The best coffee shops in Delhi

What is it: A three-outlet chain, with its Khan Market outlet built around a lofty premise: excellent coffee in the morning, serious cocktails at night

Why we love it: They've got a bar concept, a cafe-style concept, and a corporate kiosk concept. And it really does deliver on the AM to PM. The Australian and strawberry mocha, cold brews, and even the pour overs are distinctly good, as are the cocktails. They’re also known for a compact pick of breakfasts which in concept alone pair with caffeine. 

Address: 1, 11B, Khan Market, New Delhi. (Others in Santhushti Complex and Noida)

Price: ₹2,000 for two approx. 

Timings: Mon-Sun. 7am-11:30pm.

What is it: An Indonesian chain that carried its most useful trick to Delhi

Why we love it: That trick is gula aren, Indonesian palm sugar, which gives their lattes a deep, almost smoky caramel quality that takes anyone expecting an artificial feel from chain coffee by surprise. I was strolling down GK’s M Block one day when a staff member of theirs offered me a sip of avocado-blended coffee, and I haven’t looked back since. Avocado should have coffee drinkers in a tight split in theory, but it truly is a delight, and it comes in ranges of thickness. Snack options are limited, but the tea cakes and rolls are worth the detour. Also, I’ve never encountered anyone but the sweetest staff while visiting a Kenangan outlet.

Address: Multiple outlets including C-16, SDA Market, opposite IIT Flyover, Hauz Khas; and Pacific Mall, Subhash Nagar. 

Price: ₹300-800 for two

Timings: The GK outlet is 24/7 open.

What is it: A little white-and-yellow corner in Shahpur Jat that's coffee shop, art gallery and event space rolled into one

Why we love it: Co-owner Abhishek went 'anti-digital' when he quit his marketing job to start Shack, and the place runs entirely on word of mouth (and block parties that spill into their next-door gallery). The coffee menu's short but strong — try the pour over from their in-house Kumkum blend. The dirty coffee's the one worth repeating: nutty, built for a work-from-home day or one in the life of a bootstrapper. Sandwiches are a massive draw too, especially the pressed portobello panini and the mushroom-pesto. Beyond the cups, Shack hosts zine-making workshops, experimental music and open-call gallery shows for people who don't consider themselves artists.

Address: 143 A, Ground Floor, Shahpur Jat, Siri Fort, New Delhi, Delhi 110049

Price: ₹650 for one 

Timings: Mon-Sun. 10am-7pm.

What is it: The best coffee on Hudson Lane, and a very good place to get your work done

Why we love it: Hudson Lane, a haunt of Delhi University’s North Campus kids, is stacked with cafes that easily fill up. Coffee Up is arguably the best cup on the street. Their croissants and eggs are actually filling, and the coffee’s so well-ranged and good that it’s hard to fathom the low prices. Bring a laptop and a reading list, and plan on staying a while – they’ve got a strict anti-rush policy. If you can’t decide on an order, you can’t go wrong with an iced Spanish latte and one of their burgers.

Address: Hudson Lane, Vijay Nagar, New Delhi

Price: ₹800 for two.

Timings: Mon-Sun. 10am-11pm.

What is it: Not a café, exactly – more the place where cafés get made. They rotate training baristas from a quaint-looking kiosk in a peaceful, walkable area.

Why we love it: Really good specialty coffee probably made on the high stakes of someone training to be the best. And actually, I like the premise: we usually think of a coffee as a drink to work with or catch up with friends over a table with. This is daring (it’s tiny and also wedged between some other nice coffee spots) and it pays off. Given that it’s surrounded by aesthetically pleasing spots like Planterie and Cala, it also makes for the perfect beginning of a brunch date if you’re looking to impress somebody.

Price: Varies.

Timings: Mon-Sat. 10am-6pm. Closes at 5pm on Saturdays. Sun closed.

Address: Building no 4, Basement, 110017, Panchsheel Park North, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi, Delhi, 110017

What is it: One of North India’s oldest coffee roasters, opened in 1962. It’s a tiny spot in Khanna Market, but brave it.

Why we love it: They’ve got some of the best-sourced beans in the city, including a selection of international origins. There’s no beating around the brand bush here. Seating is limited, and the focus is on quality rather than excessiveness. Don’t be mistaken though: fruity notes and latte art are still to be spotted in the hands of its coffee-maniac customers, especially in the much sought-after cold brews. I’m very fond of the blends: some truly noteworthy ones are the Monsooned Malabar, Arabica Peaberry, and the Special Blend.

Price: ₹600 for two.

Timings: Mon-Sat. 10am-7pm.

Address: 131, Khanna Market Road, near Laxmi Tent House, Block D, Lodi Colony, New Delhi 110003. 

