15 Best Places to Eat In Chandni Chowk, Delhi in 2026

Chandni Chowk street food packs essential stops into the lanes between Red Fort, Fatehpuri Masjid and Jama Masjid: dahi bhalla at Natraj, hot jalebi on the Dariba Kalan corner, deep-fried parathas in Gali Paranthe Wali, bedmi puri and nagori halwa for breakfast, kachori, kalmi vada chaat, Karachi halwa, kulfi stuffed into whole mangoes, and butter chicken and korma around Jama Masjid. Plan on early morning for breakfast, late morning to early evening for chaat and sweets, and after 5 pm for Matia Mahal. A light crawl costs roughly ₹300 to ₹600 per person, and a full day of eating runs ₹1,800 to ₹3,000.

Each stop below gives the landmark or address, what to order, how the dish is made, the listed hours, a price range and the nearest metro station. Three self-guided walking trails, a summary table, a budget guide, winter and drinks sections and a FAQ follow the stops. For more of the city's dishes, see 18 famous foods of Delhi.

Jump to: Getting there | Best time | The 15 stops | Daulat ki chaat | Drinks and desserts | Flavour | Walking trails | Table | Budget | Tips | FAQ

How to reach Chandni Chowk

The Delhi Metro is the easiest way in. Chandni Chowk station on the Yellow Line drops you at the start of the main road, a short walk from Natraj, Gali Paranthe Wali and the jalebi corner. Chawri Bazar station, also on the Yellow Line, is the exit for Shyam Sweets, Lotan, Ashok Chaat Corner, Kuremal and the Matia Mahal side. Lal Quila station on the Violet Line serves the Red Fort end, where Manohar Japani Samose Wala is near Gate 1, and Jama Masjid station on the Violet Line serves the Jama Masjid side. Arriving by metro keeps you out of the arterial traffic around the Walled City.

The main Chandni Chowk road has changed. A government notification bars motor vehicles on the 1.3 km stretch between Red Fort and Fatehpuri Masjid from 9 am to 9 pm every day, with exceptions only for emergencies. The road is tiled in red sandstone, lined with benches and planters, and open to walkers and cycle rickshaws, so the walk between food stops is far calmer than it used to be. The side lanes, including Dariba Kalan, Kinari Bazaar, Gali Paranthe Wali and Matia Mahal, remain narrow and busy, so carry only what you need.

Best time to eat in Chandni Chowk

The main market opens around 10 am and most shops close by about 8 pm, while some food stops stay open until 9 pm or later. Plan the day by food type.

Early morning (7 am to 11 am): This is breakfast time. Lotan serves chole kulche from about 7:30 am, Shyam Sweets opens at 8 am for bedmi puri and nagori halwa, the paratha shops in Gali Paranthe Wali are frying from about 7 am, and Al Jawahar opens around 7 am for nihari and paya.

Late morning to afternoon (11 am to 5 pm): Chaat and kachori hours. Bishan Swaroop opens around noon, Jung Bahadur Kachori Wala and Jugal Kishor Ramji Lal at 10:30 am, and Shree Balaji Chaat Bhandar at noon. Kulfi tastes best now.

Evening (5 pm onward): Matia Mahal comes alive with butter chicken and kebabs, Aslam Chicken Corner opens, and Karim's serves until about 12:30 am. Kinari Bazaar's khurchan shop stays open until 9 pm.

Seasons: Daulat ki Chaat appears only in winter, roughly from Diwali to Holi, because the milk foam melts in heat. Gajar halwa, shakarkandi chaat and hot jalebi are winter favourites. In summer, the cooling choices are kulfi, falooda, lassi, shikanji and banta.

Sundays: The main Chandni Chowk market is closed on Sundays, and retail lanes such as Kinari Bazaar, Dariba Kalan and Nai Sarak shut that day, so confirm that your food stop is open before a Sunday visit. A few shops also take Monday off.

The best street food stops in Chandni Chowk

1. Natraj Dahi Bhalla: two dishes, one queue

Natraj is a corner counter on the main road at 1396, beside Central Bank in Kucha Mahajani, close to Bhai Mati Das Chowk and directly across from Gali Paranthe Wali. From Chandni Chowk metro station, walk about 200 metres east along the main road and it is on your left. The stall has been serving since 1940, and the menu has stayed at two items: dahi bhalle and aloo tikki.

The dahi bhalla is the reason for the queue. Soft lentil vadas are soaked in water until they turn pillowy, then dusted with garam masala, roasted cumin, black pepper and chilli flakes, and covered with a generous scoop of thick, creamy yoghurt. A sweet-and-sour tamarind dressing, a little more pepper and a scatter of pomegranate seeds finish the plate. The chilli gives a slow heat, the yoghurt cools it, and the vada is so soft it barely needs chewing. The aloo tikki is the contrast: a potato patty fried until the outside is crisp, served with tangy chutneys.

Service is quick even when the crowd spills onto the pavement. Plates are handed over within a couple of minutes, and most people eat standing nearby. Order one plate of each and share if you plan to keep eating, because Gali Paranthe Wali is directly opposite. Listed prices run from about ₹50 to ₹200 per person, and the counter stays open from late morning into the evening, so a mid-morning or mid-afternoon visit avoids the longest lines. Open in Google Maps.

