India's Culinary Constellation: A City-Wise Pilgrim's Guide
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This city-wise guide helps diners navigate the best of India’s fine dining, whether on a local outing or a multi-city culinary tour, writes Avinash Mudaliar.
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INDIA'S CULINARY LANDSCAPE is experiencing a renaissance, with an unprecedented number of restaurants vying for recognition in the country's increasingly sophisticated food award ecosystem. The latest accolade to capture the nation's attention comes from Condé Nast Traveller, whose recently released Top 50 Restaurants list has sparked conversations amongst food enthusiasts from Kolkata to Kochi. The 2025 selection showcases the remarkable breadth of India's dining scene, featuring establishments from the cosmopolitan energy of Delhi and Mumbai to the laid-back coastal charms of Goa and the serene mountain retreats of Kasol. What's particularly striking about this year's list is its geographic diversity, a testament to how India's culinary excellence now extends far beyond its traditional metropolitan strongholds. Yet with fifty exceptional restaurants to choose from, each deserving of its moment in the spotlight, diners face a dilemma (albeit a good one to have) of where to begin. Which establishments should take priority on your culinary bucket list? And more practically, if you're planning a weekend in Bengaluru or a business trip to Hyderabad, which award-winners are within reach? To answer these questions and help you navigate this gastronomic constellation, we've broken down the complete Condé Nast Traveller Top 50 by city. Whether you're a dedicated food pilgrim planning a multi-city eating tour or simply looking to discover the finest dining your own city has to offer, this guide will ensure you don't miss the restaurants that are redefining Indian cuisine. * MUMBAI | The Metropolis of Palates Mumbai is not merely a city; it is a thrum of a thousand kitchens, a crucible where India collides with the world. |
The Table – A pioneer of ingredient-driven cuisine. Think white truffle fries that whisper luxury, slow-braised lamb that falls into sighs, and a cellar that serenades the global traveller. Masque – A temple to terroir. The tasting menu evolves with Himalayan morels, Ladakhi seabuckthorn, and forgotten grains. Every course is a riddle between nature and art. Papa’s – Where warmth masquerades as sophistication. Pastas spun like silk, rustic roasts perfumed with herbs, and desserts that recall European hearths. The Bombay Canteen – India reimagined through whimsy. Goan chorizo pulao, jackfruit tacos, and hyperlocal thalis — all delivered with irreverent flair. Izumi, Bandra – The city’s cult Japanese altar: shoyu ramen simmered for days, sashimi glistening like sea-jewels, yakitori kissed with fire. Bandra Born – Eclectic, modern, and mischievous. Small plates that defy definition but always delight. Americano – Where Neapolitan pizza meets SoBo chic. The sourdough sings, cocktails sparkle. La Loca Maria – The soul of Spain in Mumbai’s heart. Croquetas that crunch, paella that perfumes, tapas that tempt. Wasabi by Morimoto, Taj Mahal Palace – Grandeur cloaked in Japanese minimalism. Black cod miso, toro sashimi, and wagyu cooked with celestial restraint. Veronica’s – A bakery-café renaissance. Cuban sandwiches, burnt Basque cheesecakes, and mornings steeped in charm. Mizu Izakaya – Izakaya energy with cosmopolitan polish. Think karaage, yakitori skewers, and frosted sake. Kari Apla – A homage to Maharashtrian heritage. Prawns in kokum curry, malvani masalas, and solkadhi to soothe. Why one must go: Mumbai is India’s culinary capital of cosmopolitanism, where global excellence sits cheek by jowl with vernacular vigour. * DELHI | Where Heritage Meets Resplendence
Delhi does not serve food; it serves history on platters burnished with royalty. |
Indian Accent, The Lodhi – A global legend. Blue cheese naan, duck khurchan phulka tacos, and daulat ki chaat reinterpreted. Here, nostalgia wears couture. Inja – A poetic duel between India and Japan. Think miso-marinated lamb with Kashmiri spices. Baoshuan, The Oberoi – China through Chef Andrew Wong’s London lens. The dim sum course alone is an epic. Bukhara, ITC Maurya – Tandoor flames immortalised. Dal Bukhara, Sikandari raan — dishes that have outlived diplomats and dynasties. Le Cirque, The Leela Palace – A Delhi redoubt of Paris and Rome. Lobster risotto and foie gras still reign. Kamél, New Delhi – Progressive Indian artistry. Fermented pickles, foraged leaves, new India on porcelain. Why one must go: Because in Delhi, to dine is to converse with emperors and innovators alike. * GOA | The Playground of Palates
Goa is both carnival and cathedral: the sea provides, and chefs re-imagine. |
Bomras – Burmese brilliance woven into Goan bounty. The famed tea-leaf salad is a ritual, and the black sesame pork is a legend.
Grumps – A boisterous ode to Goan feasts; seafood curries bold and unrepentant.
