Anirudh Suresan

What’s the greatest thing since sliced bread, you ask? Surely it was when John Montagu, Earl of Sandwich, decided to slap some meat between the aforementioned slices a few centuries ago, and create…you guessed it, a sandwich. Over the last couple of years, Delhi’s been seeing a new dawn of sandwich shops cropping up, and the denizens of the city have taken to it like, well, butter to a piece of crisp golden toast. Being a self-professed sandwich fiend, I’ve put together a guide on the best finds around town. Surprisingly, some of the older places pack as much (or more) of a punch as the newer, slicker shops.   

It’s not new knowledge that the average Dilliwallah enjoys their tipple. In fact, there’s little doubt that Delhi’s average whiskey consumption keeps at least a couple of distilleries in Scotland up and running. And as a city of drinkers, the bar scene does not disappoint.  You’ll find the usual dive bar suspects dotted across the city, needing no publicity besides word of mouth to keep them going. These are very much the no-nonsense places you’ll tend to frequent after work – whether or not your purse strings are tight – with basic but delicious chakna and terribly mixed cocktails. You’ll also find the newer, slicker speakeasy-types that boast beautiful interiors, tight cocktail menus with rare ingredients, and fusion-esque bar snacks. Both kinds deserve a mention on this list – which rounds up some of the best places to catch a drink in Delhi.

There’s a strong case to be made for the fact that some of the finest food in the city’s served not in fine-dining restaurants and cafés that so often get the limelight, but rather, the countless ramshackle joints that dot the bylanes, which have been surviving for the last several decades on word of mouth alone.  Nothing drives the point home more than kebabs. The way kebabs are presented at a lot of the aforementioned fancy establishments has become increasingly ostentatious and fiddly. Bite-sized chunks, giant silver cloches, some going the whole unnecessary hog with a magic show complete with smoke and mirrors. It’s miles away from how the rich fare originated, and how Delhi, even today, eats its favourite post-dusk snack: whacked onto a paper plate with a sprinkle of ‘special’ masala, a dollop of butter, freshly chopped coriander, and more often than not, brought right up to the window of your car.  And while Lucknow maybe is the more famous place for kebabs, some say the legacy was perfected right here during the Delhi Sultanate era hundreds of years ago. Either way, Delhi knows its shit when it comes to this particular bit of meaty goodness. Here’s where you’ll find the best. 

There’s a certain charm that lends itself to the concept of retrofuturism: think Back to the Future, DMC DeLoreans, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune; of music genres that you can’t pinpoint but still enjoy; of interiors that feel like doomsday bunkers, but the warm, cosy kinds. Now imagine if said bunker also offered drinks, and wham! Welcome to AaBbCc.  Located smack dab in the middle of Delhi’s Basant Lok market, AaBbCc has cemented its place in the list of cooler bars in the city. On the ground level, an entire wall displays the 80-odd ingredients that go into their drinks, each stored in well-lit individual jars. Sort of a whacko periodic table. Next to it lies the innovation lab, where they come up with recipes for new drinks, complete with beakers, test tubes, and other Willy Wonka-esque equipment.  A short set of stairs later and you’re at the main bar, where you’re greeted by a 21-foot long bar and some tables, all bathed in soft yellow light. The bar chairs, especially, deserve special mention for being incredibly comfortable. The top floor hosts the Amp Room, which turns into a music lounge every now and then.  The cocktail menu is divided into three distinct sections: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Yesterday reimagines a bunch of classic cocktails: the Bellini, Godfather, LIIT, and Sex on the Beach, but with a slight twist to set them apart. Today is where they begin to tease that innovation lab of theirs, with drinks like the Tea-Pache (oolong-infused vodka with three-day