2. Old Famous Jalebi Wala: hot jalebi on the Dariba Kalan corner

Old Famous Jalebi Wala stands on the corner where Dariba Kalan lane meets the main Chandni Chowk road, on the south side. Walking east from Chandni Chowk metro station, pass Sis Ganj Sahib Gurudwara and the shop is just beyond, a small open counter that is easy to miss until you see the crowd around it. The business has been in operation since 1884, which makes it one of the oldest sweet shops in the city.

The jalebi is made in front of you. A wheat flour batter is piped from a funnel into coils in hot desi ghee, fried until crunchy all the way through, then dropped into sugar syrup for a short soak. The shop uses khandsari sugar syrup instead of regular sugar, and the syrup carries a note of saffron. The result shatters at the first bite and then turns sticky and honeyed. Served piping hot, it is eaten on its own or with rabri poured over the top. Jalebi is believed to have begun as a Persian feast sweet called zulabiya and to have spread across India during the Mughal era.

Jalebis are sold by the kilo or as a single portion on a paper plate. A portion typically falls in the ₹100 to ₹200 range, and the shop is open every day from about 8 am to 10 pm. The queue is long at lunch and after dinner but moves fast, because each batch comes straight from the pan. Go in the morning for the freshest coils, and treat it as the first sweet stop of the main road trail, a short walk from Natraj and Gali Paranthe Wali. Open in Google Maps.

3. Gali Paranthe Wali: deep-fried parathas in the oldest paratha lane

Gali Paranthe Wali is the narrow lane directly opposite Natraj, off the main road. It became the paratha street in the 1870s, when the first paratha shops moved in among the silverware sellers, and it had its present name by 1911. Today roughly ten to fifteen stalls fry here, and the best-known carry family names: Pt Kanhaiyalal Durgaprasad Dixit (1875), Pt Dayanand Shivcharan (1882) and Pt Baburam Devidayal (1886).

These are not the griddled parathas of a home kitchen. The dough is rolled into flat rounds, stuffed, and deep-fried in ghee in large cast-iron kadhais until it puffs and turns golden, much closer to a stuffed puri than a tawa paratha. Knowing that sets the right expectation for richness: one paratha between two people is plenty. Fillings run from potato, peas and cauliflower to cashew, almond, khoya and rabri, with specials such as bitter gourd and a cream-stuffed khurchan paratha. The Kanhaiyalal Durgaprasad shop offers around 35 varieties.

Each paratha comes with a steel plate of sides: potato and pea gravy, pumpkin mash, a paneer and potato curry, a potato and fenugreek curry, sweet tamarind and mint chutneys and mixed vegetable pickle. Sweet lassi in a clay kulhar is the traditional drink. Expect a queue, shared tables and smoke from the frying. Shops are open from about 7 am to 11 pm, with Babu Ram Devi Dayal listed from 8:30 am to 10:30 pm and a meal at roughly ₹200 to ₹400. Come hungry but plan for the next stops. Open in Google Maps.

4. Shyam Sweets: bedmi puri and nagori halwa for breakfast

Shyam Sweets sits at 112, Chawri Bazar Road, Manohar Market, Hauz Qazi, and is the best-known place in Old Delhi for the traditional breakfast of bedmi puri and nagori halwa. The shop was established in 1910 by Babu Lal, is run by the family's fifth generation, and keeps long hours, from about 8 am to 9:30 pm every day. It is a short walk from Chawri Bazar metro station on the Yellow Line.

Bedmi puri is made with a coarser flour dough stuffed with a spiced lentil filling called daal ki pitthi, then deep-fried until it blisters. It arrives with a hot, spicy aloo sabzi, often with chole and a sharp carrot pickle. Bedmi puri is cooked without onion or garlic, as are most traditional halwai preparations in Old Delhi.

Nagori halwa is the more theatrical half of the meal. Nagori are small, crisp semolina pooris, and the ritual is to break one open and spoon in warm, ghee-soaked sooji halwa scented with saffron, so that salty-crisp and soft-sweet arrive together. The shop is also known for matar kachori, a winter gajar halwa cooked low and slow in desi ghee with plenty of dry fruit, and moong dal halwa that pairs well with chai or lassi.

Breakfast dishes are freshest in the morning, so plan to arrive between 8 am and 11 am. The shop sits in the same Chawri Bazar lanes as Lotan Chole Kulche and Ashok Chaat Corner, which makes the three an easy breakfast trail. Open in Google Maps.

5. Lotan Chole Kulche: a family recipe served early

Lotan Chole Kulche is a morning institution in the Chawri Bazar lanes, reached from Chawri Bazar metro station on the Yellow Line or Jama Masjid station on the Violet Line. The shop is run by a family that has served the dish for generations, and listings describe the business as roughly a century old. It opens early, from about 7:30 am, and the main service runs through the morning.

The plate is simple and exact. Chickpeas are boiled plain and then spiced to order, with spices ground by hand as in earlier generations. A spoonful of tangy amchur chutney, made from dry mango powder, goes on top of the chole, and the whole thing is served with soft white-flour kulche. The chickpeas stay tender, the amchur gives the plate a clean sourness, and the soft kulche mop up the gravy.

A plate costs ₹50 to ₹200 depending on what you add. The shop is busy from the first hour, and some listings show a second short service around noon, but the reliable window is early morning, so plan to arrive before 10 am. Eat it at the counter, then walk to Shyam Sweets for bedmi puri and nagori halwa, since both are in Chawri Bazar. Open in Google Maps.

