Indian food is famous all over the world. The spicy curries, succulent biryanis and mango lassi have captured the imagination of people all over the world. Delhi being the capital of India has some of the best Indian street food. From crowd favorites such as Jalebis and Raj Kachouri to lesser known sweets you can find good street food at every nook and cranny. Here I have listed the top 50 restaurants with the best Delhi street food.
Looking for more things to do in Delhi? Checkout my Local’s guide to the top places to visit in New Delhi.
Top 50 Places For The Best Delhi Street Food
Old Famous Jalebiwala (Jalebis, Chandni Chowk)
The famous orange gold swirly sugar sweets. The jalebi batter is deep fried in desi ghee and comes out piping hot. Jalebis are a staple desert at every single special occasion in India.
Paranthe Wali Gali (Parantha, Chandni Chowk)
This entire street inside the market has shops selling different types of paranthas. From stuffed aloo (potato) parantha, matar (peas) parantha to gobi (cauliflower) parantha you will find all the different flavors here. One of the best places in Delhi to have some breakfast.
Jung Bahadur Kachori Wala (Kachori, Chandni Chowk)
Kachoris are my favorite Delhi street food. They are salty deep fried crust filled with lentils and potatoes. This hole-in-the-wall shop is very popular for their Kachoris that they have been serving since 1970. This is a street food that is best enjoyed on a cold evening with a hot cup of tea.
Kuremal Mohan Lal Kulfi (Kulfi, Chandni Chowk)
Kulfi is creamy ice cream that has the wildest flavors in India. You can choose from mango, cheeko, pomegranate, papaya and tamarind. These guys are famous for their orange and mango kulfis where they stuff the inside of the fruit with the cold creamy kulfi.
Bishan Swaroop (Aloo Kulla, Chandni Chowk)
With only 3 dishes on the menu this is a secret spot in the market operating for 97 years. The aloo kulla is what you should try here. These are scooped out potatoes filled with chickpeas, spices and lemon. I live in LA and I still dream about these every day.
Jugal Kishore Ramji Lal (Fruit Chaat, Chandni Chowk)
In India we have cut up fruit that is served sprinkled with tangy masala powder. My personal favorite is banana and pomegranate. You are going to love these refreshing fruits in the midday heat.
Shree Balaji Chaat Bhandar (Papri Chaat, Chandni Chowk)
Papri Chaat is a delicious tangy Delhi street food with crispy dough wafers topped with potatoes, chickpeas, spices and yoghurt. My favorite part is the pomegranate that they sprinkle on top. It will be easy to find this place because of the hoards of people that stop there everyday.
Prince’s Paan and Chaat Corner (Gol Gappa, Greater Kailash)
Gol Gappas are some of the favorite street foods in the city. These are tiny baked dough balls filled with a spice water mixture and potato chaat. You open your mouth as big as possible and put the entire ball in your mouth looking like an idiot. The taste though more than makes up for the funny faces. Love these with my heart.
Chache di Hatti (Chole Bhature, Kamla Nagar)
This is one of the most famous chole bhature places on the north campus of Delhi University. You want to head here before noon because they usually sell out by then. Great place to have breakfast if you are planning on doing sightseeing in north Delhi.
Juneja’s (Coconut Barfi, Lodhi Colony)
I got my mom to send me these with my dad when he flew to the US for my graduation. That is how good they are. The shop sells a huge amount of sweets that you can eat with a cup of tea in the evening. Heaven for anyone with a sweet tooth.
Prince Paan (Paan, Greater Kailash)
Paan is a delicacy that is eaten after food in India. A betel leaf is filled with various fillings and you chew the entire leaf. This place has Butterscotch Paan, Strawberry Paan and the original paan that everyone in India has. This is not for everyone but you have to try it once in your life.
Atul Chaat (Gol Gappa, Rajouri Garden)
This famous shop in Rajouri Garden Market has aloo chaat and tikki but they are most famous for their huge ass gol gappas. For your late night Delhi street food cravings you need to head here.
Roshan ki Kulfi (Kulfi, Karol Bagh)
The yellow mango and green pistachio creamy kulfi-faluda draws all the crowds of Delhi in the heat. The condensed cold milk melts in your mouth and leaves a hint of cardamom behind. The best desert to any meal any day.
Shukla Paan Shop (Paan, Connaught Place)
The shopkeeper here stuff the paan straight into your mouth. Dripping with syrupy ice in the betel leaf it gives you an immediate awesome brain freeze. This twist on the regular paan has to be had.
Chaina Ram Sindhi Confectioners (Karachi Halwa, Chandni Chowk)
Oooh halwa. The go-to piping hot sweet during winters. The Karachi Halwa is loaded with dry fruits and tastes like absolute freaking heaven. It is so good that they are regularly mentioned by national newspapers for having some of the best sweets in all of India.
Spince Aangan (Shawarma, SDA Market)
The shawarma here melts in your mouth. It is soft, succulent, meaty and served with green chutney and hummus.
