Walk down almost any street in Delhi, and you are likely to find a part of the country on every plate: a Kashmiri rogan josh or a Bangalore-style dosa in one corner and a comforting Bihari litti chokha or a Rajasthani thaali in another. In many ways, Delhi has become one of the best places in the country to relish a meal that will allow you to take a cross-country culinary trip without ever leaving the city. And this nature of its dining scene also stands true to the nature of the city of migrants.
In recent years, a growing number of restaurants across Delhi NCR have leaned into this idea even more deliberately, building menus that celebrate the richness of India’s regional cuisines—often focusing on dishes that rarely make it to mainstream restaurant menus. From heirloom recipes and traditional cooking techniques to lesser-known ingredients and regional specialities, these kitchens are bringing flavours from across the country straight to our plates.
So, whether you’re craving something nostalgic, curious to try a dish you’ve never heard of before, or simply looking to move beyond the usual butter chicken and biryani circuit, these restaurants prove that India’s culinary map is far diverse and delicious than most menus suggest. Here are some of the best spots in Delhi NCR where regional Indian cuisine takes centre stage.
The Potbelly
Founded on the idea of bringing Bihar’s comforting home-style food to the capital, the restaurant has become a cult favourite for those curious about Bihari cuisine beyond the usual. The menu is rooted in traditional cooking methods—slow-cooked meats, generous use of mustard oil, and spice blends like panch phoron, which give the food its distinctive earthy flavour.
Their most sought-after dish is litti chokha, a Bihari staple that’s made with roasted wheat dumplings, stuffed with nutty sattu (roasted gram flour), and served with smoky mashed vegetables like aubergine and potato. The Potbelly’s version stays close to the classic, delivering exactly the hearty flavours the dish is known for. Alongside this, the menu features a number of regional favourites, such as dal pitha (lentil-filled dumplings), sattu paratha with ghughni, and the comforting dal bhaat thali.
For non-vegetarians, dishes like Champaran-style mutton, cooked in a peppery gravy, and khada masala chicken served with lachha paratha are quite popular as well. Seafood lovers can also try dishes like sarso machhli, a mustard-based fish curry.
From comforting thalis to sattu-based drinks and traditional desserts like khaja and malpua, the restaurant offers a generous window into the flavours and culinary traditions of Bihar, making it a definite spot on a regional food journey across the capital.
Address: Third Floor, Plot No G-2, Hauz Khas Market, Block C 2, Hauz Khas Enclave, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, Delhi, 110016
Timing: Monday to Sunday (12:30–10:30 pm)
Price for two: INR 1,200
Karim’s
Few restaurants capture the spirit of Delhi’s heart like Karim’s—a Mughlai favourite for generations. Founded in 1913 near Jama Masjid, the restaurant has served recipes inspired by the royal kitchens of the Mughal era for over a century, making it one of Delhi’s most iconic culinary landmarks.
The menu is all about rich, slow-cooked Mughlai flavours, with dishes that have become favourites for diners across the country. Must-tries include the mutton korma, known for its deeply spiced gravy, along with seekh kebabs and mutton burra, which are marinated in aromatic spices and cooked in a tandoor until smoky and tender. Many also swear by dishes like nihari, chicken Mughlai, and mutton biryani, best enjoyed with soft rumali roti or sheermal, traditional breads that soak up the rich gravies perfectly.
Their mutton biryani is also an undeniable favourite, thanks to how authentically Mughlai the flavours are. So, if you’re looking for the best of Mughlai in a city filled to the brim with too many options to choose from, consider this your one-stop destination because no one does it like Karim’s.
Address: 16, Gali Kababian, Jama Masjid, Old Delhi, Delhi, 110006
Timing: Monday to Sunday (9 am–1 am)
Price for two: INR 1,600
Oh! Calcutta
For an introduction to Bengali cuisine in the capital, Oh! Calcutta has long been a go-to destination. Known for bringing traditional Bengali recipes into a fine-dining setting, the restaurant focuses on dishes that highlight the region’s love for mustard, fresh seafood, and slow-cooked gravies—basically everything that’s delicious and mouth-wateringly good!