6. Manohar Japani Samosa: the layered samosa near Moti Cinema

Manohar Japani Samose Wala is a small shop, number 38/40, opposite Moti Cinema on Diwan Hall Road, close to Gate 1 of Lal Quila metro station on the Violet Line. That puts it at the Red Fort end of Chandni Chowk, a good first stop if you enter the area from the east instead of from Chandni Chowk station.

The name does not point to Japan. The Japani samosa is a Delhi take on the potato samosa, built around a pastry that does not behave like ordinary samosa dough. The outer shell is layered, closer to puff pastry than to the thick, bubbled crust of a regular samosa, and it fries up crunchy and rich. The filling is spiced potato, and the samosa is served with Pindi chole, a tangy chickpea preparation that cuts through the oil and gives the plate a second texture.

Eat it hot. The layers are at their crispest in the first few minutes, and the chole keeps the pastry from tasting heavy. Plan on one samosa each as a snack rather than a meal, since the pastry is oily and the main road has many richer stops ahead. The shop is a hole-in-the-wall counter with limited seating, so most people eat standing at the front.

It works well as the opening stop of the main road trail when you arrive by the Violet Line, because Chandni Chowk's food begins within a short walk. From Lal Quila station, follow the road toward the main boulevard and then continue west along the red-sandstone stretch toward Natraj and Gali Paranthe Wali. Open in Google Maps.

7. Jung Bahadur Kachori Wala: urad dal kachori and fiery aloo sabzi

Jung Bahadur Kachori Wala is a small kachori shop at 1104, Chhatta Madan Gopal, in the lanes of Chandni Chowk. Listings place it near Gali Bhojpura Road, and it opened in 1971. It is known for one dish done well, the urad dal kachori served with spicy aloo sabzi, and it is one of the most reliable places in the area for a hot savoury plate in the middle of the day.

The kachori is a flaky, deep-fried bread stuffed with spiced urad dal, so each bite crackles on the outside and turns soft and peppery inside. It is served with a potato curry that carries real heat, the kind that makes your eyes water and still leaves you wanting a second helping. A tangy chutney on the side has earned a reputation of its own for being hard to place. The combination is filling, so one plate is enough for most people.

Delhi Tourism lists hours of 10:30 am to 7:30 pm, closed on Sundays, while other listings run from 8:30 am to 8 pm. Aim for late morning or early afternoon, when the kachoris are freshly fried and the lane is not yet at its evening peak. A plate costs ₹50 to ₹200 depending on how many kachoris you order, and the stall now has branches in Nai Sarak and Kinari Bazaar as well.

Chandni Chowk metro station is the closest, and the shop fits naturally on the main road trail after Natraj and the jalebi corner, once you want something savoury again. Pair it with a glass of sweet lassi at Fatehpuri later in the walk. Open in Google Maps.

8. Bishan Swaroop Chaat Corner: fruit chaat since 1923

Bishan Swaroop Chaat Corner is at 1421 Chandni Chowk, near Mahavir Jain Library and Ashish Medicos, and it has been serving fruit chaat since 1923. The shop was started by Lallu Ram and is run by his nephews, which keeps the recipes the same from year to year. Hours are listed from about noon to 8 pm, with some listings running to 10 pm, so the afternoon is the safest time to visit.

The fruit chaat is the signature. Chunks of apple, papaya, guava and watermelon are tossed with fried potato and boiled chickpeas, then finished with lemon juice, chaat masala, roasted cinnamon, black pepper and coriander chutney. It is served in a leaf bowl called a dona, and the mix of sweet, sour, salty and warm spice is the signature of the stall. The roasted cinnamon adds a faint warmth under the lemon.

The second dish to order is chote aloo ki chaat, a small-potato tikki chaat with the right amount of chaat masala, a crisp outside and a soft, almost mousse-like inside. The kulla aloo, a boiled potato scooped out and filled with chickpeas, lemon and spices, rounds out the short menu. In winter the stall adds shakarkandi chaat, boiled sweet potato tossed with spices and lemon juice. A meal for two comes to about ₹200.

Other chaat addresses are close by on the same road: Shree Balaji Chaat Bhandar at 1462 Chandni Chowk, open from noon to 10 pm and known for papri chaat, and Jugal Kishor Ramji Lal at Dujana House in Chawri Bazar, open from 10:30 am to 10 pm, run by a family in its fourth generation and known for fruit chaat, with the Satguru tea stand nearby for chai. Use any of the three as a light stop between heavier dishes. Open in Google Maps.

9. Ashok Chaat Corner: kalmi vada chaat outside Chawri Bazar metro

Ashok Chaat Corner stands right outside the Chawri Bazar metro exit on the Chitli Qabar side, with its address given as 3488, Hauz Qazi Chowk. It is run by Padam Singh and his family, who have run the stall since 1948 and make the papris, the kalmi vadas and the masala at home. That makes it a simple first stop: step out of the station and it is in front of you.

Kalmi vada is the dish to order. It is a dark brown, flat fritter, similar to a pakora, made from chana dal, gram flour, coriander and spices. The dough is shaped, cut into small pieces and fried until crisp. It can be eaten plain with coriander chutney, or as kalmi vada chaat, where the pieces are topped with curd, saunth (dry ginger and tamarind chutney) and masala. The dish is dry, crunchy and tangy, with a texture closer to a crisp snack than to a soft vada.

