Eat, Drink, & Shop: Here's Everything You Can Do In Connaught Place

Connaught Clubhouse claims to be Delhi’s first German microbrewery, the door opens to a neon sign welcoming you and on the left side, you can see the distillery. The area is spacious and the interiors are quite chic. It’s a cool place to go with friends, they even have projectors installed for sports screenings.

What To Eat: Changezi Chicken, Veg Dimsums, Craft Beer

Price For Two: INR 2,100

Timings: 12 PM to 1 AM

Known for their presentation of food, Farzi is a modern Indian bistro offering fusion food. Think Spacious rustic interiors, large stage, dedicated dance floor and stellar acoustics. Go here with friends, family or your SO, and you’ll definitely have a good time.

What To Eat: Dal Chawal Aranchini, Chicken Tikka Curry, Butter Chicken Bao, Prawn Ghee Roast

Price For Two: INR 2,200

Timings: 12 PM to 1 AM

If you love sheesha, good food and an even better ambience, go to Tamasha. They’ve got a large indoor as well as outdoor space with peppy music playing and quick service.

What To Eat: LIITs, Fish and Chips, Choco Mousse, LIITs, Chettinad Chicken

Price For Two: INR 1,800

Timings: 12 PM to 12.30 AM

LOD is spread across two floors including a sprawling terrace, head here if you want to experiment with cocktails and munch on delicious bar snacks. Their rooftop makes for an awesome party place or a date night.

What To Eat: Arbi Tuk, Bhatti Paneer, Butter Chicken Sandwich, Classic Martini

Price For Two: INR 2,000

Timings: 11 AM to 12.45 PM

Diggin has a following of its own and in July of 2021 they opened up in CP. Warm, welcoming interiors, quick service and awesome food—they have it all. Their other outlets are in Chanakyapuri and Anand Lok.

What To Eat: Penne Picante, Veg Cannelloni, Chicken Crostini, Garden Burger

Price For Two: INR 1,400

Timings: 11.30 AM to 11 PM

If you’re big on South Indian food, don’t think twice and head straight to Saravana Bhawan. You’re lucky if you get a seat right away as there’s almost always waiting and rightly so.

What To Eat: Ghee Roast Paper Masala Dosa, Sweet Dahi Vada, Mini Idlies

Price For Two: INR 700

Timings: 8 AM to 11 PM

If grabbing a book with a cuppa coffee or tea tickles your fancy, you should check out Cha Bar. It's got the Oxford bookstore on one side and a cafe on the other. The place is usually filled with people, so make sure you put your name on the wait list while browsing some books.

What To Order: Cardamom Chai, Passion Fruit Ice Tea, Bun Tikki, Rose Tea, Smoked Chicken Pasta

Price For Two: INR 700

Timings: 10 AM to 9 PM

Local is known for its cheap alcohol rates, so it automatically ticks the checklist for half of the Delhiites. They’re calling it Delhi’s first street food bar so it’s got a great mix of party music and bharatiye snacks for a party scene with the gang.

What To Order: Mumbaiya Vada Pav, Gol Gappe Shots, Coffee Caramel Shake

Price For Two: INR 1,700

Timings: 11 AM to 1 AM

With cute interiors and a cosy ambience, Caffe Tonino has some authentic Italian food in store for you. I’ve heard the food is to die for, quite literally. The only thing they could work on is the range of drinks they’ve got to offer.

What To Order: Spaghetti Bolognaise Con Pollo Polpettine, Salame Picante Pizza, Tiramisu

Price For Two: INR 1,500

Timings: 8.30 AM to 11 PM

From super cheesy pasta to delicious desserts (are you team Banoffee pie or Mississippi mud pie?) there's nothing people in Delhi love more than going to the iconic Big Chill for Italian food. 

What To Eat: Penne Vodka, Banoffee Pie, Belgian Chocolate Shake

Price For Two: INR 1,500

Timings: 12 PM to 11.30 PM

Savour Chinese food at Wok In The Clouds. They've got a great cocktail menu and the starters are delicious. Quick and courteous service makes it a nice place to head here with friends, family or bae. 

