Famous Street Food in Delhi: Must-Try Dishes (2026)
Delhi is India's street food capital for many travellers. Here are the famous street foods to try, what they taste like, and the areas where you will find them.
Famous Street Food in Delhi
The famous street foods of Delhi are chaat, golgappa, stuffed parathas, chole bhature, kachori, kebabs and jalebi. Most are cooked in front of you, cost little, and are best eaten within minutes of being served. Delhi's street food comes from the old walled city, where vendors have fed traders and travellers for generations, and from Punjabi kitchens that shaped the city's love of butter, bread and tandoor. This guide covers the dishes worth your appetite, with a note on where each one is usually found.<br>
Vegetarian street food in Delhi<br>
Aloo tikki and papri chaat. <br>
Fried potato patties or crisp wafers topped with chickpeas, yoghurt, tamarind and green chutney, and a sprinkle of spice. If you only try one dish, make it a chaat.
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Golgappa (pani puri).<br>
A hollow crisp shell filled with potato, chickpeas and spiced water. Eat it in one bite, as soon as it is handed to you.<br>
Dahi bhalla.
Soft lentil dumplings in cool, sweet yoghurt with chutneys. It is a good relief from spicier dishes.<br>
Stuffed parathas.<br>
Flatbreads filled with potato, paneer or vegetables, fried on a flat griddle and served with pickle and curd. Paranthe Wali Gali in Chandni Chowk is the lane most associated with them.
<br>Chole bhature.
Spiced chickpeas with a puffed, deep-fried bread. It is filling, so share it or save it for lunch.<br>
Kachori with sabzi.
A crisp pastry stuffed with spiced lentils, eaten with a potato curry. Old Delhi serves it at breakfast.<br>
Daulat ki chaat.
A light, foamy milk dessert made in winter, usually sold in the morning in Old Delhi. It is a seasonal speciality, so ask locally whether it is available.<br>
Momos.<br><br>
Steamed or fried dumplings with a spicy red chutney, now a common street snack across Delhi. Majnu ka Tilla is a well-known area for Tibetan food.<br>
Non-vegetarian street food in Delhi<br>
Seekh and shami kebabs.<br><br>
Spiced minced meat cooked over coals or on a griddle and served with bread, onions and chutney. The lanes around Jama Masjid are the traditional place to look.<br>
Chicken and mutton tikka. <br><br>
Marinated pieces grilled over charcoal until smoky. A good first order if you are not sure about spice.<br><br>
Kathi rolls.<br><br>
Kebab, egg or paneer wrapped in a flaky flatbread with onions and sauce. They are quick, portable and popular across the city.<br>
Butter chicken with naan.<br><br>
Delhi's best-known gravy dish is more often a restaurant meal than a street snack, but it is easy to find near the street food areas.<br><br>
Nihari.<br>
A slow-cooked meat stew, traditionally eaten for breakfast in Old Delhi with fresh bread.<br>
Sweets and drinks<br>
Jalebi and rabri.<br>
Crisp, syrupy spirals of fried batter, sometimes served with thickened sweet milk. Old Famous Jalebi Wala in Chandni Chowk is a name many visitors look for.<br>
Lassi, faluda and kulfi.<br>
Cold, sweet drinks and ice cream that balance a spicy meal.<br>
Where to find street food in Delhi<br>
Old Delhi is the main street food area, with Chandni Chowk and the lanes around Jama Masjid within walking distance of each other.<br>
| Area | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Chandni Chowk | Parathas, chaat, jalebi, kachori and sweets |
| Jama Masjid area | Kebabs, tikka and Mughlai dishes |
| Majnu ka Tilla | Momos and Tibetan food |
| Connaught Place | Cafes and snacks near the city centre |
Old Delhi's lanes are narrow, busy and hard to navigate on a first visit. A local guide can take you to the stalls that are popular and freshly cooked. Stalls change and move, so confirm opening times before you go.<br>
Tips for eating Delhi street food<br>
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Choose stalls with a steady queue and food cooked fresh in front of you.
Eat hot food, and be careful with anything that has been sitting out.
Drink sealed bottled water and avoid ice you cannot trace.
Start with one or two dishes a day if your stomach is not used to spice.
Carry small notes, tissues and hand sanitiser.
Go in the morning for breakfast dishes and in the evening for chaat and kebabs.
October to March is the most comfortable time for walking and eating outdoors.<br>Frequently asked questions<br>
What is the most famous street food in Delhi?<br>
Chaat, golgappa, stuffed parathas and chole bhature are the dishes most associated with Delhi street food.<br>
Where is the best street food in Delhi?<br>
Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi is the most popular area, because many well-known dishes are close together.<br>
Is Delhi street food safe for tourists?<br>
Many visitors eat it without trouble. Pick busy stalls, eat freshly cooked food, drink bottled water and build up slowly.<br>
Is Delhi street food safe for tourists?<br>
Many visitors eat it without trouble. Pick busy stalls, eat freshly cooked food, drink bottled water and build up slowly.<br>
Is there vegetarian street food in Delhi?<br>
Yes. Chaat, golgappa, parathas, chole bhature and kachori are all vegetarian, and vegetarian food is easy to find.<br>
Can I join a street food tour in Delhi?<br>
Yes. Ar India Tour runs Old Delhi food tours with veg and non-veg options, including a tuk-tuk ride.<br>
How we do street food in Old Delhi<br>
We run Old Delhi food tours every day, so these are the routes we know first-hand. We run two separate tours, one non-veg and one veg, so each guest eats only what suits them.<br>
Non-veg tour: Matia Mahal, opposite Jama Masjid<br>
Matia Mahal is the lane opposite Jama Masjid, and it is popular with Delhi locals as well as visitors. It comes alive in the evening, from around 4 or 5 pm, and stays busy until the early hours of the morning. Our non-veg tasting usually goes in this order: \
- Seekh kebabs \
- Chicken tikka \
- Fried chicken, with a soft drink \
- Afghani samosa \
- Shawarma roll \
- A dessert, such as rabri, jalebi or sometimes kunafa \
- Sharbat-e-mohabbat, a cold drink of milk, watermelon and rose syrup<br>
Veg tour: Chandni Chowk, near the Red Fort<br>
The veg tour can start as early as 9 am and run until around 10 pm. We begin with jalebi from a shop that is older than Indian independence, then move on to: \
- Golgappa \
- Chole bhature \
- Samosa Kulfi \
- Lassi and Nagori masala chai \
- Parathas, on some tours<br>
Why we choose these stalls<br>
The shops we use are long-established, licensed and busy with local customers, and the food is cooked fresh. No one can promise that street food is risk-free, but we have run these tours for many years and have not had guests report stomach problems.<br>
Conclusion<br>
Delhi's street food is best eaten slowly, one dish at a time, with plenty of curiosity. Begin with chaat and parathas, add a kebab or kathi roll, and end with jalebi or kulfi.<br>
Plan your visit<br>
If you would like to try these dishes with a local guide, join an Ar India Tour Old Delhi food tour. Veg and non-veg options are available, and the tour includes a tuk-tuk ride through the old city. [https://arindiatour.com/tour/old-delhi-food-tour-tuk-tuk?reviewPage=1&reviewRating=0&reviewSort=newest&reviewView=all]