The rest of the menu runs through the standard chaat range. Dahi bhalle and papdi chaat are on offer, and the golgappas come with different stuffings and a tangy, spicy water that regulars praise. Masaledaar pani pakodi is a lesser-known option worth trying if the stall is not too busy. A meal for two is listed at about ₹150, and the stall is open from 10 am to 11 pm.

For a different chaat format nearby, Hira Lal Chaat Corner on Gali Lohe Wali in Chawri Bazar makes kulle ki chaat: fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, pineapple or cucumber are hollowed out, filled with anardana, boiled potato and peas, and topped with chaat masala. Together the two make a good late-morning chaat walk from Chawri Bazar. Open in Google Maps.

10. Chaina Ram Sindhi Halwai: Karachi halwa near Fatehpuri Masjid

Chaina Ram Sindhi Halwai is on the ground floor at Fatehpuri Masjid, 6499 Katra Bariyan, at the western end of the main Chandni Chowk road. The family started the business in 1901 in Lahore's Anarkali Bazaar and moved to Fatehpuri after Partition in 1947. The shop is open every day from about 8 am to 8 pm, and a typical visit costs ₹150 to ₹500.

The Karachi halwa is the reason to go. It is chewy and translucent, made from cornflour, sugar and ghee, usually topped with cashews and pistachios, and it is less sweet than many versions. The cut squares keep their shape but give way softly when you bite. A small box makes a good gift to take home.

The counter holds much more than Karachi halwa. Sohan halwa, badam halwa, gajar halwa and moong dal halwa sit alongside ghewar, sev badam, pinni, kaju barfi, patisa, kalajam and gulab jamun. In winter the shop is popular for kala gajar halwa, a black-carrot halwa served hot, and in the ghewar season it sells malai ghewar, a honeycomb disc layered with cream and nuts, which has been priced at about ₹980 per kilo. The shop also serves samosas, kachori, paneer pakoda and poori sabzi for a savoury start.

The shop is at Fatehpuri Masjid, and the two lassi shops and Giani's are within a short walk. Treat the stop as the end of the main road trail: sweets here, then a lassi or a falooda across the gateway. Chandni Chowk and Chawri Bazar are the nearest metro stations. Open in Google Maps.

11. Ghantewala: the 1790 sweet shop is open again

Ghantewala is one of the oldest names in Old Delhi's sweet trade. It opened in 1790 in Chandni Chowk, founded by Lala Sukh Lal Jain, who moved from Rajasthan to Delhi in the late eighteenth century. According to the local legend, the shop took its name from the bell-ringer at Red Fort, a regular customer who came to be known as the ghantawala. Its clientele over the years included the Mughal royal family, British officials and leaders after Independence, and it exported sweets abroad before 1991.

The shop closed in 2015 because of changing regulations and times, and it reopened on 16 August 2024 under Sushant Jain and his son Aryan Jain. The reopened shop is at Maliwara Tiraha Bazar, Katra Shah N Shah, Chandni Chowk, and it keeps the original focus: sweets made in pure desi ghee.

Sohan halwa is the signature, slow-cooked in desi ghee with khoya and nuts until it turns dense and chewy. Karachi halwa, laddoos, khoya sweets, kaju katli and fried kaju sit alongside it, and the shop sells savouries such as dal moth. Sohan halwa is intensely sweet and rich, so a small piece with tea is the right serving.

Opening hours are listed as 8 am to 8 pm in one report and 9 am to 9 pm, Monday to Saturday, in another, so confirm on the day. The shop sits on the main road trail between the jalebi corner and Fatehpuri, so you can pick up a box of sohan halwa on the way. Chandni Chowk metro station is the nearest. Open in Google Maps.

12. Hazari Lal Jain Khurchan Wale: a rare sweet in Kinari Bazaar

Hazari Lal Jain Khurchan Wale is in the narrow streets of Kinari Bazaar, at 2225 Kinari Bazar, Dharam Pura. The shop is run by the third generation of the family and is one of the few places in Delhi that has kept the khurchan tradition alive. The nearest metro stations are Chandni Chowk on the Yellow Line and Lal Quila on the Violet Line.

Khurchan means scraped leftovers, and the sweet is built from milk. Delhi Tourism describes it as having a crisp exterior with rich syrup that oozes out with each bite. It is rich and sweet, so a small portion is enough, and it is worth ordering fresh at the counter. The shop also sells rabri, malai laddu and ghee barfi, all milk-based and heavy, so one or two pieces at a time is enough.

The shop is open Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 9 pm, and on Sunday from 8 am to 2 pm. Sunday hours are shorter, so plan a morning visit if you come at the weekend. The lane is narrow and crowded, so carry a small bag, and take your time over the walk from the main road.

Kinari Bazaar is the wedding-trimmings market that runs off the main road, and the street has a food life of its own: fresh kachoris at the corner, and in winter Daulat ki Chaat on wooden carts. A cream-stuffed khurchan paratha also appears in Gali Paranthe Wali, but this shop is the place to try the sweet itself. Open in Google Maps.