At the very end of Chanakyapuri's limits, on San Martin Marg, there stands a small market which is host to one of the best kebab spots in the city, perched next to the walls of the Bapu Dham colony. While it may seem as nondescript a place as any for the uninitiated, Alkakori Alkauser’s nothing short of an institution for ones in the know.  Legend has it that the place, back when it came up in the 1980s, was among the first kebab stalls outside of old Delhi. Championed by members of Delhi society like the late Sadia Dehlvi, Alkauser quickly rose to fame in the circles which were particular about their food, and it’s stayed there, quite firmly perched at the top, ever since.  What you want to order is a plate of their mutton kakori kebabs, half a plate of their galoutis, accompanied by a pair of crisp varqi paranthas and, like with all Mughlai meals best enjoyed in cars, a bottle of Thums Up. The kakoris are spiced to perfection and impossibly soft, so much so that it's a miracle they manage to stick to the skewers without dropping to a fiery death in the coals below. The puck-shaped galoutis are just the right amount of crisp outside, and deliciously soft inside. The varqi parantha (a name I've always found delightful) provides the perfect foil to these decadent kebabs, flaky and golden. While the galouti was conjured in the kitchens of the Nawab of Awadh, I assure you it tastes just as royal in your parked car on a shady lane in Chanakyapruri. The place does have some clean

The humblest denizen of the poshest market in the city, Azam’s is a perpetual pull for Khan Market regulars. The unaware, too, are led here by the smell of the kebabs wafting in the air and the orderly lines of people waiting patiently for their turn to place an order with the gentleman manning the shop.  Set towards one end of the central lane of Khan, forget any vying for attention. There’s no glitzy neon board, no seating, no tables, no place to wash your hands, and no UPI payments to boot! On offer, however, are some of the most delicious kebabs in the entirety of Khan, cooked on coals or in the tandoor, served piping hot, either accompanied by a roomali roti or wrapped in one. If you’re a carb fiend, ask them to replace the roomali roti with a varqi parantha.  The kebabs to get are the mutton seekh, the mutton kakori, or the galouti, each spiced delicately and served with two kinds of chutneys, including a watery spicy mint chutney and a yoghurt-based tangy one, with the customary side of thinly sliced onions. For the vegetarians, they do a fantastic achari chaap roll and a paneer tikka that would seal your status as a regular. So the next time you’re passing by, traipsing out of book browsing at the various bookstores of Khan or finishing up a bout of shopping, enjoy some excellent rolls here.

Deep in the recesses of Matia Mahal of Old Delhi’s Jama Masjid, in a city which used to be the bastion of the Mughal empire, you’ll still find shops and stalls and establishments selling delicacies made from recipes that can be traced back to the royal kitchens of the Red Fort.  The humble seekh kebab, today a widespread street eat in any neighbourhood of Delhi, is perfected by the shop known as Babu Bhai Kebab Wale. Babu Bhai is a one man show – he sits near the ground, fanning some smouldering coals to keep the heat going, and only massages the meat onto the skewers when you place your order. While the seekh kebab is generally known for being a little coarse in its texture (the kakori being the smooth one) the kebab served at Babu Bhai’s has the silky texture and mouthfeel of the kakori coupled with the spiced meat of the seekh.  Per usual, the kebabs are served with thinly sliced onions and a splash of chutney, and a drizzle of butter on top. If you’re keen for a roomali roti to go with them, they’ll be produced from behind the grill with a flourish.

Perched high above the hubbub of Greater Kailash II market sits No Vacancy, a relatively new kid on the block. They are, in their own words, ‘Not a secret. Not a speakeasy. Just a bar above the market, hidden in plain sight.’  The space itself is house party-esque. Outside, the lettering carrying their name is coolly chiaroscuro, with light casting shadow on some of the other letters. Inside, a long well-lit bar with a ledge for seating that stretches from one end of the wall to another, with tables at small distances. The open balcony at one end and the large mirror at the other make rooftop bar seem much larger than it is.  Signature cocktails at No Vacancy are unique, and presented in ways you won’t see elsewhere in the city. Take the Shark Attack, which comes with a glass of clear tequila and ice, paired with a tiny shark filled with wine and berry cordial. Empty the latter into the former and you have a scene straight out of Jaws in your table. No, I’m not exaggerating – the staff add to the drama by drumming their hands on the counter as the shark is dropped in.  Other drinks go big on weird flavours. The Wild Escape is earthy, chocolatey, but packs an umami punch that’s said to be inspired by shrooms. The Strawberry Cheesecake is a crowd favourite, with mezcal, vermouth and gin coming together with celery balancing them out, topped with a strawberry foam that does, in fact, feel like a strawberry cheesecake in a drink. Nostalgia seekers can order the Bournvita, which i

