4 Best Restaurants in Delhi, India

Translated into "South," Dakshin serves a delicious array of cuisine from the southern Indian states. Start with rasam, a traditional South Indian soup with tamarind and tomatoes, and papadams with a range of chutneys; then go on to enjoy a wide variety of coastal Indian food, including seafood curries, spicy prawns, and Chettinad chicken. Appams and Malabar parottas are perfectly made to mop up the flavorful masalas.

This dark, soothing restaurant, with South Indian decor and gold-embossed paintings designed by artisans from the Tamil Nadu town of Thanjavur, specializes in Udupi food, a vegetarian cuisine from a town near Mangalore. South Indian staples like uthappams and idlis are served in traditional style, on a banana leaf.

This no-frills vegetarian family joint bustles nonstop, serving up South Indian dishes like crispy dosas (rice-batter crepes) and fluffy idlis (rice cakes) with fresh coconut chutney and hot sambar (lentil soup). A long-standing favorite since the '80s, this neighborhood market delivers quick service and attracts a steady stream of locals looking for a pocket-friendly bite.

Delhi's original Mangalorean restaurant—specializing in seafood from the western coast between Goa and Kerala—is outstanding for seafood served in prim, softly lit dining rooms with good service. Choose your sauce, then decide between fish, prawns, or crab, and mop up your food with appam or neer dosa, soft South Indian rice breads.