13. Kuremal Mohan Lal and Duli Chand: kulfi in Kucha Pati Ram

Kuremal Mohanlal Kulfi sits in Kucha Pati Ram, off Bazar Sita Ram, in the Chawri Bazar area, tucked among old havelis, and its story begins with a farmer from Jhajjar in Haryana. Kirorimal Mohanlal began selling kulfi in Delhi at the age of 11, and his friends jokingly called him Kuremal. The first outlet opened in Chawri Bazar in 1940, and the brand has since grown to 55 flavours, including kesar pista, matka kulfi, kewda, paan and tamarind.

The dish to order is fruit kulfi. The seed is removed from a mango, orange, apple or pomegranate, and the pulp is mixed with kesar pista kulfi and packed back into the fruit's own peel. The fruit is sealed with wheat dough, rested in a matka for three to four hours, then sliced and served. Each slice shows a layer of fruit, a layer of kulfi and a cool, dense centre. Prices run from ₹80 to ₹250.

Duli Chand Kulfiwale stands directly opposite Kuremal. Its specialty is the classic kesar pista kulfi, served in a tiny matka handi and priced at about ₹50, and it keeps firm and cold until the last spoonful. The stuffed-mango kulfi is the novelty, while Duli Chand's kesar pista is the more traditional dessert, so ordering one of each across the lane gives a fair comparison.

Kulfi works best in the afternoon and evening, when the streets are warm and the shops are busy. The lane is easy to miss: from Chawri Bazar station take Gate 3, cross the street, go down the Sita Ram Bazar lane and take the second right into Kucha Pati Ram, an alley marked by a big fruit stall. The stop fits the evening trail between Kinari Bazaar and Matia Mahal. Open in Google Maps.

14. Karim's and Al Jawahar: the Gate 1 pair for Mughlai

Karim's and Al Jawahar stand side by side near Gate 1 of Jama Masjid, and between them they define Old Delhi's Mughlai table. Karim's is at 16, Gali Kababian. Its founder, Haji Karimuddin, came from a family tied to the Mughal royal kitchen. He returned to Delhi in 1911 for the Delhi Durbar and opened a small dhaba serving two dishes, aloo gosht and daal with rumali roti, then established the flagship in Gali Kababian in 1913, aiming to serve royal food to the common man.

Today Karim's is known for mutton korma, seekh kebabs, chicken jangari, burra, biryani and nihari, served with rumali roti and sheermal, with kheer as the traditional finish. The restaurant runs from about 9 am to 12:30 am, and a meal for two was listed at around ₹850. Tandoori bakra is made to order and needs 24 hours' notice.

Al Jawahar is opposite Gate 1 of Jama Masjid on Matia Mahal Road, in shop number 8, and it is known for mutton korma, aloo gosht, chicken changezi, butter chicken and tandoori roti. It opens early, around 7 am, so it works for a Mughlai breakfast of nihari and paya, slow-cooked overnight, as well as for dinner. Hours run to about midnight.

The two restaurants are close enough to compare in one visit: order the mutton korma at each and decide for yourself. The nihari at both is made with mutton, and Al Jawahar has long been considered the better breakfast choice. The nearest metro station is Chawri Bazar on the Yellow Line, with Jama Masjid station on the Violet Line also close, and the evening trail ends here. Open in Google Maps.

15. Aslam Chicken Corner: butter chicken in Matia Mahal

Aslam Chicken Corner is on Bazar Matia Mahal, at number 540, near the main gates of Jama Masjid, and it is the place most associated with butter chicken in the Walled City. Its version has been popular with the area's chicken lovers for about eighteen years. The shop opens in the evening: listings give 4 pm or 5 pm as the start and close after midnight, around 12:30 am to 1 am.

The preparation is dramatic and worth watching. Chicken pieces are marinated in a closely guarded spice blend and cooked tandoor-style. At a separate chulha, large blocks of butter are melted and mixed with a curd-like ingredient, and that mixture is poured generously over the chicken. The butter softens the meat and the curd adds tang. The dish is served in a steel container with rumali roti, and the portion is large enough for four people. A meal for two is listed at about ₹500.

Chicken seekh kebabs and fish tikka are also on the menu. If you come with a group, order one butter chicken and an extra rumali roti per person, and share a plate of kebabs on the side.

Matia Mahal has plenty of neighbours. Haji Mohd. Hussain at 113 Bazar Matia Mahal, a shop of some 45 years, sells fried chicken with onion salad, lemon and green chutney. Abdul Ghani Qureshi Kabab Corner near Jama Masjid, run by the Qureshi brothers for more than 70 years, serves kebabs rolled in rumali roti from 5 pm. Cool Point at 973 serves shahi tukda in a clay pot and phirni for dessert, and Kallan Sweets, started in 1939, is known for paneer ki jalebi and khoya samosa. Bilal Hotel serves nihari with khameeri roti in the morning, and Haji Shabrati Nihari Wale has served nihari near Jama Masjid since 1957. Chawri Bazar and Jama Masjid metro stations are the closest. Open in Google Maps.

More stops worth a detour

Khan Omelette Corner, in Katra Bariyan near Fatehpuri Masjid with Chawri Bazar the nearest station, is open daily from 6 pm to midnight and serves more than 25 egg preparations. Order the cheese masala omelette, made with butter and finished with green chilli, coriander and chaat masala. Kake Di Hatti is known for very large naans served with dal makhani, butter paneer masala, onion and green chillies, and is listed at about ₹200 to ₹400 for a meal, open from around 8 am to 1 am.

