A place as vast and varied as India naturally has a diverse range of culinary traditions. On this trip, I focused mostly on rich and delicious Rajasthani and Awadhi cuisines. Waitstaff frequently ask Westerners about their preferred spiciness level, and the kitchen will likely tone it down regardless of the answer. In general, expect deep and complex flavors but not necessarily precise presentations, even in the fanciest establishments.

Whenever I go to India, well-meaning friends and family warn me to be careful about what I eat. Fortunately, I have yet to experience the slightest problem. The venues we recommend (and those recommended by our local partners) are as safe as restaurants in the United States.

Delhi

Indian Accent

One of the best restaurants in New Delhi, Indian Accent occupies a contemporary candlelit dining room with stone embellishments in The Lodhi hotel. The food is actually Indian with international accents, and diners can order à la carte dishes or a tasting menu with optional wine pairings. We opted for the latter, but wishing to learn more about Indian bottlings, I created my own wine flight (several notable international wine producers now have Indian operations). Chandon’s sparkling rosé had notes of strawberry and lemon with savory undertones, and it worked well with starters like a delicate potato samosa with fig and goat cheese and heartier dishes like fork-tender pork ribs with sundried mango and sour green apple. A light Fratelli Chenin Blanc held its own with fresh tandoori salmon with dill and Greek yogurt. And Fratelli’s rich and hefty J’Noon, a red Bordeaux-style blend, demonstrated the high potential of Indian wines. It was sensational with braised lamb shank, black dal and butter chicken-stuffed kulcha alike. Dinner here is romantic and delicious. The restaurant also has branches in Mumbai and New York City.
» Go for the excellent tasting menu and stylish dining room.

Indian Accent
The Lodhi, Lodhi Road, New Delhi. Tel. (91) 987-111-7968

Lakhori

After exploring the lanes of Old Delhi with our guide, we stopped for lunch in a magnificently restored haveli (mansion). In its courtyard, a musician played a sitar while we shared an array of delicious Mughlai dishes. After a starter of dilli moong, a cakey lentil bread with a thin crust and accompaniments of cilantro and mango chutneys, we got down to business with spicy fall-off-the-bone mutton korma and zucchini rolls stuffed with fresh cheese in a bright spinach-mushroom purée. We used vegetable biryani and chewy garlic naan to sop up the flavorful sauces of both dishes. A cocktail of gin, roasted-pineapple juice and curry leaf was a pleasingly sweet foil to the spicy and savory dishes.
» Go for the atmospheric old courtyard and well-executed Mughlai classics.

Lakhori
2293 Gali Guliyan, Dharampura, Delhi-6. Tel. (91) 114-909-1777

Olive Bar & Kitchen

Offering a sun-dappled courtyard and creative Italian and Eastern Mediterranean cooking, Olive is an ideal place to take a break from Indian cuisine. We stopped by for a relaxed lunch after visiting the Mehrauli Archaeological Park and Qutb Minar. With aperitifs (I tried a refreshing Ci Ci Gin cocktail of masala tea-infused gin, unfiltered sake and citrus), we shared pesto- and Zarai cheese-topped Neapolitan-style focaccia, with a flawless texture and just the right amount of char. A rich tart contained ample crab gratin with mustard oil, Turkish manti (pyramid-shaped pasta parcels) came filled with burnt chermoula cream and dressed with a hearty shredded-goat ragout, and for something lighter, we ordered delectable avocado ceviche with green apple, Himalayan ginger and tahini. This restaurant is a little oasis in the city.
» Go for the leafy patio and superb Mediterranean cuisine.

Olive Bar & Kitchen
One Style Mile 6-8, Kalka Das Marg, Mehrauli, New Delhi. Tel. (91) 981-023-5472

Jaipur

51 Shades of Pink

Even if you’re not staying at the Rajmahal Palace Raas Jaipur, this watermelon-and-white dining room deserves consideration for dinner, ideally after drinks on the fire-lit patio. The international menu has something for everyone, including British, Thai, Indonesian and Italian options. We stuck to Indian dishes, splitting laal maans, a spicy and aromatic Rajasthani specialty of lamb stewed with Mathania chiles and onion, and imli wale baingan, a bowl of fried baby eggplant in a tangy tamarind-garlic sauce. Fragrant cumin rice and fresh garlic naan were perfect accompaniments. The wine list offers some 23 by-the-glass selections, including several appealing Indian bottlings.
» Go for the dramatic décor and wide-ranging menu.

51 Shades of Pink
Rajmahal Palace Raas Jaipur, Sardar Patel Marg, Shivaji Nagar, C Scheme, Jaipur. Tel. (91) 141-414-3000

RajRasa

One of Jaipur’s newest restaurants, RajRasa stands just north of the historic center in a pretty brick-red building surrounded by dirt and concrete apartment blocks. We dined in the Jodhpur-blue second-floor dining room (accessible with an elevator). An à la carte menu is available, but our waiter steered us to the well-priced prix fixe, available in vegetarian and omnivorous versions. Both proved excellent, encompassing no fewer than two soups, three appetizers, a six-part thali platter, rice, bread and two small desserts. The soup of broken corn and buttermilk was oversalted, but after that slow start, we were off to the races. Fresh mustard-marinated fish and (slightly spicy) lamb braised with 31 chiles were big hits, as was the rabodi ki subji, with noodlelike flatbread pieces in a curry sauce. Some dishes here were inauthentically mild, but for many of us, that’s a feature, not a bug.
» Go for the delicious and reasonably priced prix fixe menus.