What is it: A 35-seater in Hauz Khas Market that treats Indian beans like a limited-edition release

Why we love it: Coffee nerds who aren’t quite willing to squeeze into a small booth, this one's yours. Jars of limited-edition beans line the counter, each fitted with a gramophone-style sniffer so you can nose them the way you would wine. The house blend is 80 per cent Arabica and 20 per cent Robusta from Moganad, Orchardale and Bison Valley, and it tastes of dark chocolate and citrus. A tiny roastery sits on the mezzanine. The menu puts classics next to odd versions of themselves, like espresso beside an orange espresso, with kombucha and tepache for the fermentation-curious. Get the orange espresso and the mango sticky rice matcha, then stay for brunch (till 4pm) and the pizzas, which land somewhere between New York and Neapolitan. Daring, given its close proximity to NYNY.

Address: Ground floor, G-8, Hauz Khas Market, New Delhi 110016

Price: ₹1,800 for two 

Timings: Mon-Sun. 8:30am-10pm.

What is it: An independently owned specialty coffee roaster that screams breakfast dates, roasting and carefully tasting their coffees in small batches

Why we love it: They’ve got a beautifully customisable menu, one of few in the city where you can switch out your beans (six choices) and filters (two) for any coffee. Quick Brown Fox also doesn’t attempt to dwell on fifty-nine different fancily named drinks – their classics are great. My picks are the Spanish latte, the piccolo latte, and the coffee tonic. Two other things that set them apart is their full-menu decaf switch option, and the limited vegan picks which are good (a rare thing). Their minimalist interiors allow for plenty of sunlight, and service is smooth, making it seem unhurried even on a Sunday morning. Food’s also delicious: you can’t go wrong with one of the poached eggs dishes or sweet baked items, of which I consider the moist chocolate banana bread divine. They’re right above an equally nice microbrewery, Fort City Brewing.

Address: E-17, Third Floor, Hauz Khas Market, Block E, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, Delhi 110016

Price: ₹1,500 for two.

Timings: Mon-Sun. 8am-11pm.

What is it: Turns out there’s a common time for good music on vinyl, good coffee, and swell baked goods across the city

Why we love it: The sensory overload's enough to distract you from the bustle of Khan Market, though Common Time's got other outlets with quieter surroundings. Drinks like the orange-foamed mont blanc cold brew come with physical bites of candied orange. Hot coffees with milk lean on the thick, creamy side. The vinyl more than tops off the experience, managing to distract you from your cup.

Timings: Mon-Sun. 9am-10.30pm.

Price: ₹400 for one

Address: Second floor, 34, above Pure Home Living, Khan Market, Rabindra Nagar, 110003 (also in Lodhi Colony and Vasant Vihar)

What is it: A beloved Colombian specialty coffee brand, brought here by Miguel Villaquiran

Why we love it: Indian estate blends are stunning and far-ranging. But who doesn’t like the idea of trying something new? The reputation of Libertario’s flagship blends – Paz (caramel-chocolate), Libre (fruit-forward), and the rotating Rock/Specials (featuring exotic varietals like Geisha and Bourbon Sidra) – is preceded by their dark blue-tiled exteriors.   

Timings: Mon-Thurs: 8am-10pm, Fri-Sun: 8am to 11pm.

Price: ₹800-1,200 for two.

Address: Ground Floor, Main Market, M/52, part 2, Block M, Greater Kailash II, Greater Kailash, New Delhi, Delhi 110048

What is it: The Uday Park café where baristas go

Why we love it: When the people who make Delhi's coffee choose to drink it here, that tells you something. The flat white and cappuccino are the easy wins. If you'd rather run the show, the manual brews arrive on a little wooden slab so you can have it exactly your way. The waffles are the crowd favourite, crisp and semi-sweet and topped however you like, and the all-day breakfast means nobody rushes you out. The menu's organic, with dairy alternatives and a dish or two for vegans. They also do set-menu sessions at a location in Noida’s Sector 29 that they call their tasting room. It’s very much the cool kid underdog that doesn’t need the heyday of Instagram.

Address: No 4, Uday Park Market, Uday Park, New Delhi. (Also in Greater Kailash 1 and Noida.)

Price: ₹600 for two approx.

Timings: Mon-Sun. 8am-10pm.

What is it: A coffee and bake house that has just opened a second outpost at 1AQ, near Qutub Minar

Why we love it: Cortasso made its name inside the Site Museum at Sunder Nursery, where the seat’s best for coffee, and the new Mehrauli space is housed inside 1AQ, a complex where you can also walk to an art gallery and the city’s first Sri Lankan restaurant. The upstairs seating boasts a view of Qutub Minar and many more monuments of the Mehrauli Archaeological Park. Coffee runs seasonal, with a rum barrel-aged roast and a winter spice latte, and the food is café-easy: Neapolitan flatbreads, pasta. But my favourite here is the mont blanc, and I'll defend it against every last miser who insists on an Americano. It's calm and alcohol-free, which makes it a place for coffee and conversation rather than a night out.

Time Out tip: Stick to the coffee and catch whatever art exhibition is on at 1AQ.

