India's culinary heritage is world famous and the variety of cuisines to be enjoyed throughout the country is truly sensational. Travel around India from region to region, city to city and you’ll discover a diverse array of delicious fare, wonderful local produce and traditional recipes passed down through generations.

A journey through history, flavours and vibrant cultures

From Delhi and Mumbai’s delightful street food, to the sweet treats of Kolkata, to the masala dosa of Bengaluru and the slow-cooked Awadhi delicacies of Lucknow, there is something for everyone on this colourful culinary adventure.

Dive into the details with us as we explore the foodie intricacies of India’s biggest cities, discovering the signature meals, restaurants that are hits with the locals and the lowdown on the country’s greatest food festivals.

There are British, Chinese, Mughlai, Persian, Punjabi and many more influences to sample along the way, and you may be hungrier than you think by the time you reach the end of our guide!

The diverse food scene of Delhi is just one of the elements that make it one of the greatest cities in the world to visit and spend time in soaking up its vibrant culture. An ancient capital, shaped by Punjabi and Rajasthani influences - amongst many others - this sprawling metropolis is synonymous with Mughlai cuisine.

Rich, satisfying biryani, korma and nihari recipes will tantalise the taste buds as you navigate Delhi’s bustling restaurant scene. Chandni Chowk (or Moonlight Square) is amongst the busiest and oldest markets in India, and around the stalls of this Old Delhi landmark, food lovers can enjoy street food staples such as buttery parathas (a flaky, texured flatbread), spicy chaat and the famous chole bhature (a combo of chana masala and bhatura).

When to visit

The Delhi Street Food Festival held annually in December celebrates street food from across India and is well worth planning a visit around. Meanwhile, those visiting Delhi in July can take in the International Mango Festival which showcases the huge variety of one of India’s favourite fruits.

Essential Travel Info

Airport taxi, express metro line and bus give around-the-clock options for getting into town from Indira Gandhi International Airport. Metro is the fastest and cheapest at 20 minutes and ₹50, taking you into New Delhi Railway Station.

Once in the city, metro is the quickest and most convenient way around (Delhi’s metro system is the largest in India).

And as the capital, Indira Gandhi International Airport has an extensive network of domestic flights to all major Indian hubs, with plenty of direct options for key routes such as Mumbai to Delhi.

Sometimes referred to as the sweet capital of India, rosogolla, sandesh and mishti doi are amongst the sugary delights you’ll find in abundance in Kolkata. The local Bengali cuisine also heavily features savoury flavours, and dishes such as shorshe ilish (hilsa fish in mustard) and macher jhol (fish curry) really pack a punch. There is also a thriving street food culture in Kolkata so look out for kathi rolls (paratha wrapped kebabs) or puchkas (breaded hollow snacks with fillings) to grab on the go.

Indian anthropologist Surajit Chandra Sinha referred to Kolkata as a city of ‘Furious, Creative Energy’, and this shows through in the exciting culinary trends of this diverse city.

When to visit

Head to Kolkata (Calcutta) in October to enjoy Ahare Bangla, a fabulous food carnival celebrating the very best of both traditional and contemporary Bengali cuisine.

Essential Travel Info

Bus and taxi are the two options for reaching the city centre from Kolkata airport. Both are cheap (bus ₹100, taxi ₹350), but the taxi will get you there in less than half the time.

Local yellow taxis and the metro are the most commonly used transport methods for navigating the city. The metro now operates a four-line system that provides fairly comprehensive coverage of the city. The local tram system is less efficient, but is a fun sightseeing activity.

In the capital of Uttar Pradesh, Awadhi cuisine features strongly with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes on the menu. Northern Indian and Southern Nepali flavours come to the fore in Lucknow with rich spices such as cardamom and saffron being used in the dum style of cooking over a slow fire. Delicious recipes of biryanis, kaliyas, galouti kebabs, kormas, nahari-kulchas, sheermal and warqi parathas are all prevalent here.

The opulent Nawabi heritage of Lucknow shines through in these elaborate dishes, where food becomes an art form, perfected over centuries in the traditions of the khansamas (royal chefs) and rakabdars (gourmet cooks).

When to visit

Those visiting the city in November to December can enjoy Lucknow Mahotsav, an annual Indian art & culture festival, with the best of Lucknow and Uttar Pradesh’s rich culinary heritage a key part of the event.

Essential Travel Info

Getting to the city centre’s Charbagh station by metro is the cheapest option at around ₹50 and 40 minutes, although it’s not an express service so luggage space is tight. An airport taxi will start at around ₹280 and can take anywhere from 20 minutes upwards.

