The best Indian restaurants North India

If the location of the ITC Rajputana hotel does not seduce at first sight, wedged between the train station and an elevated road, its restaurant Peshawri will quickly make you forget this inconvenience. The somewhat curious setting is probably reminiscent of the interior of a traditional house in the Peshawar region of northern Pakistan. Stone walls, wooden clerestories stretched with string, long wooden tables and upholstered stools. The interest lies of course in the plate. The chefs will prepare delicious North Indian specialties with a touch of spice.

The most famous restaurant in Vadodara, inside the WelcomHotel ITC Alkapuri, Peshawri offers unparalleled Mughlai (North Indian/Pakistani) cuisine. The menu is short and concise, but everything is absolutely delicious. The wooden tables with trestles give character to the room, which takes up the codes of the region, with its copper urns adorning the walls. The show goes on towards the kitchen, separated from the room by a glass wall. One can then observe at leisure the master chefs of the tandoor officer.

Located in a pleasant garden-courtyard, this elegant café-restaurant offers a varied menu: Indian specialties, such as butter chicken or tandoori, and international dishes, including very good lamb burgers. Everything is cooked with fresh and excellent products. The tourists are not mistaken, it is often full. In case of strong heat, you can take refuge in the small air-conditioned room on the first floor. And the rest of the time, the terrace on the first floor offering a breathtaking view on the temples is often taken by storm.

Lovers of tender grilled meats will be delighted. Chicken, lamb, fish, shrimp or paneer kebabs cooked in the tandoor, all available in many recipes. In Kolkata, all lovers of non-vegetarian cuisine praise the qualities of this restaurant whose cuisine is directly inspired by the traditional recipes of the Mughal Empire. If the setting is ordinary, the service is fast and the staff attentive. A sure value.

We will not hide it, Spice Court is a restaurant for tourists. But... the quality is there, the setting is pleasant, the service is impeccable. The meal is taken in a large garden with, in the first part of the evening, a traditional show. From 9pm, the Indians take over the place, and the artists go home. The menu offers a wide variety of simmered dishes, perfectly spiced and tasty. A beautiful air-conditioned room welcomes the customers on hot days. Cherry on the cake, the owner speaks an impeccable French.

The establishment, not easy to find, is located on the second floor of a commercial building. Here is a typical restaurant to discover: to explore the richness and the delicacy of the famous Gujarati thali, it is here that you must come. Enticing presentation and authentic traditional flavors. It's so good that you'll ask for more... and that's good, they are served as much as you want! The big room is a little dark but very clean. Local color atmosphere enhanced by a very smiling welcome. Not to be missed under any pretext.

This kabob restaurant is an institution in Lucknow. The grandfather, the chef of the last Mogul, left the art of preparing melt-in-the-mouth kababs as a precious legacy to his grandson, Mohammad Usman. You can watch the cooks at work from the street. Kababs with mutton, chicken, vegetarian, biryani, tandoori chicken, roasted roomali... All served in an atmosphere of a market canteen... In short, all the awadhi cuisine that characterizes Lucknow. A treat for a small price.

Every day, 100,000 meals are served. On the menu: an excellent vegetarian thali made of lentils and potatoes, rice, chapati and a dessert. And for this, more than 5,000 kg of wheat flour, 1,800 kg of dal (lentils), 1,400 kg of rice, 600 kg of sugar and 700 liters of milk are needed. Upon arrival, each person takes a tray, a bowl and a stainless steel spoon. You sit in a line on the floor and are served with a ladle. Remember to hold out both hands palms up to the sky in gratitude for receiving your chapati. A unique experience!

An institution in Kolkata, often crowded. The setting is elegant, with a superb subdued light and a sober decoration. Specialties of tandoori kebabs and kebabs, biryanis, many naan recipes... Try the Chelo Kabab, a regional mutton specialty served with rice and a fried egg. And if you really can't decide, choose one of the two suggestions of the chef, veg. or non-veg., and let yourself be surprised! Small particularity, the waiters are dressed in rajasthanie. The place also serves alcohol.