Address: 1AQ, near Qutub Minar, Seth Sarai, Mehrauli, New Delhi. (Also at Sunder Nursery, Nizamuddin.)

Price: ₹2,000 for two.

Timings: Mon-Sun. 8am-11pm.

What is it: Coffee here is profiled more than celebrities in fashion magazines

Why we love it: Savorworks does things obsessively: testing each blend thousands of times, making several parts of your cup in-house. Food is decent, but trust me, you’ll have a hard enough time choosing between the drinks. One of the several flavour profiles they’ve mastered is chocolate. The hot mocha uses 58% housemade chocolate; the Gin & Tonic chocolate bar has lemon, lime, and juniper oils; the tiramisu comes in an edible chocolate cup. Great roasts here are the Honey I'm Nuts single roast and the Boss's Wife house blend. Interiors are sleek and elegant. By the way, the second floor hides a speakeasy called Pod that also does cacao and coffee-based cocktails. 

Address: 9, Commercial Complex, Masjid Moth, Greater Kailash 3 (GK 3). They’ve also just opened a Gurgaon outlet.

Price: ₹850-2,000 for two. 

Timings: Mon-Sun. 8am-11:30pm.

What is it: A Green Park café-bakery with one drink that I believe does most of the work: the coconut Vietnamese coffee

Why we love it: Start there. Then the burnt caramel iced coffee, and a cappuccino. The bakery counter’s marvellous, with eggs Benedict and truffle mac and cheese for anyone who needs a reason to stay past the second cup. It's airy, a staircase walk above the busy street, and a short walk from Green Park metro, and some Green Park hits like Lea Izakaya and Nagaland’s Kitchen if you’ve got nowhere to be.

Address: H3 A, Block H, Green Park Extension, New Delhi 110016. (Also in Sukhdev Vihar.)

Price: ₹300-600 approx.

Timings: Mon-Sun. 10am-11pm.

What is it: Recognised best by its trademark long, thin bottle, this is technically not anything that would register with a Q-grader. What it is, and has been since it opened on Janpath in 1969, is a place that decided milk-based cold coffee would have a moment.

Why we love it: This has been a college-student-first-date spot, an office-afternoon-slump spot, a families-out-shopping spot for over five decades. It's the place where you smile at strangers if you bump into them while dodging bins. Order the classic cold coffee, or the Irish Cream if you're feeling modern, with momos. They also now do a sugar-free and almond milk version. Nostalgia isn’t bittersweet here… rather, it’s a lovely coats-your-tongue sweet. Definitely make a pit-stop if you’re ever shopping in Janpath.

Address: 22, Janpath Bhawan, Janpath, New Delhi 110001. Also at GK1.

Price: ₹200 for two

What is it: Named after the Himalayan peak straddling Ladakh and Kashmir, Nun Kun has the ethos of its parent brand, Greenr Café 

Why we love it: With minimalist interiors in a chic way, this place champions sustainability, but nope, the coffee isn’t just a concession to people who wander in from a salad bar. Stick to your usual coffee order though, especially if it’s an Americano, I’d say, because you will inevitably end up at a loss for choice for their varied delicious baked goods after tasting your first one. It helps that this is in Lodhi Colony like a few others on the list – you’ve got gems like The Bookshop at mere walking distance.

Timings: Mon-Sun. 9.30am-10pm.

Price: ₹1,200 for two

Address: Shop 65, Meherchand Market, Lodhi Colony, New Delhi

What is it: A specialty coffee shop that stays open till 4 am

Why we love it: Most places in this city that keep late hours are bars. Seven Seeds offers an alternative: real coffee as the reason to stay past midnight, though they do have martinis if you want them. It’s fun to people-watch and see the difference between the morning regulars and those who clearly wanted to make one more pit-stop after a bender in Humayunpur. Go all out on the sweetness here: try the rose-themed coffee and iced lattes and pair them with a pastry. It’s a long menu though; read through all of it, and ask stupid questions to the staff because there’s a few surprises in there.

Price: ₹800 for two. 

Hours: Mon-Sun. 8am-4am.

Address: W-5, Arjun Nagar, Green Park, New Delhi 110016.

What is it: Mumbai's most obsessive specialty coffee and craft chocolate brand’s now got Delhi under its wing

Why we love it: The store on the ground floor (their Jaldi! counter, Dukaan merch shop, Cacao Cellar, and a disco-themed fridge stocked with Jaago, their jaggery-oat milk ready-to-drink canned coffee). Upstairs is where the storytelling begins with murals in Gurmukhi, a wall mapping Delhi's boroughs, a section dedicated to the history of Lodhi Colony itself. Caco-Phony drinking chocolate and single-origin pour-overs are the reliable anchors here, paired with any of their baked goods: a personal favourite is the haleem quiche.

Address: Shop 6, New Khanna Market, Lodhi Colony, New Delhi 110003. 

Price: ₹800-1,500 for two. 

Timings: Mon-Sun. 8am-10pm.