Chef Manish Mehrotra Tells Us The Best North Indian Restaurants In Delhi

"For me, the best North Indian restaurant or restaurant which serves one of the best North Indian food in Delhi, the first one for me goes to Dampukht at ITC Maurya Sheraton. The menu is very, very unique. You will find those dishes on other restaurant menus also. But the way Dampukht and Chef Gulam Qureshi execute those dishes, especially the Kakori, Gilawat, Nihari, and Biryani. It is out of this world. For me, whenever I crave Kakori, Nihari or Biryani, I head straight to Dampukht. And at least once or in two months or once in a month, I have to go there and eat the Biryani and Nihari and Kakori Kebab."

"The second for me is Bukhara again in the ITC Maurya. Chef JP Singh is great, and the menu is very unique and different from Dampukht. So whenever I have the craving for Tandoor grilled Kebabs, I go to Bhukhara. Nobody can beat Bukhara; their Tandoori Jhinga, Ran, and Murg Bulai Kebab are simply amazing. I am not a huge fan of their Dal, but these three things are to die for. And the Kulchas — Onion Kulcha or Paneer Kulcha, it is out of this world. It is not about what the menu is. It is about the consistency: keeping the same quality day in and day out for so many years, and that's where Bhukara excels"

"My third favourite is Gulati at Pandhara Road, it is really, really good. If you want Delhi Punjabi food, this is the best place to go to. Their Butter Chicken, Kadhai Chicken and Dal are all amazing. These are the places where you go not only to eat, but you also go there for a bit of nostalgia. That is what Gulati is all about."

"Delhi 2 by Chef Sweety Singh is a small hole-in-the-wall kind of place in Gurgaon where I enjoy their North Indian food. It's unique and authentic Punjabi food with amazing flavours. The Chef? He is a genius. Their fried fish, fish tikka, and saag are all must-tries. It's a tiny place. There are plastic chairs and a table, it's that kind of space where you have to go and enjoy. You can eat in the car, too.

Fun fact: I was introduced to it by a friend who lives in Gurgaon and swears by it. And then when she took me there, I was absolutely blown away because when you go to these small places, your expectation levels are not that high. But suddenly, you get something beyond what you were expecting. That's how beautiful my experience at Delhi Doh was."

"Another gem is called Dhaba, but not the chain restaurant of Dhaba, but Dhaba, the original one in The Claridges hotel. Again, never, never, never disappoints. It's an extremely old restaurant. It's legendary. And the food they serve is exemplary, delicious, and made with heart, I would say. Like, it's hardcore, and it feels like they really believe in their food, and they are so confident that every day they'll churn out the best of that food. Especially a few of their kebabs, gravies, and dal are too good to ignore."

"Havemore is another restaurant in Pandara Road. It's similar to Gulati's and serves fabulous butter chicken. While they are not always on point, it's like you feel something is missing, but they are still one of the best spots for North Indian food in Delhi and much better than the rest of the places. So, Havemore is one more place where I go to satisfy my North Indian, Delhi Punjabi khana craving."