Award-winning fine-dining restaurant Indian Accent at The Lodhi is nothing short of a gastronomic powerhouse. Chef Manish Mehrotra is behind the menu of “inventive Indian” dishes, which mingle haute cuisine flourishes with flavours hailing from across the Subcontinent.

1135 AD is one of those niche restaurants where royalty meets food. Located on the topmost floor of the Amber Fort, the restaurant offers both vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis apart from the usual à la carte options. Both thalis offer three starters with eight sauces and three different accompaniments. The main course offers a total of six dishes each for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Don’t forget to enjoy the rice kheer, shahi gulab jamun and the badam halwa if you have a sweet tooth.

Another Rajasthani dining destination named in honour of an important date—in this case, 1559 was the year that Udaipur was founded by Maharana Udai Singhji—1559 AD overlooks the lovely waters of Lake Pichola. Follow diners in the know to its beautiful garden area, where you can sample from an eclectic menu of Indian, Continental, and Thai dishes.

With AnnaMaya, the Hyatt Andaz presented a unique concept to India—of a restaurant woven around a food hall. And that is what makes this trendsetter unique. From the produce that it stores to retails (and even uses in its own culinary offerings), to the artisanal produce sourced from handpicked farms across Uttarakhand and from traditional makers, it is the first hotel restaurant in the country to practice, propagate and work towards mindful cooking (and eating)..

Located right on buzzing Ashwem Beach (in fact, outdoor tables will even allow you to dig your toes into the sand), the aptly named La Plage remains one of Goa’s must-visit addresses. Join guests indulging in the French-driven cuisine at this fun and funky eatery (though note that it’s closed between May and November).

At Avartana (pronounced ‘avartan’), the thought process is simple: reinvent and redefine. The group’s signature brand Dakshin is extremely popular but ITC Grand Chola wanted to go beyond and open a restaurant that emphasised the core of southern Indian cuisine—spices. The menu took two years to refine with no à la carte options. There are four degustation menus; Maya, Bela, Anika and Tara, and the number of courses on each vary with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. A bold move indeed but one that has paid rich dividends as since its opening in 2017, the fanfare is yet to die down.

Among the best restaurants in India, the elegant Le Cirque—one of several dining options within the five-star Leela Palace New Delhi—is where the rich and famous come to slurp truffle-laced fettuccine and indulge in decadent French fare. Don’t leave before you’ve explored the New York transplant’s walk-in wine cellar.

There are plenty of Italian restaurants but this, the brainchild of Oscar Balon, treats the uninitiated into the authentic cuisine of the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy. The owner, who loves his food, hails from a port town near Bologna and after deciding to settle in India, opening a restaurant with flavours from back home seemed to be the obvious thing to do. There are currently two outlets, one in Greater Kailash part -2 and the newer one is in Gurugram. Here, you must indulge in the fresh, handmade pasta because, trust us, it’s to die for.

It is a restaurant fit for royalty. A former palace café-turned-restaurant, Baradari sits inside the majestic City Palace in old Jaipur. Baradari has an open courtyard, walls stripped down to reveal the original rubble, and a lively, well-stocked bar (a former administrative block that’s come a long way). Locals are drawn to the eatery for its contemporary spin on Rajasthani and Indian food, while tourists flock here after a day in the sun exploring the palace quarters.

Bastian, the seafood hangout of Mumbai, is famous for two reasons: local seafood and Canadian Chef Kevin Cheung’s innovative cooking style which has spawned such a legacy of seafood (and pork) dishes that it is called a seafood lovers’ paradise. The surprise element, however, is his small, but constantly changing vegetarian offering that includes a series of interesting Buddha and ramen bowls.

Ranked among the best restaurants in Kerala, the Malabar House’s Malabar Junction offers a heady fusion of South Asian flavours and Mediterranean influences. Think: tandoori-roasted chicken risotto, sea bass marinated with South Indian spices, and a Malabar burger topped with green pepper and chilli-tomato sauces.

Had it opened in the noughties, Nueva may have had to brand itself as a Spanish restaurant. Otherwise, its mere mention as a ‘Peruvian restaurant’ would have invited confusion. But now that Delhi has welcomed international cuisines with open arms and curious taste buds, restaurants like Nueva, co-owned by Virat Kohli’s brother, find a place in the capital’s restaurant culture. Chef Ashish Singh’s food is unapologetically Peruvian—so expect your tiradito to be raw and tiger’s milk (not to be taken literally) to be a legitimate accompaniment for the escabeche.