Winter special: Daulat ki Chaat

Daulat ki Chaat is the most delicate dessert in Old Delhi and the reason many people plan a winter visit. Vendors whisk buffalo milk and cream, with nothing added, not even sugar, and the froth forms after about three hours. Before serving it is topped with saffron, pistachio and edible silver foil, then dusted with unrefined sugar and roasted khoya, and customers can ask for no sugar. The dessert is eaten with a wooden spoon. It feels like licking butter at first, then melts away and leaves flavours of pistachio, saffron and khoya, and the next spoonful has to follow quickly because the taste fades fast.

Vendors sell it from wooden carts or three-legged stands called tarona, mainly in Chandni Chowk, Kinari Bazaar and Chawri Bazar, and Kinari Bazaar is the street most often recommended for the best version. The season runs roughly from Diwali to Holi, because heat collapses the foam. Local legend says it could only be prepared on chilly moonlit nights, and origin stories trace it to Afghanistan, to Gujarati traders and to Lucknow. Khemchand Chaat Wala is a staple name for it. Pair it with kala gajar halwa at Chaina Ram and shakarkandi chaat at Bishan Swaroop for a complete winter walk.

Drinks and desserts to cool down

Giani's rabri falooda. Giani Gurcharan Singh moved from Lyallpur, now in Pakistan, to Fatehpuri as a Partition refugee and opened a small shop selling rabri falooda, gajar halwa and moong dal halwa around 1951 to 1952. Customers called it Giani Di Hatti, and the business was registered in 1956. The rabri falooda recipe has been kept unchanged, and the shop is open from about 8:30 am to 10 pm. Expect to spend ₹100 to ₹600, depending on whether you add fruit cream or ice cream.

Lassi at Fatehpuri. Two lassi shops stand across the red gateway of Fatehpuri Masjid. Meghraj, in business since 1900, serves a plain lassi of yoghurt and sugar so thick with malai that it is eaten with a spoon. Amritsari Lassiwalla, dating to around 1974, offers mango, rose, banana, saffron and cumin lassi, often garnished with chopped almonds.

Shikanji and banta. Ved Prakash's stall in Chandni Chowk is known for shikanji, a salted lemonade. Shikanji stalls typically freeze the lemonade in a jar packed in salted crushed ice, then crush the ice, add masala powder and squeeze in a lemon. Banta is the marble-stoppered lemon soda that Delhi calls its local drink. A glass marble seals the bottle, pressing it open releases the gas, and vendors often add lemon juice, crushed ice or black salt. It is especially popular in April and May and typically costs ₹5 to ₹30.

Watermelon sharbat. In summer, Nawab Qureshi's stall near 1149 Matia Mahal sells a cooling mix of milk, Rooh Afza syrup and watermelon cubes over ice, listed at ₹10 to ₹30 a glass.

Why Old Delhi chaat tastes different

Many traditional halwai shops in Old Delhi avoid onion and garlic, and bedmi puri is made without either. The flavour comes from other sources: amchur (dry mango powder) on the chole at Lotan, saunth (dry ginger and tamarind chutney) on the kalmi vada chaat at Ashok, roasted cumin, black pepper and tamarind at Natraj, and roasted cinnamon in the fruit chaat at Bishan Swaroop. The result is chaat that is tangy, peppery and warm rather than raw and sharp, and that balance gives the chaat its character.

Eat beside the landmarks

Many of the best stops sit next to historic buildings. Jalebi is eaten next to Sis Ganj Sahib Gurudwara, one of the best places to visit in Delhi. Falooda and lassi go with the red-sandstone Fatehpuri Masjid, a 17th-century mosque at the western end of the main road. Khurchan and winter Daulat ki Chaat suit Kinari Bazaar, where the painted havelis of Naughara stand. Kebabs and korma face Gate 1 of Jama Masjid.

Three self-guided food walks in Chandni Chowk

Breakfast trail: Chawri Bazar (7 am to 11 am)

1. Start at Chawri Bazar metro station and eat kalmi vada chaat at Ashok Chaat Corner outside the exit.
2. Have chole kulche at Lotan from about 7:30 am.
3. Order bedmi puri and nagori halwa at Shyam Sweets, 112 Chawri Bazar Road.
4. Walk toward Jama Masjid Gate 1 for nihari and paya at Al Jawahar, which opens around 7 am.

Main road trail: Chandni Chowk (10 am to 2 pm)

1. Start at Chandni Chowk metro station and walk east to Natraj for dahi bhalla and aloo tikki.
2. Cross to Gali Paranthe Wali and share one deep-fried paratha.
3. Walk to the Dariba Kalan corner, near Sis Ganj Gurudwara, for hot jalebi.
4. Eat fruit chaat at Bishan Swaroop (open from noon) and kachori at Jung Bahadur Kachori Wala.
5. Continue to Ghantewala at Maliwara Tiraha for sohan halwa.
6. Finish at Fatehpuri: Karachi halwa at Chaina Ram, lassi across the mosque gateway, and rabri falooda at Giani's.

Evening trail: Kinari Bazaar to Matia Mahal (4 pm to 9:30 pm)

1. Start in Kinari Bazaar with khurchan at Hazari Lal Jain (open until 9 pm), or Daulat ki Chaat on a winter cart.
2. Walk toward Chawri Bazar for fruit kulfi at Kuremal and kesar pista kulfi at Duli Chand.
3. Continue to Matia Mahal and share butter chicken at Aslam Chicken Corner.
4. Finish with mutton korma and kebabs at Karim's or Al Jawahar, then return by metro from Jama Masjid or Chawri Bazar.

