their innovative Burgers.
Location: Pocket C 2/19, Tewatia Marg, Phase 2, Ashok Vihar, Delhi-110052
4. Junkyard Cafe
With the interiors of the restaurant done completely out of recycled junk materials, The Junkyard Cafe is an interesting place to visit. Some of their dishes especially baked cheesy pasta, Mushroom Cheese Toasties and Chetinad Chicken Tacos are quite popular with foodies. We loved their Non Veg Platter.
Location: 90,91,93, 2nd floor, N Block, Connaught Place, New Delhi-110001
5. Lord of the Drinks
With a medieval period themed interiors, this watering hole Lord of the Drinks is quite a favorite with Delhiites. Start your fun evening with their Nacho Bowl before moving on to their other specialties. The restaurant is located in Nehru Place & Rajouri Garden in addition to Connaught Place
Location: G-72, Connaught Place, New Delhi-110001
6. Pirates of Grill
Themed on Pirate’s ship, Pirates of Grill is the restaurant to head to if you are looking for the perfect barbeque. Their grilled veg and non-veg delicacies are one of the best in town.
Location: Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi-110070
7. What a Comic Show
What a Comic Show is a casual dining restaurant loved for their Chinese preparations. And what you would also love is their comic theme with your favorite characters present all around including the chairs. So take your pick of chairs and order some comfort food as you settle down. You must try out their delicious Chicken Florantein.
Location: M Block Market, Greater Kailash 2, New Delhi-110048
8. Parikrama
Wish to enjoy a panoramic view of Delhi skyline by day or evening? Well you have a great option right in the heart of the city. Parikrama the revolving restaurant provides you a 360 degree view as you enjoy your lunch or dinner. The full circle takes around 90 minutes. Do try out their delicious Butter Chicken with Naan.
Location: Antriksh Bhavan, 22 K.G.Marg, Connaught Place, New Delhi-110001
9. Coast Cafe at OGAAN
If you would love Kerala cuisine, head to Coast Cafe at OGAAN. With tastefully done interiors and perfect green view you’ll be spoilt for choice seeing their menu card. A hot favorite of ours is the Kothu Paratha, a meal in a bowl of Malabar Paratha & shredded ingredients cooked with gravy on a tawa.
Location: H2, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110016
10. Triveni Terrace Cafe
A favorite of art & theater lovers who frequent the galleries and theaters of Mandi House, Triveni Terrace Cafe is one of the oldest cafe of Delhi. Set amidst natural green surroundings, it’s the perfect place to feel nostalgic about your college days with an impressive menu to choose from. You could try out their non-veg thali which we loved.
Location: Triveni Kala Sangam, Mandi House, Tansen Marg, New Delhi-110001
11. Naivedyam
With branches all around Delhi, Naivedyam is the perfect destination for a good South Indian meal. Moreover you’ll feel at home in their traditionally decorated dining room with a royal touch. Our favorite as always is their veg thali.
Location- 1, Hauz Khas Village, Deer Park, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110016
12. Not Just Paranthas
With the feel of a highway dhaba, Not Just Paranthas is not just about paranthas. Although there are over 100 varieties of paranthas for you to choose from, the restaurant also has in its menu the entire range of North Indian dishes. Our favorite though has always been their paranthas and topping the list are the egg paranthas.
Location: M Block Market, Greater Kailash 2, New Delhi-110048
Travelwisesr Maps
Your guide to the best offbeat restaurants in Delhi. Make it your companion when there!
Some of our blogger friends and readers from abroad are Vegans. And they must be wondering what happens to to them when they come visiting Delhi. Well you too have some great spots to pick from. Would be highlighting the top ones next time.
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That looks amazing and quite an eclectic collection of restaurants in Delhi to choose from, I would love to try them all if I get a chance to visit Delhi
Thanks Noel. Please do visit Delhi for fun and some awesome food options.
I have been to Delhi so many times and been to lord of drinks, pirates of grills and liked their food and ambience. But By the Bay, Runway 2 , Ogaan , Hogwarts cafe are very unique and new to me. I would definitely give it a visit next time. Thanks for the review
My pleasure Pamela.
Sadly when we visited Delhi, we were a large tour group and that influenced the restaurants we got to visit. It would be great to spend a longer time and try some of these offbeat restaurants in Delhi. And visiting for different holidays would add such an interesting treat. And each would give some different experiences. A tasty way to experience Delhi.
Yes Linda do come back to Delhi again and this time the two of you to experience the foodie capital of India.
It’s been a decade since I last visited Delhi. There are definitely so many things to do here. Oooohhhh. I miss the Navrathri Veg Thali. It is so so so delicious. I remember over-eating every time I sat in front of this thali! Haha. Somehow I haven’t tasted Bhaang yet. I should find a place to try. Runway 1 restaurant & Junkyard Cafe definitely look fun and I wouldn’t miss them!
Then you must visit Delhi again. Few things have changed for good in the last decade or so.
As a foodie, this blog post has piqued my interest. These foods appear to be scrumptious! I was intrigued by the Gujiya and the Navratri Veg Thali. Because I have a sweet tooth, Jaggery Narus and Kulfi appeal to me. I will definitely visit the restaurants recommended above if I ever visit Delhi. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Maria it’s so good to see another foodie like me. Do come over to India sometime and you’ll love all that is on offer around the country.
The delicious Kerala cuisine is one of Kerala’s popular attractions. The food of Kerala is traditionally served on a banana leaf and almost every dish has coconut and spices added for flavour, giving its cuisine a sharp pungency that is heightened with the use of tamarind. The cuisine of Kerala is characterized by the use of coconut, either chopped or grated and used as garnishing, coconut milk or paste is used to thicken gravies and coconut oil is used for cooking. Though one cannot imagine Kerala food without chillies, curry leaf, mustard seed, tamarind and asafoetida.
Thank you so much for this valuable piece of information. Very useful for my knowledge as a foodie and so will it be am sure for my readers as well and all food bloggers.
Wow! So many delicious-looking entrees to tantalize your taste buds! I’m sure that exploring Delhi and it’s many restaurants would be a wonderful experience. Thanks for highlighting the best of them!
My pleasure Tami. Do come over to India and the capital city Delhi to have a great time.
I love restaurant recommendations because I always have trouble choosing a place. I like your offbeat restaurant list in Delhi. I have been to this city three times so far. But I haven’t had a chance to eat in any of the places you mentioned. So I guess I have to come back and change it. I would love to visit Runway 1, as this plane is so cool! Parikrama offers a stunning view, so I also add it to my list. Triveni Terrace Caffee also sounds great as I love art.
Come back again Agnes and enjoy it all.
I am drooling over the list of restaurants you have clubbed in this blog. By The Bay completely amazed me. I am too curious to find out how they did such set up. Talking about the restaurants like Naivedyam and Coast Cafe, it’s good to find cuisines from other states in Delhi as well.
Yes Shreya the South Indian restaurants in Delhi are truly fabulous.
One of the two things I love about Delhi is the food. The diversity of food you can get in Delhi is just astounding. A food tour in Delhi is a must. Would like to try Naivedyam since I love South Indian food and of course Not just Paranthas! 100 varieties of Paranthas. WOW! This can only be possible in Delhi.
You are absolutely right Saurabh. Delhi is certainly a foodie’s paradise.