Few earn the distinction Qutub Alam Khan’s chicha (uncle), Mahboob Alam Khan, has earned—of being instrumental in reviving traditional Hyderabadi recipes. And when Qutub and two of his friends chose to bring these dishes out of the home kitchen and into a youthful al-fresco restaurant space, the whole of Hyderabad wanted to be there. Chicha’s serves a succulent haleem every Friday, even when it isn’t Ramzan, and other rare dishes too. Take, for instance, the shaadi ka red mutton, which will make you wonder how did these recipes get lost in the first place. Either way, Chicha’s here to make sure they stay this time.

Consistently featured in Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, Wasabi by Morimoto (The Taj Mahal Palace )is a glittering fine dining destination adored by Japanese food aficionados. The restaurant’s omakase menu offers a superlative, one-of-a-kind culinary experience (especially when accompanied by a glass of Japanese whisky).

It is about the vegetarian side of Burmese food; yes, it does quite a few versions of khow suey; and, yes, it has a soup by the name samuza hincho, but the hallmark of Burma Burma is that in its few years of existence (and many outlets), it has proven Burmese vegetarian food is just as exciting as the meat-based fare. And one way they have done it is by being consistent. One of the first few to do ‘mock meat’, they have excelled in upping the ante for baos and soft buns. Burma Burma Restaurant, Saket in Delhi

True to its name, Bohemian has drawn out Bengali cuisine from its traditional complacency and turned it into new-age gastronomy. Breaking the stereotype has been the aim of Chef Joymalya Banerjee (he left Oh! Calcutta to start his own venture), and, therefore, this is the only place where you will find the quintessential Bengali luchi aloor dom turned into tacos and served with bhuna mirchi, magic dust and onion chutney. The term ‘fusion food’ takes on a new meaning at Bohemian when you find Italian pasta tossed in Bengali home-style cooked masoor dal. The chef is not afraid to experiment as proven by the new menu he’s come up with.

It is a restaurant that can boasts of many firsts— the first eatery in the country to serve Kolkata style-Armenian and regular Armenian food; the first to fuse the casualness of a bistro into a brightly painted villa-style dining; the first to work with ingredients and tools sourced from the places of origin; and the first to have a menu that is both unapologetically personal yet traditionally accurate. But the one thing that makes Lavaash By Saby as unique as its designer neighbourhood is the food—which is consistent, evolving and the finest showcase of Chef Sabyasachi Gorai’s food philosophy.

For those who believe fusion in food is a bad thing, a visit to Koji, the Conrad Pune’s good-looking Asian fusion restaurant, is a must. Designed on the Japanese theme of kagami biraki or happy celebrations, Koji is, without a doubt, an excellent place to start exploring the Oriental and its many ways of pleasing the senses. The restaurant boasts a fine collection of Japanese whiskies and sake that can gradually make you a serious connoisseur (or believe to be one till you are in Koji). The true stars of the place however are the sushi, sashimi and teriyaki, which come from its three kitchens.

The Roaring Twenties in the US were also a period of hushed glugs and swigs, as a prohibition on alcohol was in place. Interestingly, this was when plenty of bars disguised as being under ‘lock and key’, serving the finest of cocktails, cropped up in the figurative underground. The DLF Phase IV Gurugram haunt is an ode to the era, expressed through its jazz tunes, bold décor and tipple containing yuzu, elderflower, caramel and other interesting ingredients. The food—truffle mac and cheese pops, prawn moilee, and the like—adds an eclectic touch to the place. What you have is a sensory experience, assured to take you back a hundred years, even if just for a bit.

With Sarah Todd of MasterChef Australia fame calling the shots, the guests at Antares always ask for more. The 250-seater al fresco restaurant offers American, Indian and Asian-inspired dishes and the cocktails served here are to die for. Come sunset, the Vagator cliff sports orange and pink hues, the perfect foil to the superlative food and drinks on offer. Do note that the restaurant was severely damaged by fire in January this year and has closed operations for now. It will reopen with the same menu on August 1, while a new menu will be introduced in October this year. We can’t wait!

The BKC Mumbai branch of Massive Restaurants and Zorawar Kalra’s magnum opus, Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra, still boasts one of the country’s most authentic and well-curated culinary experiences. Four years ago, the concept of chef’s tasting menus was mostly restricted to food reviewers, but the 19-course meal here, especially when paired with wine, has spoiled the usual restaurant-goer in the metros. The menu keeps on changing, but the experience stays consistently good. Repeat visitors swear by classic favourites like the galouti kebab and ashen kulfi.