The menu is filled with classics that Bengali cuisine is especially known for. Must-try dishes include Chingri Malai Curry, where prawns are cooked in a creamy coconut gravy, and Bhapa Ilish, the iconic hilsa fish steamed with mustard and spices. Meat lovers also really enjoy their Kosha Mangsho, a spiced slow-cooked mutton curry, while dishes like Bhetki Paturi—fish wrapped in banana leaf and steamed with mustard paste—are all about the delicate balance of flavours that Bengali cooking is known for.
To round off the meal, traditional Bengali desserts such as Nolen Gur er Payesh or bhapa sandesh bring in the comforting sweetness of date-palm jaggery and chhena-based sweets, ending the experience on a sweet and scrumptious note.
Address: Local Shopping Centre, Plot 4, Greater Kailash Part 3, Masjid Moth, Greater Kailash II, Greater Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi 110048
Timing: Monday to Sunday (12:30–3:30 pm, 7:30–11:30 pm)
Price for two: INR 1,800
Thamel
For an introduction to Bengali cuisine in the capital, Oh! Calcutta has long been a go-to destination. Known for bringing traditional Bengali recipes into a fine-dining setting, the restaurant focuses on dishes that highlight the region’s love for mustard, fresh seafood, and slow-cooked gravies—basically everything that’s delicious and mouth-wateringly good!
The menu is all about the classics for which Bengali cuisine is especially known and loved. Must-try dishes include Chingri Malai Curry, where prawns are cooked in a creamy coconut gravy, and Bhapa Ilish, the iconic hilsa fish steamed with mustard and spices. Meat lovers also really enjoy their Kosha Mangsho, a spiced slow-cooked mutton curry, while dishes like Bhetki Paturi—fish wrapped in banana leaf and steamed with mustard paste—are all about the delicate balance of flavours that Bengali cooking is known for.
Lastly, traditional Bengali desserts such as Nolen Gur er Payesh or bhapa sandesh, made with date-palm jaggery and chhena, respectively, bring the experience to a sweet, scrumptious end.
Address: Ground Floor, AIPL Joy Central, GF-01, Golf Course Ext Rd, Sector 65, Gurugram, Haryana 122002
Timing: Monday to Sunday (11 am–12 am)
Price for two: INR 1,200
Kikli
If you’re looking for Punjabi food that goes far beyond the usual butter chicken and dal makhani circuit (which, yes, is quite difficult to find in a city that’s obsessed with Punjabi food), Kikli in Connaught Place is the place to be. The restaurant—helmed by star chef Amninder Sandhu—focuses on heirloom Punjabi recipes and regional dishes from across the state, many of which rarely appear on mainstream restaurant menus. Instead of the usual suspects, the menu highlights home-style cooking and forgotten culinary traditions from Punjabi kitchens.
Standouts include Peshawari chapli kebab, a juicy minced-meat patty packed with spices, and pathiya sekiya kukkad, a smoky chicken dish traditionally cooked over open fire. For vegetarians, crowd-favourites include chapparwale koftey (bottle gourd dumplings simmered with dried plum) and malka masoor ki dal, slow-cooked with herbs and mutton stock, which showcase the restaurant’s focus on distinct yet traditional dishes that are native to the state of Punjab. For something rather indulgent, the Patiala shahi raan, a whole leg of lamb slow-cooked and wrapped before baking, is one of the menu’s most unique and regal dishes.
Dessert offerings include dishes like Kikli kheer, a creative take on the usual kheer that combines flavours of atta halwa with caramel and nuts. Thanks to such a menu and beautiful, traditionally decorated interiors, Kikli offers one of the most interesting deep dives into regional Punjabi cuisine in Delhi today.
Address: K 11B, Connaught Outer Circle, New Place, Block K, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Delhi 110001
Timings: Monday to Friday (12–3:30 pm, 7–11:30 pm), Saturday & Sunday (12–11:30 pm)
Price for two: INR 2,500
Read more: These Are Mumbai’s Best Picks For Regional Indian Food
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