Chandni Chowk street food at a glance

Spot	Must-try dish	Landmark	Hours or best time	Nearest metro	Map
Natraj Dahi Bhalla	Dahi bhalla, aloo tikki	Opposite Gali Paranthe Wali, near Bhai Mati Das Chowk	Late morning to evening	Chandni Chowk (Yellow)	View
Old Famous Jalebi Wala	Hot jalebi with rabri	Dariba Kalan corner, near Sis Ganj Gurudwara	8 am to 10 pm	Chandni Chowk (Yellow)	View
Gali Paranthe Wali	Deep-fried stuffed parathas, sweet lassi	Opposite Natraj, off the main road	About 7 am to 11 pm	Chandni Chowk (Yellow)	View
Shyam Sweets	Bedmi puri, nagori halwa	112 Chawri Bazar Road, Manohar Market	8 am to 9:30 pm	Chawri Bazar (Yellow)	View
Lotan Chole Kulche	Chole kulche	Chawri Bazar lanes	From about 7:30 am	Chawri Bazar (Yellow)	View
Manohar Japani Samose Wala	Layered Japani samosa with Pindi chole	Shop 38/40, opposite Moti Cinema, Diwan Hall Road	Daytime	Lal Quila (Violet), Gate 1	View
Jung Bahadur Kachori Wala	Urad dal kachori, aloo sabzi	1104 Chhatta Madan Gopal	10:30 am to 7:30 pm (closed Sunday)	Chandni Chowk (Yellow)	View
Bishan Swaroop Chaat Corner	Fruit chaat, chote aloo ki chaat	1421 Chandni Chowk	Noon to 8 pm	Chandni Chowk (Yellow)	View
Ashok Chaat Corner	Kalmi vada chaat, golgappa	Outside Chawri Bazar metro exit, Hauz Qazi Chowk	10 am to 11 pm	Chawri Bazar (Yellow)	View
Chaina Ram Sindhi Halwai	Karachi halwa, ghewar	Fatehpuri Masjid, Katra Bariyan	8 am to 8 pm	Chandni Chowk or Chawri Bazar (Yellow)	View
Ghantewala	Sohan halwa	Maliwara Tiraha Bazar, Katra Shah N Shah	About 8 am to 8 pm	Chandni Chowk (Yellow)	View
Hazari Lal Jain Khurchan Wale	Khurchan, rabri	2225 Kinari Bazar	8 am to 9 pm (Sunday to 2 pm)	Chandni Chowk (Yellow) or Lal Quila (Violet)	View
Kuremal and Duli Chand	Stuffed-fruit kulfi, kesar pista kulfi	Kucha Pati Ram, off Bazar Sita Ram	Afternoon and evening	Chawri Bazar (Yellow)	View
Karim's and Al Jawahar	Mutton korma, kebabs, nihari	Gali Kababian; opposite Jama Masjid Gate 1	Al Jawahar from 7 am; Karim's 9 am to 12:30 am	Chawri Bazar (Yellow) or Jama Masjid (Violet)	View
Aslam Chicken Corner	Butter chicken with rumali roti	540 Bazar Matia Mahal	Evening, from about 4 to 5 pm	Chawri Bazar (Yellow) or Jama Masjid (Violet)	View
Daulat ki Chaat (seasonal)	Whipped milk-foam dessert	Carts in Chandni Chowk, Kinari Bazaar, Chawri Bazar	Winter, roughly Diwali to Holi	Chandni Chowk (Yellow)	Seasonal carts
Giani's (Giani Di Hatti)	Rabri falooda, gajar halwa	Fatehpuri	8:30 am to 10 pm	Chandni Chowk or Chawri Bazar (Yellow)	View

How much does a Chandni Chowk food crawl cost?

These estimates are built from the listed per-stop price ranges, and prices at individual stalls change.

Crawl	What it covers	Per person
Light	Natraj, jalebi, kulfi, lassi	₹300 to ₹600
Medium	Add parathas, kachori and a chaat stop	₹900 to ₹1,600
Full day	Add halwa, khurchan and a shared Mughlai meal at Karim's or Aslam	₹1,800 to ₹3,000

For reference, Natraj runs about ₹50 to ₹200 per person, Old Famous Jalebi Wala ₹100 to ₹200, Gali Paranthe Wali ₹200 to ₹400, Jung Bahadur and Lotan ₹50 to ₹200, Chaina Ram ₹150 to ₹500, Giani's ₹100 to ₹600 and Kuremal ₹80 to ₹250. A butter chicken meal for two at Aslam was listed at about ₹500, and a meal for two at Karim's at about ₹850.

Guided food walks

Delhi Walks' Old Delhi Food Affair costs ₹4,000 per person for a guided walk of about two hours that meets at Chandni Chowk metro Gate 5 and begins with a paratha breakfast in Gali Paranthe Wali, with stops that include the jalebi shop and Ghantewala. A free walking tour is also listed on GuruWalk. A guide helps with stories and shop selection, but the self-guided trails above cover the same stops for the price of the food.

Practical tips for eating in Chandni Chowk

Hygiene. Choose stalls with a crowd, because high turnover means the oil is fresh and the food has not been sitting. Carry bottled water and avoid drinks made with tap water or loose ice. If your stomach is sensitive, start with fried and sweet items such as jalebi and parathas, and add yoghurt-based and spicy chaat after you have settled in.