As its name suggests, this restaurant offers quality cuisine inspired by the north of the country. The tandoor is in operation for lunch and dinner (which is rare), which allows you to enjoy a chicken tikka or kebabs for lunch. Some Chinese dishes are also on the menu (especially noodles) and snacks. The setting, if it is impersonal, is nonetheless comfortable. The tables are large and surrounded by benches and the room is air-conditioned. The staff will be able to guide you in your choice if the menu leaves you wondering. A good place.

This address is known by the locals for its sweet delicacies, but the cookie store is also next to a large restaurant where they serve spicy vegetarian specialties. The principle is that of fast food. You have to go to the cashier and order your meal, then present your ticket to a waiter behind the counter. Once your tray is full, you just have to find a free seat, which can be complicated on weekend nights.

Located on the ninth floorof the Clarks Avadh Hotel, this restaurant is recommended if you want to taste the real (fine) Lucknow cuisine. Try the platter of different kebabs (taron ka haar) or the vegetarian kebabs, such as hariyali, a specialty made of spinach and lentils. Traditional musicians come to play intimate music in the evening. From the terrace, the view of the Gomti River and the city's monuments is splendid. An elegant place for a romantic dinner or to satisfy the gourmet.

Handi delights lovers of grilled meats: tandoori, kebab, chicken or mutton tikka, butter chicken... Obviously, vegetarians will not be left out. All this is served in a "Rajsthan rural" setting with walls covered with dried and painted mud. The large, dark room behind a blackened window may seem unattractive, but these are the standards of "cool" in India. A good place to enjoy tandoori at lunchtime. This is exceptional, since the ovens are usually only lit in the evening.

Located near the train station, on the main street, Amberwalla is a good place to try some South Indian specialties or to enjoy a hearty thali. Only good vegetarian dishes are served in this air-conditioned room. You will find there a local canteen atmosphere with a rather ordinary setting and an expeditious service, which does not seem to disturb the exclusively Indian clientele. For a small price, the Amber thali is an excellent choice, tasty and very nourishing. Restaurant not to be missed for the small budgets.

Located on the terrace of a hotel, a little away from the city, this restaurant is nevertheless worth your visit. The food is really delicious and the prices are quite moderate. The chef worked for several years in Japan, before coming back home to Khajuraho. The products are ultra-fresh and the dishes are prepared to order, which is why you will have to wait a little. You can choose to eat outside, on the pleasant roof terrace laid out like an urban garden, or in the air-conditioned dining room with its contemporary setting.

Held by a Sikh family, this small popular and authentic canteen attracts workers and inhabitants of the district but also more and more tourists. It's not surprising since you can eat very well for only a few rupees. Don't be discouraged by the uninviting front or by the basic setting... The food served is excellent! The dishes of the day, to be preferred, are written on a small slate. In addition, the portions are quite copious. The whole to be accompanied by a very good masala chai.

Everything in this restaurant is a bit oversized: the size of the room (very large), the backs of the chairs (very high), the brightness (very dark). This seems to be what is needed to lure a wealthy clientele that wants to relax and be entertained. A slightly baroque setting and water pipes. In addition to being a restaurant that serves decent food, but with somewhat congruent portions, the establishment acts as a sheesha bar. No alcohol, but a long menu of mocktails and tobacco flavors.

Open since 1962, Makhan is an iconic restaurant in the city. A large, somewhat impersonal room welcomes customers. On the menu, as you might expect, are fish and chicken specialties. Recipes cooked in the tandoor, such as chicken malai tikka, mutton tikka, or fish Sangara tandoori, are all the rage. The establishment also serves alcohol, so you can accompany your meal with a cold beer. Not to be confused with the Makhan Hut.

Up a flight of stairs overlooking Ganga Mahal Ghat, this small restaurant attracts many travelers who settle in Varanasi for a while. Ashish's family lives here and has set up a room and a veranda on the first floor. The food is simple, delicious and prepared with fresh ingredients. It is one of the best places in the city for excellent thalis. The address is signposted from the ghat, and you'll have no trouble spotting the bright blue house with flower pots in front.

The vegetarian or carnivorous grill temple welcomes its guests in a pleasant retro-character frame. The restaurant, with its buffet formula, will vary the dishes, but you will always find chicken, shrimp, fish, paneer or roasted peanuts. On tables, sauces and condiments are ready to accompany your dishes. Some evenings, servers and chefs invest the scene and sing some songs to entertain customers. Ambiance club, but in the restaurant!