Dumbo’s one of the more recent entrants on the block when it comes to the bougie sandwich scene in Delhi, but god, does it do the job well. A testament to this fact, undeniably, is in the long lines that formed outside the shop for the several months after it opened in the posh Meharchand Market in Lodhi Colony, resulting in a total sell-out a mere three hours into operations. The sandwiches were, and are, just that good.This, in full, is thanks to the owners’ staunch commitment to quality over quantity, which is why only 50 pieces of each sandwich are sold in a day. Even before operations began, they were serious about being the best in Delhi – a chef from Florence’s All’Antico Vinaio (often touted to be the best sandwich shop in the world) was flown into town for a month to teach the staff the art of making the oh-so-delicate schiacciata bread – the airier, lighter cousin of the now-humbled focaccia. The tomatoes are canned in Italy, with large tins adorning the ledges in the kitchen. There’s also a large glass-topped counter holding all the fillings they use, so you can see how fresh everything is – rocket leaves, chicken mortadella, whole black truffles, pistachio cremas, spicy nduja spreads.    The sandos are expensive, undoubtedly so, but because there’s no rival in Delhi when it comes to quality (or size), you don’t entirely mind forking out a heftier sum than usual. The Viola is slathered with incredible nduja meat, fresh creamy burrata, crisp baby arugula and slices

In an unassuming corner of Greater Kailash II’s tiny Chandan Market, once home to only the neighbourhood chemist and samosa-seller, stands the bright red storefront bearing the name Kona. The name means ‘corner’ in Hindi and ‘flour’ in Japanese, and as far as wordplay goes, it’s bang-on for an Asian-leaning sando shop in Delhi. Kona is the brainchild of chef Radhika Khandelwal, who helmed the wildly popular Fig and Maple in Greater Kailash II’s M-Block Market for years. Inside, it’s tiny, with only four bar stools for seating and a bustling kitchen, which is always scurrying with activity. The sandwiches, each served between bread that best suits it, are all named after puns on popular songs. There’s the Stand Bahn-Mi, with spiced grilled pork, pickled veggies and some Vietnamese inspired sauces, all packed together tightly in a lovely French baguette, or the Fry Me To The Moon, that’s got a hefty chicken thigh fried to perfection and packed in between soft shokupan slices with kimchi and mustard. The Bello Ciao has a stuffed and grilled portobello that’s packed between soft Japanese milk bread and is a runaway hit among the vegetarians.  They inevitably run out before they close for the day, so get here in time. They have great drinks, too, including a matcha latte made with cereal-infused milk, and a giant ice cream sandwich served between two macarons.   

Novelty’s the kind of outlet that could survive an apocalypse. It’s doggedly refused all overtures of fancy interiors, menu upgrades and modernisation, and has remained largely unchanged for the almost seventy years since it opened doors in the bylanes of Jangpura. It’s a nondescript little affair, with a white board announcing its name – at first glance, you’d be fooled into thinking it’s a grocery store.Past the sliding door, you’re confronted with the sight of a long granite counter, and a bunch of bar stools neatly in place. There’s a small whiteboard with a ‘Thought For The Day’ scribbled on it, and at the very end of the counter’s a small window, through which hot grilled sandwiches are bundled out with astonishing frequency.  Novelty remains a novelty (forgive that ghastly turn of phrase) because of its simplicity. No ciabatta or prosciutto here – you get one filling per sandwich, but you won’t miss the extravagance of overloaded sandos here. Fillings range from tuna to pork ham to chicken salami to veggies to the humble grilled cheese, and you get to decide what bread you want with it (white, brown or multigrain), and if you want it toasted or not. You get ketchup on the side, with a generous serving of homemade coriander and mint chutney, ladled directly from a small metal bucket onto your plate. Each sandwich’s heavily doused with mayonnaise, and you’re supposed to wash down the whole affair with a bottle of their cold coffee, made – you guessed it – in-house too. T