16 State Bhawans in Delhi For Delicious Regional Food

The canteens at state bhawans in Delhi are one of the best kept foodie secrets in the city. You won’t see many tourists in these places, but they are very popular with locals.

Bhawans are government guesthouses, and many have restaurants or canteens that are open to the public. They are famous for serving delicious, inexpensive meals with specialties from their home state.

Every state in India has a bhawan in Delhi, and most are centrally located in Chanakyapuri, the diplomatic area.

In a rush? These are my favourite state bhawan canteens:

Andhra Pradesh Bhawan: super casual, but cheap and delicious food
Gujurat Bhawan: nice big restaurant and excellent all you can eat thali tray
New Sikkim House: excellent food, great prices and nice casual restaurant
Kerala House Samridhi: very simple place, but food is cheap and excellent

State Bhawans in Delhi You Must Try

No matter which bhawan you eat at, it’s a great way to try regional food at very affordable rates. Some bhawans only open to government employees or bhawan guests, but these are the ones anyone can eat at.

If you are visiting Delhi on a budget, take advantage of meals at state bhawans.

You may be asked to provide ID (at the gate house), so at least have a photo of your passport with you.

Here’s a handy map to help you find the bhawans!

1. New Sikkim House

round metal thali tray full of food at Sikkim House state bhawan in Delhi — All of this plus bottled water and 8 veg momos for INR 470 (5.50 USD) at New Sikkim House

exterior of New Sikkim House in Delhi — New Sikkim House bhawan in Delhi

I highly recommend this state bhawan. They consistently serve great food at really low prices. It’s a nice, large restaurant that can accommodate a big group, close to the American Embassy.

You can order Sikkim specialties here, like thakala, thenthuk and momos as well as tandoor meats and curries. I had a huge veg thali tray and veg momos plus water for INR 470 (about 5.50 USD).

Address: 14 Panchsheel Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Hours: 12:00 pm – 10:30 pm, daily
Must try: Momos

2. Andhra Pradesh Bhawan

a thali tray at Adrha Pradesh Bhavan in Delhi — My bottomless pit veg thali tray at Andhra Pradesh Bhawan

I’ve been eating here for years – it was the first state bhawan in Delhi I ever visited. It’s a very simple canteen, but honestly who cares? The food and prices are amazing.

This is probably the most well known of Delhi’s state bhawans, and it is always busy with locals. I don’t think I’ve ever seen another foreigner in there.

Pay for your meal at the cash first, then servers bring you your food. Servers will refill your tray as many times and with whatever you want. The veg thali tray is INR 200 (2.35 USD), and you will be stuffed!

Address: 1 Ashoka Rd, Pataudi House, New Delhi
Hours: 8:00 am – 10:00 am (breakfast); 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm (lunch); 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm (dinner), daily
Must try: Veg thali tray

3. Karnataka Sangha

round tray full of fresh paan with grated coconut as garnish at Karnatak Sangha state bhawan in Delhi — Fresh paan for sale at the cash at Karnataka Sangha

metal round tray with ragi dosa, cutlery and 4 small round dishes — Typical South Indian breakfast of ragi dosa at Karnataka Sanga

I really liked this small, but very nice bhawan. It has a nice atmosphere, with melodic South Indian music playing in the background.

I was there early so had the ragi dosa special for breakfast. It came with the usual sambar, coconut and tomato chutneys, but also a potato dish, so it was filling. Total cost INR 180 or 2.10 USD, very cheap.

The location is super convenient, just around the corner from the Delhi metro. This place gets busy for lunch and dinner; it’s one of the more popular bhawan restaurants in Delhi.

Address: Rao Tularam Marg, Sector 12, Rama Krishna Puram, New Delhi
Hours: 7:30 am – 11:00 am (breakfast); 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm (lunch); 7:00 pm – 10:30 pm (dinner), daily
Must try: South Indian thali tray

4. Tamil Nadu Food Centre

Tomato onion uttapam with side sauces and paper cup of lassi — Breakfast at Tamil Nadu Food Centre

Tamil Nadu Food Centre is a no frills restaurant, but it does have a glassed in kitchen which is unusual for a state bhawan in Delhi. There are dedicated meal times, but it stays open in-between.

They were still serving breakfast at noon, so I opted for a tomato onion uttapam (best described as a fermented pancake – sounds strange, but it’s good) and sweet lassi. Both were really good. It cost about INR 280 or 3.30 USD.

The most famous dish on the menu is chicken chettinad, a spicy chicken curry. I rarely order meat in restaurants, it’s safer to eat veg (especially in hotter months). I recommend the veg thali tray or South India’s famous dosa.

Address: 9 Tikendrajit Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Hours: 7:15 am – 10:30 am (breakfast); 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm (lunch); 7:00 pm – 10:30 pm (dinner), daily
Must try: Masala dosa

5. Kerala House Samridhi

thali tray with uttapam, sambar, chutney and paper cup of chai — Typical South Indian breakfast of uttapam with sambar and chai at Kerala House Samridhi

Definitely one of the most basic canteens, but the location is fantastic right by Janpath Road. If you’re visiting Jantar Mantar or shopping at Janpath Market and want something good but cheap to eat – this is the perfect spot.

