Food comes inexpensive and unelaborate in the lively market area of Paharganj , where the smell of pungent spices wafts from numerous eating places. You can guarantee finding some excellent wholly Indian joints, particularly in the alleys opposite the railway station, where channa batura stalls do a raging business trading on their celebrated reputation, despite the flies. Restaurants geared to tourists offer typically poor Western imitations and under-spiced "curries", but are popular hangouts, and good for a tame breakfast of toast, porridge, muesli or cereal if you can't stomach chillies too early. Many of the hotels in the centre of the main street have cafés serving light meals through the night. Look out too, for meat cuts hanging in shop fronts where you can choose a piece to be grilled or tandooried, and mobile stalls dishing out French fries seasoned with masala, salt, pepper and lemon juice, and served in a bowl made of dried leaves. Roadside juice stalls stock Mars bars, Snickers, Yoplait yoghurt, European cheeses, and all brands of international cigarettes. For great lassis, try the stalls on the corner of Main Bazaar and Chuna Mandi. Eating options in Ram Nagar are more limited, with simple cafés and run-of-the mill restaurants.

 

Appetite , Hotel Vishal , 1600 Main Bazaar. Popular travellers' restaurant serving pizzas in addition to the usual Indo-Western food. Cable TV is switched on during international sports matches.

Diamond Café , opposite Hotel Vivek . Small and simple café-cum-restaurant; good for snacks, breakfast and street-watching.

Golden Café , opposite Sri Mahavir Mandir. Cheap and cheerful Chinese and Indian fare in cramped surroundings.

Hare Krishna , Main Bazaar. Pleasant rooftop restaurant in the hotel of the same name. Passable Italian and Thai dishes supplement the usual menu.

KFR , near Chitra Gupta Mandir, Main Bazaar. Cheap Tamil Nadu restaurant serving thalis, idlis, sambar and dosas as well as Chinese food.

Khosla Café , Main Bazaar. Another well-subscribed meeting place serving simple snacks, breakfasts and drinks, with an inside section as well as pavement seating.

Malhotra , Laksmi Narain Street. Popular restaurant, one of the best in Paharganj, with tasty Chinese and Indian food at cheaper than average prices especially in the basement; there is now a more comfortable a/c wing.

Metropolis , 1634 Main Bazaar. Cosy a/c ground-floor restaurant in the hotel of same name. Paharganj's priciest venue serves full breakfasts, great curries and tandoori specials on a rooftop terrace, plus Western dishes and beer.

New Amar , Chuna Mandi, opposite the Imperial Cinema. Tiny café with simple meals and the best-value Western breakfasts in Paharganj.

Radha Swami , 8183/6 Arakashan Rd, Ram Nagar. A new café with good north Indian vegetarian cooking and a limited but classic menu including aloo gobi and roti .

Satyam , 659 Main Bazaar, Six Tooti Chowk. Mediocre Chinese and Indian food but a great site overlooking the busy fruit and vegetable market, with a good breakfast menu.

Shakahari , Main Bazaar, opposite the Metropolis . Excellent ultra-cheap veg dhaba with tasty fare on offer in huge roadside pots. Sign only in Hindi, but some dish names are written in English.

Sonu Chat House , Main Bazaar. Noodles, soup, samosas and red-hot curries in cramped but clean surroundings. Also good for south Indian dishes such as masala and dosa .

Vivek , Main Bazaar. 24hr rooftop restaurant in the hotel of the same name, with a wide selection of Eastern and Western food. Specialities include duck, pork and goulash.