As we were flying in and out of Delhi. The Indian capital city became our home base while we went to and from Hisar, Udaipur and Agra.
Dating back to the 1600s, this capital of India is rich in history and culture. There are tons of great things to do from exploring the many temples and tombs all around, to shopping at one of the many local markets.
When travelling, my preference always is to visit places recommended by someone who has lived or is currently living there. One gets a more intimate and personal view of the city. Also, it’s great to visit some of their favourite hang out spots or hidden gems, rather than just checking out the touristy spots.
During our stay, not only were we lucky enough to have our new brother in law to show us around. Our trip also just happened to coincide with a couple of friends back home, who were originally from Delhi.
So we were super excited to have our friends and brother in law show us their favourite hangouts and things to do around the city. Here are the top 10 non touristy places that we were taken to during our trip to Delhi.
Lodhi Art District
The Lodhi Art District is located on the grounds of the Lodhi colony, the last housing estate built by the British. In 2015, these government housing buildings were part of a 2 month initiative by St+art Foundation.
50 famous street artists from around the world were invited to paint giant murals on all the buildings in the colony.
This is a great place to walk around and get lost. We spent about an hour here and were able to see 16 of the 50 murals. You would probably need at least 2 hours, to see all 50 as the buildings are spread out over several blocks.
India Habitat Centre
The India Habitat Centre started in 1993, as office space for the Housing and Urban Development Corporation, then was expanded to include space for several nonprofits, that shared their interests in habitat.
The project was then changed into a large urban project that included large open spaces inside and out, that allow the shared tenants of the building places to hold meetings and exhibitions.
The IHC contains not only office space, but art galleries, hotels and restaurants. During our visit, there was an exhibit dedicated to the Dali Lama and his recent visit to India.
Dilli Haat
An open-air market and bazaar run by Delhi Tourism. Built on salvaged land, Dilli Haat has about 60 small stalls built with thatched roofs to give the market a small village feel.
The vendors range from local arts and crafts to textiles to food and spices. Most vendors are rotated every 15 days.
During our visit there was a handloom and handicrafts exhibit, so all the vendors were selling scarves and crafts from across India.
Cafe Lota
Located inside the Crafts Museum, Cafe Lota was definitely one of our favourite meals of the trip.
Delhi is a city known for its creative fusion food. Not only an East meets West type fusion, but also a fusion of the diverse cuisines within India. Cafe Lota is a prime example of this.
The dishes combine dishes from the north, with spices and techniques from the south. All while using traditional and local grains for their rotis.
Pandara Market
Dating back to the 1940’s, this little enclave of a dozen or so restaurants is hidden on a small street off Pandara road. Previously a local hang out for the after bar crowd, Pandara market has become a popular destination for Punjabi and Mugali foods.
Our visit brought us to Gulati’s, one of the original tenants of the Pandara market since 1959. The menu is very extensive, with cuisines from all over northern India.
Not knowing what to order we probably ordered enough food for 8, split between 4.
With plenty of leftovers and stuffed bellies we headed over to Krishna Di Kulfi for the best dessert of the trip, I will explain later. Popular with many of the locals, Krishna Di Kulfi offers a wide array of desserts from kulfi to phirni to gulab jamun.
We opted for the falooda and ras malai; and even though our stomachs felt like they were going to explode, we still scarfed down them both no problem.
Which is why I think this was the best dessert of the trip. Parking is very limited and only on the street, so be prepared to hunt for a spot. Otherwise Uber to the market to avoid the hustle.
Chanakyapuri (Diplomatic Enclave area)
Created as one of the first major extensions to New Delhi, Chanakyapuri is the home to many of the world’s embassies.
In contrast to the rest of Delhi, its roads and roundabouts are wide and covered in lush greenery. The main central boulevard is appropriately named, Shanti Path or Peace road. The boulevard is flanked on both sides by wide park space on either side, giving the area an almost peaceful and serene feeling.
As well as being home to government buildings, international schools and embassies, Chanakyapuri is also where many of the oldest and finest hotels in Delhi are located.
On our final leg of our journey, we were fortunate enough to stay at the Claridges, one of the best. Also to start our night out, our friends took us to The Taj Palace hotel, where he had started his apprenticeship as a chef. Long before he had come to Canada and met us.
Haldiram’s
The largest snacks and sweets manufacturer in India. Haldiram’s also has retail stores all across India. These stores sell everything Haldiram’s from giant bags of Namkeen (salted snacks) to any type of Barfi you can image, to a full hot table of take away items.
There are even premade instant meals of many Indian staples like Dal Makani and Saag Paneer. Just throw into the microwave or warm up in a pot. There are tons of great snacks to try or gifts to bring back home.
FabIndia
Originally starting off as an exporter for furniture. FabIndia has become a one-stop destination for garments, fabrics, snacks, local crafts and of course furniture.
FabIndia tries to source all their items responsibly. A lot of their crafts are from smaller villages to encourage sustainable development and employment.
The store is beautifully decorated and a great place to pick up a souvenir or gift for someone back home
Al-kauser Mughalai Food
With a history that predates New Delhi itself, this place is a neighbourhood institution. Specializing in Mughalai food, Al-kauser serves the famous Galouti Kebab, fabled to be made for a king that had lost his teeth. The kebab is made from a mix of minced meat and papaya. The kebab is so tender, that you don’t need any teeth to eat it.
Located in a small shack, Al-kauser is more of a grab and go or eat in your car kind of place.
We had to eat our Galouti on a side ledge, due to the lack of seating and Ubering around town.
We did take home some dishes along with some Roomali Roti. A roti, so thin, it quite literally means handkerchief.
Indian Snacks
If eating street food seems too adventurous for your stomach. There are plenty of sealed manufactured snacks that are perfectly safe to eat. Scattered through the city are little snack huts or carts.
Snacks like Kurkure, Crax or Takatak are masala covered corn puff, just like Cheetos back home. Haldiram’s mentioned above has snacks ranging from basic potato chips like back home to spicy chickpea, dal or mixed nuts.
One of our favourites was Kesar Milk. Whole milk is infused with Saffron, creating a drink that is not only healthy for you but has a nice subtle sweetness, that’s so delicious.