India’s first wilderness-to-table restaurant has ‘special’ written all over it. Occupying a spot inside a nondescript industrial mill plot in Mumbai, Masque is a cloaked behind a big black door. Step in, and you’ll travel to many places at once—the Himalaya belt from where Chef Prateek Sadhu sources local sea buckthorn and turns them into iced lolly; or Uttarakhand, where the chef and restaurant owner Aditi Dugar travels to get the incredibly delicate hisalu berry. These and other seasonal ingredients are strung together as part of a 10-course set menu—a new one for each time of the year.

If we had to describe The Leela Palace’s Megu in one word, the word we’d choose would be ‘divine’. The restaurant opened in 2012 and over the years, its reputation has only grown as a place to savour authentic Japanese fare. With fresh ingredients flown in from half way across the world and presented to a diner in Delhi, Megu’s menu honours the traditions of the small island nation with every bite. And there’s more good news: Shimomura Kazuya has taken over as the new head chef. His forte is integrating modern with traditional Japanese. We can’t wait to see what he brings to the table.

It looked like one and felt like one. But where it differed from the mushrooming concept restaurants was: one, it was dedicated to the lives of miners from the Jharkhand– Bengal–Odisha belt; and two, it was one-of-the-kind in how it had a chef-created bar that served a Gin-based version of the handia (an indigenous beer of Odisha) and revived the imperial Rangoon khow suey—yes, the original one that was made by Indians in Rangoon. It also became the only restaurant to recreate chenna podo outside Odisha.

When you enter Varq in the Taj Mahal, New Delhi, you can’t help but notice the priceless mural by artist Anjolie Ela Menon and the beautiful oil paintings. But look down to your plates, for art is there too. An example of classic Taj hospitality, Varq presents modern Indian gourmet food in an ethereal atmosphere. There is a timeless quality to it; shown in their organic-only ingredients, extensive wine lists and delectable kebabs.

Tre-forni’ is Italian for ‘three ovens’. And that is at the foundation of one of the finest Italian restaurants in Hyderabad. Put together by Chef Michele Prevedello, everything here is either hand-picked or handmade, and this includes the pizza bases, the pasta and even the bread that is serve au gratis on the table with flavoured butter. All this is made using premium ingredients sourced directly from Italy. Indeed, here’s a restaurant that is designed much like the one Chef Prevedello loves spending time in. In other words, it is like taking his diners to his home.

At this restaurant in JW Marriott Kolkata, the Vintage Asia menu has undergone a welcome change under Chef Alexander Cheng’s influence of having worked in Taiwan and Indonesia. Experiments are happening and successfully so. Take the mushroom bao, for example: shaped like a real mushroom, it is filled with lotus stem, black fungus and mixed mushrooms. Another great example is the duck and litchi salad where the tangy taste blends with the earthy meat.rawn moilee, and the like—adds an eclectic touch to the place. What you have is a sensory experience, assured to take you back a hundred years, even if just for a bit.

During its eight years of existence, Tuskers has never lost an award. And the reason behind that isn’t that it is the first vegetarian restaurant in BKC Mumbai to have one of the cleverly put together whiskey bars; it has remained the king because of its ‘true to roots’ food. The only commercial kitchen till about recently to be spearheaded by a veteran Indian master chef, Maharaj Jankidas, the food is ‘true to roots’ original—and is made with recipes collected from royal households and the Thakurs.

A one-of-its-kind ‘farm to table’ Goan bistro is quite self-explanatory. A popular spot for diners and tourist alike, the Black Sheep Bistro is most known for its take on global cuisine. The restaurant uses locally-sourced ingredients to create international soul food like the Malwani mushroom stroganoff, red Kishmoor fish fillet and seafood paella that uses local pork chorizo—deliciousness that can be drowned with some handcrafted cocktails.

There are two ways to enjoy the food patronised by the Nizam of Hyderabad. You either venture out into the galis of Purani Haveli or stop by Ohri’s. An offering by one of the oldest hospitality brands of Hyderabad, Sahib’s Barbeque is an ode to the food culture developed by the Nizam and the Paigah dynasty, and revolves around the concept of barbecue. Most of the food served here uses the traditional tandoor and sigree in at least one of its cooking processes. Based on research done on the food habits of the last five Nizams, the food here—shikampuri kebab, libas machhi, talwar-e-kalmi, darbari jhinga and murgh Akbari kebab, jauzi halwa or dil-e-firdaus (on demand)—are made exactly the way they were eaten back then.