What To Eat: Kulfi Platter, Chicken Dimsums, Cocktails, Chilli Paneer, Nachos

Price For Two: INR 2,000

Timings: 12 PM to 1 AM

A great option for North Indian and Mughlai cuisine is Zaffran. They've got a relaxed ambience and elegant interiors, it's a good place to come with family. 

What To Eat: Paneer Akbari, Jhoomta Kukkad, Chicken Boti Masala, Peshawari Naan

Price For Two: INR 2,000

Timings: 12 PM to 3.30 PM, 7 PM to 11.30 PM

If you've come to CP, there is good chance you will be tired and in need of a pick-me-up, especially if you’re here for shopping. So this section is dedicated to quick bites that you need to regain your energy.

There’s McDonald's and I don’t think I need to say anything about it. For coffee lovers, there’s a very spacious and rustic-looking Starbucks, but if you feel Starbucks is overrated then you can head to Blu Tokai, which is actually half and half with Cold Love artisanal ice cream. Quick Mexican bites can be found at Taco Bell. There’s Nik Bakers to satisfy your sweet cravings. You can even go to Cafe Delhi Heights, if you have an hour on your hand. Hashery in a quaint little cafe on the block for good food and desserts.  Oh and there’s Xero Degrees for drool-worthy fries and shakes. 

Connaught Place is one of the oldest places in Delhi so it goes without saying that it’ll have some very iconic joints, by iconic I mean OG places where all Delhiites have been to at least once in their lifetime if not 10.

Wengers (10.45 AM to 7.30 PM) is a go-to for pastries, patties, cakes and sandwiches. On my visit there only one truffle pastry was left, can you believe it?

United Coffee House (10 AM to 11.45 PM) has been around for as long as I can remember. Head here for a family lunch or dinner and savour Mughlai and North Indian food.

Just on the corner of Wengers, you’ll find the Shake Square, which was originally known as Keventers and I can vouch for its greatness. Rumour has it that the Keventers Milkshake brand you see in malls and other posh places now actually took the name after this joint. 

Jain Chawal Wale (5 AM to 12.30 AM) is a small yet very busy outlet near Regal Building, Connaught Place. It’s famous for its Chole Bhature and Rajma Chawal, which are extremely affordable and yummy. 

Indian Coffee House (9 AM to 9 PM) is one of the most budget-friendly and iconic places in Delhi, serving the city generation after generation with its cups of coffee with a great view of Connaught Place.

The recipes of Embassy dates back almost 50 years, it's a place of history, of delicious food and is a popular choice among many in the city.

A shopping spree at Janpath is never complete without cold coffee from Depaul’s (10 AM to 8.30 PM). They’ve also got momos, cheese balls and grilled sandwiches on their menu.

Kwality has been around for almost a century now. They've renovated their restaurant (very beautifully) but the menu has all the cult classics. 

Tibetan market is about 10 to 15 shops lined up selling handicrafts and accessories. Think sound bowls, healing stones and Tibetan home decor. Take your time with each shop, you’ll definitely find something one-of-a-kind.

Timings: 11 AM to 8.30 PM (Closed on Mondays)

You’ll find a bunch of stores at Janpath selling all kinds of stuff from plastic household items to jewellery. While wandering I found this store known as Chaandi that had a unique range of silver jewellery. The street market of Janpath will remind you of Sarojini Nagar, just smaller. Here you’ll find bags, clothing (both Indian and Western), books, lots and lots of accessories for as cheap as INR 100. If you’re going to CP specifically for shopping at Janpath I recommend you read this guide for an easier shopping experience. Also, there are vendors selling snacks like shakarkandi ki chaat if you get hungry in between shopping.

PS: The mantra for Janpath—bargain!