Lucknow metro is relatively new having been fully launched in 2019 and has a single line, with Charbagh the main hub. A second line is not scheduled to open until 2029. As in many cities, auto-rickshaws are an alternative fast and cheap method for getting about.

The influences of Goan, Maharashtrian, Malvani and Parsi cuisine can all be felt in the dynamic food scene of Mumbai. The Konkan coastal location of the city, which now sits at the heart of the sixth-most populous metropolitan area in the world, means great seafood is easy to come by. Bombil fry (Bombay duck – which is in fact a fish, not a duck) is a must-try and has been eaten locally for centuries, from the days when the city developed from a small fishing village.

From top end restaurants to a plethora of food carts and street stalls, Mumbai caters to every palate and budget. Quaint Parsi cafes provide a taste of Mumbai’s multicultural identity, whilst reliable offerings like vada pav (potato dumplings in bread buns), pav bhaji (vegetable curry with bread rolls) and bhel puri (chaat) always hit the spot.

When to visit

The Versova Koli Seafood Festival is a haven for seafood connoisseurs and takes place over three days every January, whilst the Mumbai Street Food Festival at Jio World Drive celebrates regional street food specialties each July.

Essential Travel Info

Taxi is the most convenient way to get from the airport to the city centre, and at roughly ₹700 is inexpensive too. In normal traffic it can take an hour, but that can easily double if the roads are busy. The alternative, a train, is cheaper but inconvenient as you’ll need to take a rickshaw from the airport terminal to the station, where trains do run regularly and take around 40 minutes to reach the centre.

When in Mumbai, the metro is cheap but currently undergoing extensive construction. Mumbai’s local train runs north to south and is an option, but avoid peak hours. Taxis are plentiful but Mumbai’s traffic is infamous, and rickshaws are only an option in the suburbs.

Hyderabad is internally recognised for the quality of its cuisine, officially listed as a creative city of gastronomy by UNESCO. A legacy of the kitchens of the former rulers - the Nizams – this is the home of the fragrant rice dish biryani, of which there are several variations, usually made with chicken, lamb or simply vegetables. Local Hyderabadi cuisine features recipes which reflect the Mughlai, Persian and Telugu influences on the city and its surrounding region.

A wide variety of dining experiences are on offer in the diverse neighbourhoods and around the shores of the Hussain Sagar Lake. In addition to biryani, try haleem stew, a pathar ka gosht (slow cooked lamb) or for dessert double ka meetha (sweet bread pudding). Hyderabadi menus do not disappoint!

When to visit

Held in May of each year the Hyderabad Biryani Festival celebrates the city’s most famous dish, with more than 60 local specialist biryani restaurants and more than 30 international chefs presenting dishes based on the traditional recipe.

Essential Travel Info

Options for getting from the airport to the city centre are limited to taxi (₹950 and 40 minutes) and bus (₹300 and 70 minutes), with an airport metro express project still pending government funding and yet to begin construction.

Hyderabad metro has three lines and is a clean and fast way to get around the city. It’s also the most reliable and easiest, as taxis cannot be hailed on the street but only via apps (or a hotel reception).

There is incredible gastronomy on offer for those who make the journey to what has been dubbed the culinary capital of India. Amritsar is the cultural and spiritual heart of Punjab, whilst its cuisine features robust flavours from the wider region.

Many visit Amritsar to take in the city’s stunning Golden Temple, which has the largest community kitchen in the world, feeding over 100,000 people for free every day. Although the food is simple there, based around staples such as lentils, flatbread, rice and vegetables, it is regarded as one of the best places to eat in Amritsar.

Meanwhile on street corners you’ll find vendors selling delicious chaat and jalebi (sweet snacks). Also look out for makki di roti (flatbreads) served with sarson da saag (mustard greens with spices), buttery local favourite amritsari kulchas (bread) and the unbeatable succulent tandoori chicken.

When to visit

Amritsar Food Festival usually coincides with the annual Vaisakhi celebrations to mark the spring harvest, as the streets come alive with colour, music and community events. The city’s chefs show off their skills, offering an array of local specialities at busy food stalls.

Essential Travel Info

Taxi is the only viable option to get to the centre of town from the airport, and it’ll cost around ₹300 and will take 30 minutes.

Once in town, the lack of a metro system means the extensive bus network or taxi/auto-rickshaw is the best way to jump from location to location.

Bengaluru’s food culture developed from the local Kannadiga traditions in the cosmopolitan capital of Karnataka, whilst keen observers may notice influences from neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Bengaluru is known as the Silicon Valley of India, with the city’s restaurants offering menus which reflect global cooking fashions, blended with traditional South Indian flavours.