Moolchand Parathewala (Parantha, Lajpat Nagar)
Parantha our eaten by us Indian foodies for breakfast, lunch and when mom is feeling generous ever dinner. These butter loaded parantha stall can only be detected by the swarms of people surrounding it. The sabzi or veggies with them make a complete meal.
Khandani Pakode Wala (Pakoda, Malviya Nagar)
Pakodas come into full effect during the rainy season. These are crispy deep fried flour batter filled with veggies. You can even find some oddities like lotus stem stuffing if you want. If its raining and you want tea and some hot Delhi street food, head over here.
Sitaram Diwan Chand (Chole Bhature, Paharganj)
These guys only have a single item on their menu. They do what they do best and only do that. The streets of Paharganj are filled with tourists and locals alike during tourist season. This is one of the places most of them head to.
Laxman Dhaba (Keema, Qutub Industrial Area)
I don’t eat meat but I have heard that the keema parantha and chicken here is especially good. If you are looking for some meaty Delhi street food then this is your place.
Natraj Dahi Bhalle Wala (Dahi Bhalla, Chandni Chowk)
Dahi Bhalla are soft melt in your mouth tikkis filled with yoghurt and spices. It’s cool and the bursts of flavors of the spices is incredible. This is one of the favorite Delhi street foods of people in the summers.
Salim’s Kebab (Kebab, Defence Colony)
From the history of Mughal influence comes some of the best Delhi street food. The mutton seekh kebab and chicken tikkas are to die for here. They are spicy, succulent and taste delicious.
Ashok and Ashok (Chicken Korma, DDA Market)
For those looking for some chicken korma head over to this restaurant that has the best korma in all of Delhi. The most delicious dishes can be found here.
Karim’s (Mughlai, Chandni Chowk)
This place is a legend for having some of the best Mughlai delicacies. These include hot kebabs, delicious mutton korma and brain curry. These are age old recipes that have been crowd favorites for decades. Head here to satisfy your meat cravings.
Al Jawahar (Mughlai, Matia Mahal)
Competing against Karim’s these guys have succeeded in poaching some of their loyal customers. They have a huge assortment of tried and tested recipes like Kaleji gurda, chicken biryani and khameeri roti which has a reputation for being soft and crispy.
Bengali Sweet House (Sweets, Mandi House)
My entire family has been ordering sweets from here since we were kids. It was right next to mom’s office so the driver would usually take a trip and get us kids gulab jamuns, diamond barfi and anything else we liked. Most Delhi street food is salty but you cannot miss out on the sweet stuff.
Bishan Swaroop Chaat Corner (Chaat, Chandni Chowk)
These guys are an absolute wonder at selling fruit and aloo chaat. Imagine scooped out fruit sprinkled with spicy chickpeas, potato and chaat powder which will leave you licking your fingers. Fruit chaat is a delicious pick me up any time of the day and these guys do it best.
Ashok Chaat Bhandar (Chaat, Chawri Bazar)
Right outside the metro station a crowd of people will usually be gathered around this shop waiting to try one of their quick bites. Some of their best ones are the kalmi vada and dahi bhalle. The owner prepares the food everyday in his own home so you can be assured it’s fresh and clean.
Bille di Hatti (Chole Bhature, Pitampura)
If you are craving a full plate of spicy Indian food and a place to rest your legs this is the place. They have a small menu of plates but their chole bhature are absolutely perfectly made. And after that if you want something sweet go for the sooji halwa which isn’t anywhere else on this list.
Tilak Munjal (Samosa Chaat, Pitampura)
Samosas are famous world over now so you probably know what it is. The samosa chaat is made by adding a blend of tangy chutneys and spicy chickpeas to it. If you like the samosas you are going to like this even more.
Kamala Sweets (Mishti Doi, CR Park)
If you aren’t familiar with Bengali sweets this is going to be quite an adventure for you. This shop has a loyal clientele that like traditional recipes like Mishti Doi, Orange Sandesh and Doodhpuli. These are very different from the typical Delhi street food you might find elsewhere. Definitely try and go outside of your comfort zone and try new things.
Rasoraj Sweets (Rasmalai, CR Park)
Another famous Bengali sweets shop is Rasoraj Sweets. The Rasmalai is my personal favorite. Its a soft saffron sweet floating in syrupy milk. Its so fragrant and perfect for hot summer days. You should pick a few sweets like Rasgulla, Rasmalai, Channar Prayesh and try them at your own leisure back at your hotel.
Giani di Hatti (Rabri, Chandni Chowk)
Rabri Faluba is kulfi mixed with coconut, dry fruits and faluda milk. It is so delicious I cannot put it into words. It is incredible creamy and milky sweet and melts into your mouth. It’s the upgraded version of the simple ice cream sundae.
Haldiram’s (Raj Kachori, Lajpat Nagar)
Haldiram’s is the Wendy’s of LA. Sorry I live in LA, it’s impossible to escape it. Anyway you will all the families here at dinner time eating all the street food possible. Try the Raj Kachori since there are only a few places that do it this well.
