Restaurants
 

We are four women traveling to india for the first time next February. I would love to get recommendations for eating - we will be in Delhi, Agra, Varanasi, uidapur jaipur and kochi. We love to eat but are not very familiar with Indian food (which I hope to correct over the next few months). We are looking for good to excellent food and great atmosphere. Ok we want it all. Thanks everyone.

amylin: In reading this I had to make sure I did not post this because this is the exact same trip I am taking with three other women in February When are you going?

Delhi - Dum Pukht at the ITC Maurya, Moets in Defence Colony
Agra - Mughal Room at the Clarks Shiraz, Taj Bano at the ITC Mughal
Jaipur - Perhawri at the ITC Rajputana, Niro's
Kochi - The River Boat restaurant at the Vivanta Taj Malabar Kochi

Oops, I meant the *Rice* Boat at the Vivanta Taj Malabar Kochi

Niro's for sure in Jaipur-- we ate there several times

Enjoyed Ambrai (reserve in advance), lovely atmosphere on the lake and good food. Avoid restaurants at the Oberoi Udaivilas, worst food we had in India by far and very very expensive.

Indian food is very varied and unfortunately difficult to find in its true form. What you will experience mostly is 'restauranty' food.

Delhi is a good place to try a range of Indian cuisine. If you are experimental and take risks with your tummy, visit these places for lunch. Avoid dinners here as these are local places and not really upmarket restaurants.

Delhi:
Try an Indian vegetarian meal at Babbu Da Dhaba at Naoroji Nagar Market.
Try a Mughal meal at Kareem's near Jama Masjid
Try a Naga Thali (a set meal from the north Easter state of Nagaland) at Delhi Haat near Safdarjung
Try Momos at Chankyapuri
Go for a lazy afternoon of shopping at Anokhi and trying the kebab rolls at Khan Market and then chill with book browsing and tea with apple cinnamon cake at Cafe Turtle

Agra will be good for Mughal food and Benaras, try the local cuisine. Not too sure of local places here.

Udaipur
Try Laal Maas (Red meat, lamb cooked with dried red chillies) and syed Maas (Lamba cooked with light coloured spices), Ker Sangri (local desert beans), call for Dal Bati Choorma (lentils, oven baked dough balls and a sweet dry thingy made of flour, sugar and clarified butter). You could try these at Ambrai Restaurant near Lake Pichola.

Jaipur
The cuisine is similar to Udaipur but look for Pyaaz Kachori and Lassi for breakfast, Rajasthani Thali for lunch.

Kochi
This is in Kerala, the cuisine is entirely different. Look for Puttu with Vegetable Stew for breakfast, also try idlis, for breakfast. You can try idi appams, appams, gill appams with various kinds of local fish, lamb or beef curries. You must also have. a vegetarian set meal, served on a banana leaf.