Karnataka dosa (like a crepe made with rice batter and lentils) is a Bengaluru staple and can be filled with hundreds of different ingredients, whilst Idli sambar (fluffy soft steamed cakes accompanying lentil stew) is often served at breakfast.

When to visit

Keep an eye open for the Food Nerd Festival, which has taken place in Bengaluru for the last couple of years in November, with workshops and foodie tips from industry pros.

Essential Travel Info

Taxi is the fastest way to get into the city, but it’ll still take around an hour at a relatively pricey ₹1800, while the cheapest - and only alternative - option is the bus. However, this can take well over two hours, which is offset slightly by the more affordable ₹320 cost.

Bengaluru’s metro is second only to Delhi’s in size, and with two operational lines and a further two due for opening in 2025 it covers the city well. Taxis and auto-rickshaws are options too, but Bengaluru’s traffic is notorious, and as with any city pre-agreed prices for rickshaws is a must.

Indian cookery combines with influences from Africa, Europe, the Arabian peninsula and Sri Lanka in Kochi, Kerala, with its rich history as one of India’s major port cities. It has been called India’s spice capital and Kochi is home to the International Pepper Exchange, The Spices Board of India and the HQ of the World Spice Organisation.

A key place on a vitally important and historical trading route, the city’s abundant spice markets and the access to fresh seafood have shaped Kochi’s distinctive cuisine. Kerala prawn curry and malabar chicken biryani are both Kochi classics.

When to visit

Onam is a Hindu cultural festival and an annual harvest and celebrated by many people in Kerala, late in August or in September. During Onam the Onasadhya, a grand traditional vegetarian lunch, is one of the main features of the festival.

Essential Travel Info

Cochin International Airport is extremely well connected domestically. There are plenty of flight options from major cities, for example Delhi to Kochi flights are frequent and with a flight time of just over three hours make an action-packed weekend on the other side of the country a fun possibility.

From the airport, a taxi or a bus-metro combination are the two options available. Taxi is the easiest by some way at ₹450 and a direct one-hour drive to downtown Ernakulam. The only alternative is to catch a bus to Aluva metro station, and then metro to Ernakulam, but this will take a minimum of 90 minutes with some luck.

In town, Kochi metro gives good coverage across the centre of the city, and when new phased lines are opened in the near future it will be India’s first metro system that connects rail, road and water transport facilities. As in other major cities, taxis and rickshaws provide convenient alternatives and come with the usual caveat of pre-agreeing a fare for a rickshaw and ordering a taxi via a pre-booking service.

Varanasi is believed by historians to be one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, and its spiritual and cultural heritage are strongly infused with local culinary traditions. The sacred Ganges river and the numerous Hindu temples of the city attract many pilgrims and visitors; the Annapurna Temple in the holy city of Varanasi is dedicated to Annapurna devi, the goddess of food.

There is a strong vegetarian food culture in Varanasi, with many vegetable-based dishes complemented by Banarasi paan (stuffed leaves).

When to visit

During Diwali, the famous Hindu festival of lights, many special vegetarian dishes are served in restaurants and at street stalls, as many attendees abstain from consuming meat and alcohol during the celebrations.

Essential Travel Info

One of the trickier destinations when it comes to getting from the airport to the city, the only viable option is a taxi which costs around the ₹600 mark and takes less than half an hour.

That said, Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport has good domestic flight frequency for key routes such as Bengaluru to Varanasi, for example.

Taxis and rickshaws are the way to go for getting around in Varanasi, but when you get to the Old City it’ll be an on-foot experience from thereon in.

Indore is yet another of India’s culinary hotspots, with two well-renowned street food havens Chappan Dukan and Sarafa Bazaar attracting large crowds. Gujarati, Maharashtrian, Malwi and Rajasthani influences can be noted in Indore’s culinary identity, reflecting its location and standing as an important trade centre.

Namkeens (savoury bites) are popular at stores and take-outs throughout the city, including signature servings such as Indori samosas, poha-jalebi (a rice-based sweet breakfast dish), kachori (spicy stuffed pastry), gulab jamun (confectionary), pani puri (hollowed breaded snacks) and moong daal halwa (a sweet lentil-based dessert).

When to visit

With spiritual and cultural festivals such as Holi, Deepawali and Ganesh Chaturthi and more local celebrations like Rangpanchami and Ahilya Utsav bringing extra vibrancy to Indore, these can be great moments for foodies to visit the city, with restaurants and vendors creating special menus to mark the festivities.

Essential Travel Info

Taxi and bus are the two options for getting from the airport to downtown. Taxi costs around ₹350 and takes 10 minutes, with the bus at less than ₹100 and half an hour.

Indore is about to launch a metro system in early 2025, which will link the airport with the city and provide a rapid way of navigating the centre.