If you ever imagined what the 50s and 60s were like in India, especially in Bengaluru, you need to head to Bob’s Bar. Located on Indiranagar’s 100 Feet Road, this casual eatery brings together the best of two worlds: original dishes, much like what your ajji would make, in a space that reminds you of Bengaluru’s pub-hop culture of the bellbottoms-era. The bonus: a small segment with playful representation of old favourites like the filter coffee cheesecake and Mysuru pak meringue. The ghee is made in-house, so are the green masala and other spices, but the highlight here is the fantastic showcase of what indigenous chillies can do.

As one of the last restaurants conceptualised and implemented by the legendary ITC Chef Manjit Gill, Royal Vega epitomises the ‘royal’ vegetarian cuisine from India and unearths hidden gems from food cultures that are not famous for their plant-based dishes like Peshawari. Based on the age-old tradition of Ranjit Khasa, a royal banquet-style three-course meal, the menu here is written in the traditional format and changes every season, because of which the cooking style inside the temple-style kitchen also changes. Home of some of the lesser-known dishes like ganika—jasmine fragrant rice—it is India’s only restaurant to use Ayurveda teachings in curating thalis.

There is a lot that can be expected at Pra Pra Prank: a quirky ambience, mouthwatering food, an adrenaline rush and mischievous food. The first thing that draws attention is their menu—the gorgeous food photography will make you want to order everything you see. And maybe you should. The food at Pra Pra Prank often comes with quirky ingredients, so you can expect the unexpected. Their cocktails are especially yummy, often dished with some tongue-in-cheek humour.

Grandmothers’ recipes handed down over generations and secret cooking techniques learnt in ainmanes (ancestral homes), heritage bungalows and hole-in-the-wall eateries; Oota Bangalore took three years in the making after a 20,000 km food journey with two travelling chefs and food writers. Here your culinary masterclass begins with a steward placing a brass annapakshi salver with a set of five pudis (powders) and chutneys, accompanied by assorted apalas (poppadams). The iPad menu is extensive, covering five circuits. From sauji khara boti to GSB dali toye, Oota is a tribute to Karnataka’s communities and diversity, bringing the best flavours of the state under one roof.

In the heart of Pondicherry’s scenic Old Town, you’ll discover Villa Shanti: a stylish boutique hotel with its own destination-worthy restaurant. On sultry days, dine within the cool interior, but when Pondicherry’s sunshine tempts, you can ensconce yourself amidst the vertical garden on the terrace.

Goa was doing just fine before the opening of Mustard in 2015. Shacks were flung open; seafood attacked, and bottles of Kings guzzled in a state of sussegad. But like the condiment to which the restaurant owes its name, Mustard has added an extra zing to the party capital’s culinary scene. Despite a menu split into two diverse halves—Bengali and French—the food served at the fine-dining restaurant comes together well, also catering to the usually sidelined vegetarians in Goa.

Indian cities have a unique club culture and the Delhi Club House menu is inspired by it. While the menu offers a host of dishes, each with a twist, the origin story is mentioned against each i.e. the club it hails from: Royal Madras Yacht Club, Calcutta Club, Amritsar Club, Byculla Club, etc.

When Bombay Canteen began, it was a chef’s ode to the city—the food back then was heavy on local influences that had been a part of Chefpreneur Floyd Cardoz’s life growing up. Four years and multiple awards later, this Instagram-friendly restaurant has emerged as the beacon to what India will eat tomorrow, thanks greatly to the Chef-partner Thomas Zacharias, who travels extensively to get new inspiration for the food, which is defined as ‘the chefs’ interpretation of our food tradition’.

We believe food should be a journey, and Villa Maya in Thiruvananthapuram agrees. Villa Maya, an upscale restaurant, is an 18th-century Dutch manor that subtly plays on all senses. Apart from Kerala food, they also serve Italian and Moroccan dishes, or food from any place that has had a historical connection to the state. The idea is to create an exhilarating experience through food—using the best of ingredients, exotic recipes and plating techniques.

We declare this with utmost disregard to diplomacy: If there is only one place on earth to have cream cheese dim sums, then it must be Ping’s. The restaurant, which describes itself as a ‘healthy and wholesome urban Asian Brasserie’, is in every Dilliwala’s secret handbook, for it never disappoints. The Southeast Asian child of Pass Code Hospitality (who own PCO, ATM Bistro, Jamun, Sazerac—each with its own legacy) doesn’t limit you to any one country. Within its red-toned walls in Lodhi Colony, it brings to you pork baos, punch- and pepper-packed Thai curries, the Indonesian favourite nasi goreng, meaty ramen, Hong Kong vendor noodles, and, of course, those succulent dim sums. Ping’s is now also open in Kolkata.

