There’s something about winter in Old Delhi that refuses to stay quiet. The fog doesn’t just roll in, it folds itself into the streets, slips between shopfronts, and sits right on top of a tawa as if it has rights. The city’s moods sharpen. It smells thick. And every food stall from Jama Masjid to Fatehpuri behaves like it has been waiting all year just for this season. If you eat with emotion, well, winter is the only guide you need. Here’s the trail, not polished, not perfect, but exactly how Old Delhi feels when the temperature drops.
9 Old Delhi Food Trails That Slap In Winter
1. Karim’s Nihari
Walk into Gali Kababian early enough, and the world still feels half asleep, except Karim’s kitchen. The nihari pot looks like it has been simmering since the Mughal era, and honestly, that “tar” they add (a spoonful saved from yesterday’s batch) feels like edible heritage. One spoon hits you with the warmth of marrow, cloves, and a hundred quiet secrets. The roti soaks it up like it has a job. And winter air? It makes the spices bloom in slow motion.
Where: Karim’s, Gali Kababian, Jama Masjid, Old Delhi – 110006
When: 9 AM – Midnight
Cost: ₹600–₹700 for two
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2. Al-Jawahar’s Paya Soup
If Karim’s is about grandeur, Al-Jawahar is about comfort. Their paya soup is as comforting as it gets. It uses a broth simmered until the gelatin loosens and the spices relax into one another. The steam fogs your glasses, your breath fogs the air, and for a moment, you feel like winter exists purely so this soup can make sense. It’s medicinal without being boring and delicate without being weak. And that softness in the meat? You don’t chew it. It leaves on its own.
Where: Al-Jawahar Restaurant, Opp. Gate No. 1, Jama Masjid, Old Delhi – 110006
When: 7 AM – Midnight
Cost: ₹500–₹600 for two
Also Read: 12 Hearty Soups From Around The World To Welcome The Winter Season
3. Kuremal’s Daulat ki Chaat
Daulat ki Chaat feels impossible in theory. Milk whisked for hours, left outside in the cold to trap dew? Who thought of that? But then you take a spoonful, and the rules of dessert stop applying. It’s not creamy. It’s not foamy. It’s not even food in the usual sense, it’s a tiny, sweet cloud that disappears before you can say “how?”. Winter is the only reason it survives; one warm breeze, and it collapses.
Where: Kuremal Mohan Lal Kulfi Wale, 526, Kucha Pati Ram, Sita Ram Bazaar, Chawri Bazaar, Old Delhi – 110006
When: 11 AM – 6 PM
Cost: ₹250–₹300 for two
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4. Jung Bahadur Kachori Wale
Stand in the lane outside Jung Bahadur’s and you don’t even need directions, the smell of crisping urad-dal masala leads you. These kachoris aren’t shy. They’re spicy enough to slap you awake, crunchy enough to make conversation pointless for a minute, and unapologetically oily in the way only true winter food can be. The aloo sabzi is tangy, fiery, and thick enough to coat the kachori edges. And somehow, winter amplifies everything, the crunch feels louder, the steam feels hotter and the spice feels like it’s working extra shifts.
Where: Jung Bahadur Kachori Wale, 1104, Maliwara, Nai Sarak, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi – 110006
When: 8 AM – 8 PM
Cost: ₹150–₹200 for two
5. Pt. Gaya Prasad Shivcharan’s Bedmi Aloo
If you haven’t eaten bedmi in winter at Chawri Bazaar, you haven’t eaten it properly. The puris puff up with mashed urad dal masala inside, crisp on the outside, doughy inside, and hot enough to make your fingers dance. The aloo sabzi is rustic in the best way, it is the kind of dish that tastes like someone’s grandmother still guards the spice mix. And then comes the methi chutney: bitter, sharp and seasonal. It simply reminds your body that it’s winter and this is how Delhi keeps warm.
Where: Pt. Gaya Prasad Shivcharan, 926, Vishram Ganj, Chawri Bazaar, Old Delhi – 110005
When: 7 AM – 3 PM
Cost: ₹150–₹250 for two
6. Shyam Sweets’ Gajar Halwa
There’s gajar halwa, and then there’s the heavyweight sitting in Shyam Sweets’ giant kadais. The red carrots arrive fresh from the season. They’re slow-cooked until the colour deepens, the milk thickens into khoya, and the desi ghee forms a glossy layer on top that practically glows under the shop’s yellow bulbs. Nothing about it is shy, not the smell, not the richness, not the nostalgia it punches you with. One spoon and you understand why winter feels incomplete without this.
Where: Shyam Sweets, 112, Chawri Bazaar, Old Delhi – 110006
When: 8 AM – 10 PM
Cost: ₹250–₹350 for two
7. Haji Mohd. Hussain’s Fried Chicken
This chicken has no intention of being compared to anybody else’s version. Double-fried, marinated in masalas that cling to the skin, and sprinkled with lime and chaat masala, it has personality. And winter helps it stay crisp longer, like the air itself is conspiring to preserve that texture. You hear the crunch before you taste anything. And when the heat from the spices hits the cold evening breeze, the contrast is addictive.
Where: Haji Mohd. Hussain Fried Chicken, Bazar Matia Mahal, Jama Masjid, Old Delhi – 110006
When: 5 PM – Midnight
Cost: ₹300–₹400 for two
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8. Aslam’s Butter Chicken
Forget everything you know about butter chicken. Aslam’s version is tandoori chicken absolutely drowned in molten butter and a masala that tastes charred, tangy, and slightly chaotic in the best possible way. Every bite feels like it should come with a warning label, but you keep going. Winter makes the butter stay liquid longer, turning this into a dish that is equal parts indulgent and rebellious.
Where: Aslam Chicken Corner, Matia Mahal, Jama Masjid, Old Delhi – 110006
When: 1 PM – 12:30 AM
Cost: ₹600–₹700 for two
9. Old Famous Jalebi Wala
You haven’t lived a proper winter evening until you’ve stood near Dariba Kalan, cupping a paper plate of hot jalebis from a shop that has been doing nothing but perfecting jalebis since 1884. Thick, syrupy, desi ghee jalebis, they hit differently in the cold. The syrup clings more, the crust cracks louder, and pairing them with rabri might just be Old Delhi’s most lawful form of romance.
Where: Old Famous Jalebi Wala, Dariba Kalan Road, Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi – 110006
When: 8 AM – 10 PM
Cost: ₹150–₹250 for two
Walking through Old Delhi in winter is like drifting through a living archive, one where every corner has its own fragrance, every kitchen has a story, and every plate carries the memory of someone who perfected it decades ago. The fog, the noise, the slow mornings, the crowded nights – everything melts a little when you stand over a tawa, or tear into freshly fried chicken, or hold a warm bowl of nihari in your hands.
Cover Image Courtesy: nomi2626/CanvaPro and anupmehra/Wikipedia
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