Cash. Carry small notes. Smaller stalls often prefer cash, and a few hundred rupees in ₹10, ₹20 and ₹50 notes makes ordering at crowded counters quicker.

Rickshaws and walking. Cycle rickshaws are the way to cover the longer gaps, such as Fatehpuri to Matia Mahal. Name your destination, agree the fare before you board and do not hand the choice of stop to the driver. The pedestrianised main road is easy to walk, and the side lanes are best on foot.

Bags and crowds. Large backpacks make narrow lanes such as Kinari Bazaar and Katra Neel difficult. A light crossbody bag keeps your hands free, and valuables belong in a front pocket in the crowds.

Diet. Many traditional sweet and kachori shops cook without onion and garlic. Jain diets also exclude root vegetables such as potato, so ask each stall about ingredients, and choose sweets, plain kachoris and fruit chaat.

Shoes and timing. Wear comfortable shoes for the uneven lanes, and share plates so you can reach more stops. Confirm closing times on the day, since hours shift with season and festivals. Popular shops can have queues of an hour in the evening, so arrive in the afternoon if time is short. At night, stay alert and politely decline strangers offering to guide you.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best street food in Chandni Chowk?

The classics are dahi bhalla at Natraj, hot jalebi at Old Famous Jalebi Wala, deep-fried parathas in Gali Paranthe Wali, bedmi puri and nagori halwa at Shyam Sweets, kachori, kalmi vada chaat, Karachi halwa, stuffed-mango kulfi, and Mughlai korma and butter chicken around Jama Masjid.

Which metro station is closest to Chandni Chowk street food?

Chandni Chowk station on the Yellow Line is closest for Natraj, Gali Paranthe Wali and the jalebi shop. Chawri Bazar (Yellow Line) suits Shyam Sweets, Lotan, Karim's and Matia Mahal. Lal Quila and Jama Masjid stations on the Violet Line serve the Red Fort end and the Jama Masjid side.

Is Chandni Chowk street food safe for tourists?

Most visitors eat well here by choosing busy stalls with fast turnover, where food is cooked fresh and served hot. Drink bottled water, skip drinks made with tap water, start with fried and sweet items, and add spicy chaat gradually if your stomach is sensitive.

Can vehicles enter Chandni Chowk main road?

A government notification bars motor vehicles from the main Chandni Chowk road between Red Fort and Fatehpuri Mosque from 9 am to 9 pm every day, with exceptions for emergencies. During those hours you walk or take a cycle rickshaw, so plan your food route on foot.

What is Natraj Dahi Bhalla famous for?

Natraj is a corner stall at 1396 Main Road, near Bhai Mati Das Chowk, serving since 1940. It sells only two items: soft dahi bhalle topped with yoghurt, tamarind dressing and pomegranate seeds, and crisp aloo tikki. It is about 200 metres from Chandni Chowk metro station.

Where can I eat non-veg food near Jama Masjid?

The Matia Mahal lane leading to Jama Masjid Gate 1 holds the best-known options: Karim's for mutton korma and kebabs, Al Jawahar next door for korma and butter chicken, Aslam Chicken Corner for butter chicken, and Haji Mohd. Hussain for fried chicken with rumali roti.

What is the best time to eat in Chandni Chowk?

Breakfast dishes such as bedmi puri, chole kulche and parathas are best from 7 am to 11 am. Chaat, kachori and sweets suit late morning to early evening, since most stalls run from about 10 am to 8 pm. Visit Matia Mahal after 5 pm for butter chicken and kebabs.

What should I eat in Chandni Chowk in winter?

Look for Daulat ki Chaat, a whipped milk-foam dessert sold from carts roughly from Diwali to Holi and topped with saffron, pistachio and khoya. Winter is also the season for gajar halwa, shakarkandi chaat, hot jalebi and deep-fried parathas from the old shops.

Which are the famous paratha shops in Gali Paranthe Wali?

The best-known shops are Pt Kanhaiyalal Durgaprasad Dixit (1875), Pt Dayanand Shivcharan (1882) and Pt Baburam Devidayal (1886). The lane has carried its present name since 1911. The parathas are deep-fried in ghee and stuffed with peas, cauliflower, cashew, almond, khoya or rabri.

Is Chandni Chowk open on Sundays?

The main Chandni Chowk market is closed on Sundays, and a few individual shops also take Monday off. Retail lanes such as Kinari Bazaar, Dariba Kalan and Nai Sarak shut on Sundays, so confirm that your chosen food stop is open before planning a Sunday visit.

How much does an Old Delhi food walk cost?

Delhi Walks' Old Delhi Food Affair costs ₹4,000 per person for a guided walk of about two hours that meets at Chandni Chowk metro Gate 5 and begins with a paratha breakfast in Gali Paranthe Wali. A free walking tour is also listed on GuruWalk.

Is Chandni Chowk food suitable for Jain or no-onion-no-garlic diets?

Many traditional sweet and kachori shops cook without onion and garlic, and bedmi puri is made without them. Jain diets also exclude root vegetables such as potato, so ask each stall about ingredients before you order, and choose sweets, plain kachoris and fruit chaat.

Opening hours and prices change with season and festivals, so confirm timings on the day you visit.