Nathu’s Sweets (Sweets, Mandi House)
Nathu’s is one of the bigger chains that have stores all over India. They have every kind of Delhi street food and all kinds of sweets you can imagine. If you want to weigh your options or get a few boxes packed for your friends back home then this is where you should head. These guys are great at suggesting and packing the cutest sweet boxes.
Gupta Burger Centre (Burgers, Krishna Nagar)
Do not confuse these burgers with what you find in the west. Indian burgers have smaller burgers that are smeared with tangy and spicy chutneys. The filling is deep fried or baked potato patties. My favorite street food ever is the Vada Pav which is a type of these burgers famous in Bombay.
Jain Coffee House (Fruit Sandwiches, Chawri Bazar)
Since 1948 these guys have been serving up the most unique Delhi street food – fruit sandwiches. The bread is served with orange jam, cottage cheese and thick slices of fruit covered with butter. These sandwiches and their coffee is highly acclaimed and rightly so.
Yadav’s Chole Kulche (Chole Kulche, Saket)
Chole Kulche is a spicy chickpea dish served with a soft bread. This is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you like Chole Bhature then you are bound to love this too.
Khan Chacha (Kebab, Khan Market)
This is probably the only upper scale restaurant in this list. For those who are super freaked out about Delhi belly this should calm you down. These guys are located in the posh Khan Market and my friends love going here all the time too. They are known for their Paneer Rolls, Manchurian Rolls and Chicken Rolls. Plenty of options for both vegetarians too.
Bangla Sweet House (Mithai, Gole Market)
Another chain store that is known for their sweets and street food is Bangla Sweets. They have options for both vegetarians and vegans. Funnily most Delhi street food is vegetarian so my fellow veggies won’t miss out on anything.
Bhajan Lal Bhelpuri (Bhel Puri, Sundar Nagar)
Crispy fritters covered with a mixture of namkeen are served on a Bhel Puri platter. This is one of the staple Delhi street food that you can find almost anywhere. It’s a good one to put on your list so you don’t miss.
Kedarnath Premchand Halwai (Halwa, Chandni Chowk)
The halwais here are experts in creating the best Delhi street food dishes. But the ones they do the best are Nagori Halwa, Malpua and Ghewar. These are sweet Indian desserts that are two of my favorites. Malpua and Ghewar are especially famous in my mom’s hometown and make their way onto the table for Holi, Diwali and all festivals. Wash down the burst of sweet with a huge glass of lassi.
Bhalla King (Sev Puri, Lajpat Nagar)
These guys are another small shop with some different variety of Delhi street food that you wouldn’t have seen before. They have on their curious menu Sev Puri and Raj Kachori which is more famous in Rajasthan. These are great dishes to taste and get a different taste.
Jhakkas Bombay Pav Bhaji (Cheese Pav Bhaji, Lajpat Nagar)
These guys are a more upper scale restaurant for street food. They have the cutest colorful dishes that are totally Instagrammable. Their Cheesy Pav Bhaji puts a twist to the traditional dish to make it cheeesier. It tastes amazing and I love it!
Mithona (Dhokla, Lajpat Nagar)
I wouldn’t blame you if you haven’t seen Dhokla in the list of Delhi street food. This is a traditionally Gujarati dish. My mom’s hometown had this one shop which was famous for its dhokla so I have been eating them all my life and I adore them. They are so soft and light and you can easily eat 5 or 10 of them if you’re like me. Definitely try some Dhoklas.
Tenzing LaPhing (Laphing, Majnu ka Tila)
Situated in the heart of the awesome Tibetan district in Delhi this shop sells the best Laphing in Delhi. Laphing is a spicy, cold bean noodle dish. It is native to the Tibetan nomads but it is famous amongst all the college students here and has been for many years.
Tara Restaurant (Momos, Majnu ka Tila)
It’s hard to explain why momos are so famous in Delhi. We have hyped it up to the point that I think it had a placebo effect and now we actually like it? Anyway one of the best places for momos in Delhi is this little unassuming shop with a good selection of momos and even better cocktails. They are an awesome combination if you haven’t tried it.
Wengers (Cakes, Connaught Place)
I have been buying my birthday cake from this bakery for 10 years now and I swear by their cakes. This bakery used to cook for the British elite before 1947 and then for the high end Indian clientele. Now they are famous all over Delhi for their awesome cakes.
Ganesh Machhiwala (Fish, Karol Bagh)
From Bengal come these traditional fish recipes like Fish Tandori, Fish Fry and Mutton Seekh Kebab. Be prepared to wait for your order because this place is always full. It’s better to take your food and enjoy ii on the hood of your car like every other person here anyway.
Changezi (Mughlai, Karol Bagh)
With traditional cooking methods these guys serve up a good selection of Mughlai food. The best of these are the Chicken Changezi and Afghani Chicken. Go here when you are hungry and ready to eat a lot cause these are filling and butter stuffed recipes.
I hope you enjoyed whichever ones you decided to try. Let me know in the comments which street foods were your favorite.