A tastefully decorated al fresco restaurant made to resemble a boathouse, The Lazy Goose’s idyllic location above Goa’s Nerul River is only one of the admirable things about the place. Then there’s the food, the likes of butter chilli garlic mud crab and not a single sub-standard dish. Add to these the live music and the many on-the-Nerul experiences. The cherry on top is the coming-of-age tale of owners Praveena and Rohan D’Souza, who frequently visited the river as children and dreamed of having a restaurant there. We’re glad their wish came true.

You may ask where the difference lies among the many, many Chinese restaurants in the city and The Hong Kong Club. Well, for starters, the focus is on the Guanzhou region’s food; second, an extremely modern take on traditional Cantonese; and, the introduction of local produce in creating something sublime. The ambience is contemporary while the cocktails intriguing, Andaz Delhi’s The Hong Kong Club’s late-night timings have added to the allure.

If there is one brand that defined ‘East Village-style’ for a plethora of diners, it is Toast & Tonic, famously abbreviated to T&T. Or as Chef Manu Chandra will put it, “a sum total of my journey as a chef”. The exclusivity of this place is in its unexpectedness—food mostly consists of Indian ingredients getting a global gear-up. Like the Southern American poke has crisp okra, buttery jimikand, sour cream, homemade sausage and shrimps. Not the one to compromise and unapologetic about its food, T&T makes its own sausages

The duck is a symbol of happiness and freedom in Chinese culture. Taj Palace New Delhi’s Chinese restaurant tries to showcase the balance between traditional cooking and modern interpretations with much ease and elegance and, of course, the duck as the centrepiece. Opened in 2016, Spicy Duck also has plenty of other offerings (their dim sums are to die for and the sliced pork with chilli bean paste simply outstanding) but if you’re in the mood for duck, you know where to go.

It began as a tribute to the Parsi community of Mumbai and Gujarat, especially their food and unique culture. But in its little less than a decade of existence, SodaBottleOpenerWala has transformed into an edible museum of Iranian food, and boasts of recreating traditional dishes like Parsi papeta per eedu, aletee paletee, spicy khiri tikkas, boombla, baghali polo and even shole zard from time to time.

True to its name, Shikaar Bagh does resemble a hunting lodge, at least on the inside. One of the new entrants at the popular Hotel Narain Niwas Palace, Shikaar Bagh is a perfect spot to spend a romantic or a special evening during the monsoon or winter months. The restaurant is a paradise for non-vegetarians but the vegetarian options are limited.

Whether making sauces, dips and marinades in-house, using a slew of local vegetables, having a roll-on menu that dedicates itself to a known and a lesser-known region every month, or by just being true to the original flavours—these are just a few of the reasons why Sriracha is considered one of the finest pan-Asian haunts in Bengaluru. They are known for following the traditional style of making spring rolls and Buddha bowls on the table, using fresh ingredients.

This chic pan-Asian restaurant at the Novotel Kolkata is rewriting the culinary map of New Town and is the place to go to if you are looking for live acts along with eclectic food and a wonderful cocktail menu. They serve Japanese, Chinese, Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese dishes under the watchful gaze of the hotel’s passionate executive chef, who is slowly but surely convincing this conservative city to get experimental with its eating.

If you are in Mumbai and craving Tamil cuisine, then head to The Tanjore Tiffin Room. It will hit all the right notes—nostalgia, taste and simplicity. It serves home-style food, using recipes that have been handed down for generations. Intimate lighting, al fresco seating and sepia-toned family photographs that adorn the walls make for a comforting ambience. They offer flavourful pepper chicken, and jackfruit cutlets, and their curries—mainly coconut-, tamarind- and tomato-based—are rich.

If there is one reason why Kolkata will always remember the last ruler of Lucknow, Wajid Ali Shah, it is the import of Awadhi cuisine. Although the mini-Lucknow that the exiled Nawab built along the western neighbourhood of the city has lost its sheen, Oudh 1590 (part of Platter Hospitality) recreates the charm of Awadhi culture and cuisine through its branches across the city. Chandeliers, paintings, textiles, woodwork and bric-a-brac have been used to create the ambience but the restaurants are not clones of each other. Sit down for a sumptuous meal while being regaled with strains of thumri playing in the background. They follow the typical Awadhi style of dum pukht cooking. Beside above restaurants, there are many other famous restaurants in satellite cities of Udaipur, Jodhpur, Chandigarh, Shimla and other different touristic places which are catering to the needs of Domestic as well International clientele as per their standards.