RajRasa
RajRasa, S-19, 20, 21, Nagar Nigam Colony, Nr. Jorawar Singh Gate, Jaipur. Tel. (91) 979-990-5867

The Johri

We had many fine meals in India, but the best was at The Johri hotel. The beautifully presented à la carte vegetarian Indian food and the creative cocktails make it worthwhile to walk the busy, unattractive block to get to the entrance. Inside, the peach-toned dining room occupies part of a restored haveli, but it feels fashionable as well as historic. One delight after another filled our table. Little bowls of silky saffron-pumpkin soup came with spiced pepitas and curry leaves. We had fun pouring dashes of mint and berry waters into crispy puffs filled with potatoes, black chickpeas and tamarind chutney. Patties of lentil and sangri, a Rajasthani desert plant, were surprisingly rich. And we had a luxurious plate of chargrilled Kashmiri morels stuffed with fresh cheese and garnished with saffron mayonnaise. My “Gypsy Trade” cocktail of gin, saffron liqueur, rose honey, vanilla, mango tea, lime and clarified camel milk was perfumed and complex — an ideal pairing with the food. This is the restaurant not to miss in Jaipur.
» Go for the creative cocktails and exquisite Indian vegetarian cooking.

The Johri
3950 MSB Ka Rasta, Johri Bazar, Ghat Darwaza, Jaipur. Tel. (91) 890-555-1681

Shikaar Bagh

We stopped for drinks in the popular Bar Palladio, extravagantly decorated in blue and white, but since we’d tried its Italian menu on our last Jaipur visit, we went next door for dinner. Shikaar Bagh has a cozier woodsy interior, inspired by Rajasthani hunting lodges, and an extensive menu of Indian, Italian, Japanese and Chinese dishes. Its bar offers mostly standard cocktails, plus a few unique concoctions, like the dry Chandrhaas Martini that incorporates Chandr Haas, a local heritage spirit, along with gin, lime, pineapple and saffron. We started with well made chile-chicken dumplings, and on our waiter’s recommendation, we tried the maas ka soola, a substantial pile of finely minced and deliciously spicy chargrilled mutton. A skewer of grilled fish marinated in kasundi (Bengali mustard) also packed a flavor punch, as did rich patties of smoked mushroom ground with garlic and spices. This restaurant isn’t fancy or fussy, but its wide-ranging options make it well suited to groups.
» Go for the broad range of cuisines on the menu.

Shikaar Bagh
Hotel Narain Niwas Palace, Kanota Bagh, Narain Singh Road, Jaipur. Tel. (91) 787-776-4071

Lucknow

Oudhyana

Occupying an elaborate space done in powder-blue and white, with candlelit tables set beneath arches and scalloped niches, Oudhyana is one of the region’s top restaurants. It serves Nawabi cuisine, the food of the Awadhi rulers of Lucknow, a city synonymous in India with good eating. We ordered the most famous Nawabi dish, kakori kebab: minced mutton blended with rose petals, saffron and an undisclosed spice mix and shaped into cigars. A chef created the recipe for a meat-loving Nawab who’d lost his teeth, and indeed, the kebab melted in my mouth, its soft texture contrasted by a thin, crispy exterior. Biryani is another local specialty, and this version with fluffy basmati rice, seasonal vegetables, saffron and cardamom reminded me of paella. By the time we finished dinner and our paan-inspired martinis, redolent of fennel and Sichuan peppercorn, this hotel restaurant in the Taj Mahal, Lucknow had filled up with mostly Indian customers, confirming our positive impression.
» Go for the local Awadhi specialties and palatial dining room.

Oudhyana
Taj Mahal, Lucknow, Vipin Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow. Tel. (91) 522-671-1000

Tanatan

Tempted though I was to dine again at Oudhyana, I decided to try my luck elsewhere in town. Tanatan’s high-ceilinged dining room, with its exposed brick, architectural salvage and a grand chandelier, ranks among the most stylish I’ve seen in India. The menu has dishes from around the country, but we kept mostly to Awadhi cuisine, like the murgh ke attashi parchey, a sort of spicy Indian chicken piccata, with marinated breasts pounded flat and sautéed. We also split the sarson broccoli, in which florets were drizzled in mustard oil, coated in spices, grilled and garnished with kasundi. I loved their char and mustardy tang. A sweet but complex Spiked Shikanji cocktail of light rum, mint, lemongrass, ginger, lime, peach shrub and shredded black mango leather kept my palate cool between bites. The service was helpful if not warm, but that quibble aside, casual Tanatan was a great success. (The restaurant also has branches in Mumbai, Udaipur, Bahrain and Dubai.)
» Go for the stylish, character-rich space and flavor-packed Indian food.

Tanatan
94 Durga Bhawan, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Lucknow. Tel. (91) 865-776-8894