Timings: 11 AM to 9 PM

Gujrati Lane is a paradise for everything handcrafted and for jewellery. It's a long lane of ethnic, Indo-Western fits, with super unique oxidized boho jewelry, umbrellas, and lovely home decor. The place also offers some beautiful statement bags, which can turn around any simple outfit, as well as some one-of-a-kind silver jewelry. The saleswomen there will definitely make you shop more than you are planning to, but we know for a fact that everything will be completely worth it.

One’s bound to find all sorts of fabrics at Shankar Market. From cotton fabric with basic prints, silk brocades, sequins, lace, georgette, and Indian handloom—the shops have it all.

Timings: 11 AM to 8.30 PM

There are a number of entrances to this double basement bazaar that’s entrenched with knock-offs and copies of everything from Ed Hardy to Prada shades. It also has many affordable tattoo parlours—literally every 50 meters you walk someone comes up and tells you to get a tattoo—but I would highly advise against it as we don’t know how hygienic it is. It’s an enclosed space so if you’re someone who is claustrophobic, skip this one. Plus, always keep company while wandering through PB.

Timings: 10.30 AM to 8 PM (Closed on Mondays)

The State Emporia Complex houses stores from different states of India selling handicraft items. Open all days of the week, here you'll find authentic items for fair pricing. Plus, all these products are sourced directly from artisans.

One store that's hard to miss is The Meghalayan Age store that's opened quite recently. Displaying the work of artisans from Meghalaya, they have terracotta jewellery and kitchenware, and apparel among other daily items of use.

Connaught Place has over 40 branded shops here like Nike, FabIndia, Bata, H&M, Hamleys and the list can go on and on and on. Check them all here.

There's also Nomadic Haat, a subway turned into a gypsy market near Hanuman Mandir. You'll get skincare, apparel, handcrafted items and art on display, which you can buy for about INR 350 and upwards.

You can also go to Khan Market, which is around 15 minutes away from CP. It’s one of the posh places and adored by South Delhi. Here’s the ultimate guide to shop, eat and explore in Khan Market.

Museum of Illusions promises mind-bending tricks. You get a total of 60 minutes here and the museum is divided into two parts, with 30 minutes for each part. There are some 50 crazy exhibits like the rotated room, anti-gravity room, vortex tunnel that tricks your brain and makes for awesome photographs. Great to go with friends at least once and have a blast.

Price: For one ticket on weekdays is INR 650 and on weekends INR 690

Timings: 11 AM to 8 PM 

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib invokes a sense of inner peace and calm in a person and that is just one of the reasons why one keeps coming back to this place. Open 24 hours and to all, it’s a must-visit place. Don’t miss out on the kadah prasad and the langar here.

Hanuman Mandir is believed to be there since the time of the Pandavas. Behind it is a small market that you can explore after you have visited the temple. The market has vendors selling bangles, bindis and hair accessories. The rows and rows of bangles make for a colourful treat to the eyes.

Jantar Mantar is one of the five observatories built by Maharaja Jai Singh of Jaipur. Most of the instruments here have an astronomical purpose. This is a great place to geek out as it perfectly blends history and science together.

Agrasen Ki Baoli is a fourteenth-century structure attributed to the legendary Maharaja Agrasen. Despite being located right in the heart of Delhi, it does not abide with the chaos and you can come here with a book or headphones and chill.

Rashtrapati Bhavan and India Gate are seven minutes apart from each other and 10 minutes away from CP. One of the most memorable times for most Delhiites (I believe) is driving through this part of the city with some good music and ice-cream. Would 100% recommend.

Dhoomimal Art Gallery is a third-generation art gallery started in 1937 by Ram Babu in order to promote the work of artists who have been slowly forgotten and ones that are relatively lesser-known. 

National Gallery of Art And Culture is a heaven for art and photography lovers. They display the works of a wide range of artists and painters from different eras and usually have some exhibitions always going on.

If I’ve not reiterated it enough, Connaught Place is huge, those who have been here know it. So Smart Bikes are a saviour. Located near metro stations you can get bicycles on rent through an app and easily travel around. There’s even a basket for you to keep your shopping bags while you cycle away.