Praça Prazeres – Where wine flows and small plates sing Portuguese saudade. Cavatina by Avinash Martins – A love letter to Goa. Sorpotel re-sculpted, prawns rechado reborn. Petisco Kitchen & Bar – Contemporary, playful; tapas with a Konkan wink. Hosa – A temple to southern coastal flavours. Tamil, Kerala, and Karnataka waters distilled into refined courses. For the Record – Vinyl Bar – Where music curates the menu. Cocktails hum in harmony with plates. The Assa House – Rustic creativity; dishes that blend forest, farm, and fisherfolk. Why one must go: Because Goa is not only India’s party capital but its culinary crucible, where coast and creativity intertwine. * BENGALURU | The Laboratory of Innovation
Here lies India’s restless avant-garde, where chefs treat kitchens like studios. |
Nāvū – Modern Indian symphonies, every course rooted in seasonality. Farmlore – A biodynamic pilgrimage. Dishes arrive kissed by farm soil, streams, and smoke. Lupa – Chef Manu Chandra’s magnum opus. Mediterranean meats charred, pastas handmade with reverence. Bar Spirit Forward – Cocktails as philosophy; food as the loyal accompanist. Naru Noodle Bar – Ramen slurped as it should be, broth boiled into poetry. Kopitiam Lah – Laksa, nasi lemak, Hainanese chicken rice. Singapore’s streets transported. Bengaluru Oota Company – Thalis that map Karnataka; from Mangalorean kori rotti to Mysore saaru. Dali & Gala – Eclectic, modern, playful. Dishes painted as surreal canvases. Comal – Tacos, ceviches, and mezcal — Mexico transposed onto India’s Silicon Valley. Why one must go: Because Bengaluru is the avant-garde heart of Indian dining, unafraid to experiment, yet deeply local at its roots. * CHENNAI | The Coastal Custodian
Chennai whispers of the sea, the coconut grove, and ancestral kitchens. |
Avartana, ITC Grand Chola – Futurism meets Tamil Nadu. Tasting menus of 13 courses where rasam may arrive as a sphere and idli as an epiphany. Aeseo – Contemporary Asian interpreted with Chennai restraint. Kappa Chakka Kandhari – A Kerala homestead on Chennai soil. Appam with duck mappas, jackfruit cutlets, and Kerala beef fry. Zhouyu – A Chinese Kitchen – A polished stage for Sichuan fire and Cantonese silk. Why one must go: Because Chennai guards the coast and reimagines tradition with daring modernity. * KOLKATA | The Romantic Soul
Kolkata dines like it writes poetry: slowly, sentimentally, and with a faint air of rebellion. |
Sienna Calcutta – Café-art gallery with plates that carry Bengal’s essence: gondhoraj lime salads, kosha mangsho redefined. The Dining Room at Glenburn Penthouse – An elevated colonial tableau overlooking the Hooghly; refined takes on Bengali staples. Mocambo – A retro theatre where devilled crab, sizzlers, and prawn cocktails remain unchanged for decades. Why one must go: Because Kolkata is a city of nostalgia, plated with elegance. *
BEYOND THE METROS | The Quiet Jewels
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Naar, Kasauli – Mountain dining par excellence. Himachali trout, pine nuts, wild greens, all plated like alpine dreams. The Johri, Jaipur – A jewel box where Rajasthani grandeur meets modern gastronomy. The Bangala, Karaikudi – A living museum of Chettinad spice and legacy. Rynsan, Shillong – Khasi culinary traditions foraged from forests; smoked meats, bamboo shoot curries, wild herbs. Why one must go: Because the provinces whisper what the cities often forget — that food is heritage, memory, and identity.
Why Embark on This Pilgrimage?
India’s Top 50 for 2025 is not a list but a cartography of taste: - Mumbai offers cosmopolitan grandeur.
- Delhi embodies history reinterpreted.
- Goa lives as playful freedom.
- Bengaluru burns with experimentation.
- Chennai stewards the coast.
- Kolkata lingers in nostalgia.
- The hills and Northeast preserve untamed terroir.
To dine across these fifty sanctums is to experience India itself — plural, resplendent, ever-evolving. |
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| | Kokum Gin Cooler (When Konkan’s tang meets gin’s botanicals.) |
50 ml Tanqueray London Dry Gin (or other citrus-forward gin)
20 ml kokum syrup (or kokum extract with sugar to balance)
15 ml fresh lime juice
6–8 fresh mint leaves
2 slices of fresh ginger (optional, for warmth)
Soda water (to top)
Ice |
In a shaker, lightly muddle mint leaves and ginger with kokum syrup.
Add gin, lime juice, and ice. Shake briefly to mix.
Strain into a tall highball glass filled with ice.
Top with chilled soda water.
Garnish with a mint sprig and a dried kokum petal (or a lime wheel). |
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