The best luxury restaurant in New Delhi in 2026 is Bukhara at the ITC Maurya, which has served North-West Frontier tandoor cooking since 1977. This list covers 10 luxury and fine-dining restaurants in New Delhi, ranked on our judgment of heritage, cooking and how much the restaurant defines the city. We rebuilt it because the Delhi scene has changed: Indian Accent moved to The Lodhi, its founding chef left in 2024, and he opened Nisaba in January 2026. We quote no prices because the figures we found were undated or from different years.
The 10 best luxury restaurants in New Delhi at a glance
| Rank | Restaurant | Where | Known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bukhara | ITC Maurya | Tandoor kebabs and Dal Bukhara since 1977 |
| 2 | Indian Accent | The Lodhi | Modern Indian tasting menus |
| 3 | Dum Pukht | ITC Maurya | Slow-cooked royal Mughal dishes |
| 4 | Nisaba | Humayun’s Tomb Museum Complex | New in January 2026 |
| 5 | Moti Mahal Delux | Daryaganj | Birthplace of butter chicken |
| 6 | Varq | Taj Mahal Hotel | Modern takes on Indian classics |
| 7 | Spice Route | The Imperial | Pan-Asian dining |
| 8 | Dakshin | ITC Maurya | South Indian regional cooking |
| 9 | Aqua | The Park | Poolside dining and bar |
| 10 | Punjabi by Nature | Multiple locations | Punjabi classics |
1. Bukhara
Bukhara is a restaurant at The Luxury Collection ITC Maurya, established in 1977. It cooks in a clay tandoor with a focus on kebabs served without cutlery.
Signature dishes include the Sikandari Raan (marinated whole leg of spring lamb), the Murgh Malai Kebab and the Dal Bukhara, a creamy black lentil dish. Guests have included Bill Clinton, Vladimir Putin and Sachin Tendulkar, and the 2009 visit of Hillary Clinton led to a Hillary Platter on the menu.
How we valued it: heritage and a menu that has stayed essentially unchanged for about 30 years. Prices are not quoted.
2. Indian Accent
Indian Accent opened in 2009 at The Manor hotel and moved to The Lodhi in 2017. It was on the World’s 50 Best list from 2015 to 2023 and named Best Restaurant in India on the Asia’s 50 Best list from 2015 to 2022.
Our first version credited chef Manish Mehrotra, but he parted ways with the restaurant in 2024. Check the current team before you book.
How we valued it: its years on global ranking lists. Tasting menu prices in the sources we found ranged from about Rs 3,500 to Rs 5,000 per person before tax, from different years, so confirm today’s price.
3. Dum Pukht
Dum Pukht serves food inspired by the Mughal kitchens and based on dum pukht, an Indo-Persian technique in which meat and vegetables cook over a low flame in dough-sealed containers. The method is traditionally traced to the reign of Nawab Asaf-ud-Daulah of Awadh (1748 to 1797).
The old article called it the best restaurant in India in a list; we dropped that award because it is out of date.
How we valued it: a technique and a dining room with a clear identity. Prices are not quoted.
4. Nisaba
Nisaba is the first independent restaurant of chef Manish Mehrotra, opened in January 2026 inside the Humayun’s Tomb Museum Complex. Amit Khanna and Binny Bansal are his partners.
The restaurant is new to this list, and its menu and prices are unchecked.
How we valued it: the chef's record and a reported opening in January 2026.
5. Moti Mahal Delux
Moti Mahal opened in 1947 in Daryaganj, Old Delhi, founded by Kundan Lal Gujral, Kundan Lal Jaggi and Thakur Das Magu after they fled Peshawar at partition. The three are credited with inventing butter chicken, paneer makhani and dal makhani, and with the modern tandoori chicken.
How we valued it: history as one of the first restaurants to bring North Indian cuisine to the wider world. It is not a luxury restaurant on price, but it is essential on heritage.
6. Varq
Varq, at the Taj Mahal Hotel, was described in our first version as giving traditional Indian cooking a contemporary twist, with dishes such as ganderi chicken kebabs skewered on sugar cane and atta raan, a roast leg of lamb in a saffron dough shell.
The current menu and chef are unchecked, so treat these dishes as examples from the earlier write-up.
7. Spice Route
The Imperial opened in 1936 on Janpath as New Delhi’s first grand hotel and is owned by the Akoi family. Spice Route has been its pan-Asian restaurant, designed around the spice trade from Kerala to Vietnam.
Whether the restaurant is operating today is unchecked, so confirm before you book.
8. Dakshin
Dakshin serves South Indian regional dishes such as dosa, idli, Kerala paratha and Mangalorean chicken ghassi. The old article wrongly said it was started in Kirkland, which is not true of the Delhi restaurant, and we have corrected that.
The current menu is unchecked, so treat the dishes as examples.
9. Aqua
Aqua is a poolside restaurant and bar at The Park in Connaught Place, designed as a white outdoor space around a blue pool.
The current menu is unchecked, and the old Times Night Out Guide award mention has been dropped.
10. Punjabi by Nature
Punjabi by Nature is known for traditional Punjabi food such as raan-e-Punjab, a slow-roasted lamb leg, and for vodka-filled golgappas.
The restaurant has expanded across Delhi, so the exact dining room we described may have changed.
Dropped from the original list
One entry could not be confirmed.
- Tres, Lodhi Colony: the new European restaurant by Jatin Malik is not verifiable in 2026, so we dropped it.
- Time Out and S. Pellegrino awards for Indian Accent and Dum Pukht: out of date, and the Best Restaurant in India title for Indian Accent is documented only through 2022.
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FAQ
What is the best luxury restaurant in New Delhi?
On our ranking it is Bukhara at the ITC Maurya, which opened in 1977 and is known for tandoor kebabs and Dal Bukhara.
Where is Indian Accent now?
Indian Accent is at The Lodhi hotel in New Delhi, where it moved in 2017 from The Manor. Its founding chef, Manish Mehrotra, left in 2024.
What is Nisaba?
Nisaba is chef Manish Mehrotra’s first independent restaurant, opened in January 2026 in the Humayun’s Tomb Museum Complex in Delhi.
Who invented butter chicken?
Moti Mahal in Daryaganj, founded in 1947, is credited with inventing butter chicken, dal makhani and paneer makhani.
How much does a luxury meal in Delhi cost?
Prices vary widely, and we found only undated figures, such as about Rs 3,500 to Rs 5,000 per person for Indian Accent tasting menus. Check each restaurant for current prices.
How we put this list together
We checked each restaurant’s history, location and chef using public records and reporting, and we removed awards and claims we could not confirm. The order is our judgment of heritage, cooking and influence on Delhi dining.
Last updated: October 2026.
