Lal Quarter market is East Delhi’s reply to all the popular, budget-friendly street markets in the other parts of Delhi. It's got Lajpat-style kitschy jewellery, kurtis and dupattas, Sarojini-style style daily wear, saris the likes of Chandni Chowk and plenty of street shops for bags, accessories and footwear. Added bonus: all of it is available at incredibly cheap prices.
The market is pretty large, and not the most organised. To reach the place, we'd suggest not taking a car (bye bye, parking woes) and taking the metro. The nearest ones are Welcome (red line) and Preet Vihar (blue line). From there, you'll have to catch a rickshaw/auto.
Here are some stores that stood out on our visit here...
Clothes, Accessories & More: This Cheap East Delhi Market Has It All
For Men's Wear—Informals
From formal shirts and informal t-shirts to comfy lowers, shorts, pants and jeans, this store has an amazing collection of good-quality menswear and at cheaper rates too (as compared to the sky-rocketing South Delhi prices that is). To give you an idea, the range of trousers begins at INR 720 and denims at INR 900.
For Everything Ethnic—Unique Selections
From trendy cotton kurtis, palazzo sets, dupattas, leggings to gorgeous ethnic footwear, this store had it all. The daily-wear kurtis and the colourful chappals were our favourites. Their clothing range begins at INR 800.
For Decor—Akkie Arts & Crafts
One of their pieces on display (a big, wooden-textured fountain with a mustard-coloured lamp on top) caught our eye and so, we curiously decided to check out the store which was full of gifting items, lamps, home decor items, flower pots, clocks, posters, paintings as well as framed art. If you need to get something framed, they can help you out with that too. Also, on a different floor, the store doubled up as a recording studio for musicians. (What are the odds of that?)
For Wedding Wear—Anmol Xclusif
This 47-year-old store had all kinds of ready-made lehengas, suits, indo-western gowns and more which will make for a stunning suitable-for-a-wedding look. Their collection was a mix of both bling and subtle designs, so they’re equipped to cater to people with different tastes. Across the road, they have another store which you can check out for ethnic dailywear.
For Food—Waterfront Grill
It's easy to miss this unassuming place (it's near Rupa Ice Cream Parlour), since it's small with very little seating space. But we say, go ahead and just try their food, especially the Lemon Chicken Latpat and Kali Mirch Chaap Latpat. You'll end up devouring more than you thought you possibly could.
