Where better to capture the chaos of Delhi’s bustling streets than in the heart of Times Square? Dilli Dilli brings India’s culinary capital to life with a menu inspired by street food, age-old recipes, and lots in between.
At the helm are Chef Gaurav Anand and Chef Vipul Gupta, two titans whose names carry weight in the New York City restaurant scene. Together they strike the balance between tradition and innovation. With dishes that pay homage to the Mughal-influenced Shahjahanabad era (Old Delhi) and the cosmopolitan Refugee Era post-partition (New Delhi), the menu at Dilli Dilli serves as a love letter to the city’s diverse culinary landscape.
The Atmosphere
Inspired by the Great Gate of India, a palette of burnt oranges and olive greens are accented throughout the bamboo-filled space. Warm lamps, velvet fabrics, and brass dishes tuck guests in, feeling a little more like visiting a vibrant Indian home. A playful touch—a scooter adorned with colorful bell peppers and a bursting floral arrangement—centers the restaurant adding to the Delhi charm. On any given night, you’re guaranteed to see Chef Anand or Chef Gupta floatily making their rounds, getting to know patrons and dropping off goodies between stints in the kitchen.
The Menu
The menu is quite literally split into plates inspired by Old Delhi and New Delhi, and as such, you should make it a point to try from both side. Dishes arrive sizzling on cast irons, nested in masala dabba tins, and adorned on gold plates. A tapas-style portion pays homage to the street snacks scattered throughout Delhi, and just about everything comes paired with a delicious chutney — we recommend dipping everything into everything. It’s rare to find a restaurant where every appetizer, entrée, and dessert feels standout, but Dilli Dilli shows remarkable consistency.
Small and Medium Plates
Kick off by sharing a couple of small plates. The Chili Cheese Toast is a bite-sized serving for two with a blend of Amul cheese and green chiles atop crispy toast. The beloved pantry staple of every Indian home, Amul cheese, is a canned cheese, nuttier, saltier and butterier than any other processed cheese you’ve tried. The Dilli Dilli Tikki is as flavorful as it is beautiful – a potato cutlet stuffed with split peas and shallow fried until its crisp. It’s then sprinkled with melon seeds, before being drizzled with tamarind, mint chutney, and sweet yogurt. The smattering is reminiscent of just about any street snack you’d find in Delhi.
A nod to Delhi’s famous bakery, Wenger’s in CP, there’s even a Wenger’s Shammi Kabab on the menu to tide you over until your next transcontinental flight. It’s a few tender goat patties, spiced with masala and red onions, served with a dollop of spicy mayo. The Tandoori Branzino is a whole fish marinated in lime, chili, garlic and yogurt, then cooked on a skewer over charcoal heat and smoke, it’s paired alongside a vibrant cilantro-based chutney.
Large Plates
The Kaju Pista Kofta is a reinvention of the classic, trading traditional ground lamb patties for decadent cheese rissoles. Crispy and golden on the outside, with a gooey cheese center, each kofta is iconically wrapped in vark —the delicate silver foil sheets that decorate the upper echelon of South Asian sweets. These koftas are simmered in a creamy malai curry, topped with roasted cashews and pistachios, delivering a flavor combination that’s unlike any kofta you’ve likely tried before. The National Mutton Curry is another dish worth mentioning. This dish is a labor of love, featuring goat meat, tenderized, marinated, and fried with aromatics before being slow-cooked for hours in a blend of desi ghee and chili hailing from Old Delhi. The result? Fall-off-the-bone meat in a spicy, silky marrow sauce that’s nothing short of extraordinary.
Dessert
You won’t need a reminder to save room for dessert, because you’ll probably want to sample Dilli Dilli’s take on kulfi or tukda. Our eyes were drawn to the Chavanni Jalebi, and it did not disappoint. It dates back to a bygone era when a mere quarter of a rupee ($0.0029 USD), or chavanni in Hindi, could buy you the sweet treat from nearly every street vendor. In this modern take, bite-sized spirals of deep-fried batter are soaked in sugar syrup, creating a thinner and crispier version of the traditional jalebi. The mini jalebis are then served in a rich almond-saffron milk and topped with sliced almonds and pistachios.
The Cocktails
We saved the best for last: the signature cocktails are somehow even more playful than the dining experience. Inspired by India’s bustling markets, here, drink presentation is elevated to a spectacle, far beyond the usual garnish.
The Golgapppa Margarita is a crowd favorite for a reason, it’s crafted with bee pollen infused Tequila, pani puri masala and cucumber syrup. It’s served inside a luxurious incense box, accompanied by a smoldering pinecone that blends the scents of incense with margarita. Equally theatrical is the India Gate Voyage, a saffron vodka-forward drink presented with a compass and displayed on a miniature rug. If you haven’t guessed the drinks are an experience in themselves.
Dilli Dilli
50 W 47th St, New York, NY
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