Kerala is famous for fish and the bhawan serves a couple of fish dishes, but only eat these in winter. I recommend the veg thali tray, which is unlimited and served with red rice, a Keralan specialty.

You’ll have to pay for your food first at the cash, and then sit down to be served.

Address: 3 Jantar Mantar Road, Connaught Place, New Delhi
Hours: 8:00 am – 10:00 am (breakfast); 12:30 pm – 3:00 pm (lunch); 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm (dinner), daily
Must try: Veg thali with red rice

6. Goa Niwas

close up of serradura pudding in glass bowl on table with bright flower pattern table cloth at Goa Niwas, one of the most popular state bhawans in Delhi — Sarradura pudding, a traditional Portuguese dessert at Goa’s state bhawan in Delhi

If you’re in Delhi during the winter, come to this state bhawan for seafood. Goa is famous for seafood, and this is the best place in Delhi to eat fish at reasonable prices. There are a few chicken and veg options, but the menu is predominantly fish and seafood.

It’s a cute, cheerful restaurant centrally located in Delhi’s diplomatic enclave. This spot is well known, especially with Goans who eat here when craving a taste of home. I was here in summer, so opted for dessert.

In my opinion it’s not safe to eat fish or seafood in Delhi outside of winter.

Address: 14 Tikendrajit Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Hours: 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm (lunch) and 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm (dinner), daily
Must try: Fish thali

7. Bihar Niwas

Makhani thali plate at Potbelly in Bihar Bhavan, Delhi — Makhani thali at Bihar Niwas in Delhi

One of Delhi’s best cafes, Potbelly Restaurant operates the restaurant at Bihar Niwas, so the food is excellent.

It’s also one of the nicer state bhawans in Delhi, with rattan furniture, relaxing Indian music and a lovely outdoor patio. This is one of the very few bhawans I see foreigners at.

Prices are a little higher (my meal above was INR 550 or 6.40 USD – still a great deal), but this is a quality place.

Address: 15 Tikendrajit Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Hours: 12:30 pm – 10:30 pm, daily
Must try: Litti chokha platter

8. Chhattisgarh Bhawan

yellow thali tray full of food (spinach saag, veg, halwa,dal, rotis) at state bhawan in Delhi — The veg thali at Chhattisgargh Bhawan was delicious and came with free refills

This little known state bhawan has a great restaurant. The ambience is nothing special, but food is good and budget friendly. Menu is a mix of Indian and Desi-Chinese and prices low. It’s one of the cheaper canteens.

The thali trays are bottomless, and when I was there the server kept bringing me fresh chapatis and asking if he could refill my dish. That is my kind of place! Veg thali was INR 249 or 2.90 USD – pretty good for all you can eat.

To get to the dining room I had to walk past a room of men napping on charpoys. I was kind of wondering what I had got myself into, but it turned out to be good.

Address: 9 Sardar Patel Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Hours: 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm (lunch) and 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm (dinner), daily
Must try: Veg thali

9. Assam House

Copper thali tray full of food and rice at Assam House — My thali lunch, not pictured are the two dishes of chicken and dessert that came with it

Assam House restaurant with yellowe chairs and white table tops and Assam mural on back wall — The restaurant at Assam House is called Maihang Delhi

The bhawan is currently at Assam House, as Assam Bhawan is under reconstruction.

The restaurant is called Maihang, and it was definitely one of the nicer bhawan restaurants I’ve eaten at. I wanted a veg thali tray (I avoid meat during Delhi summers), but all they had was meat – so I ordered the chicken thali and didn’t eat the chicken.

Food and service were both good. Total cost of the thali above, which came with two side dishes of chicken and dessert was INR 250 or 2.90 USD.

Address: Lokpriya Gopinath Bardoloi Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Hours: 7:30 am – 10:30 pm, daily
Must try: Chicken thali

10. Mizoram House

white plate with food and 5 smaller white bowls with various foods at Mizoram House Bhawan in Delhi — This wasn’t my favourite meal at a state bhawan

I had never even heard of the state of Mizoram until I ate at the bhawan in Delhi. Mizoram is on the other side of Bangladesh, and the regional cuisine is known to be quite plain compared to the rest of India. Lots of meat and rice.

This wasn’t my favourite bhawan, for a couple of reasons. The food was a bit tasteless, and the restaurant could have been cleaner. Prices were good – my thali was INR 160 or 1.90 USD.

Address: Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Hours: 9:30 am – 5:00 pm; Monday to Friday
Must try: Veg momos

11. Banga Bhawan

fish thali tray with pooris, papadam, rice, dal, and veg at Banga Bhawan — This Bengali Special Thali with fish came with dessert too

This state bhawan is very popular with Bengalis living in Delhi. The catering is done by Bijoli Grill, a well known Kolkata restaurant chain.

It’s one of the nicer state bhawans, but prices are also higher. My fish thali was INR 750 (8.75 USD). Menu is mostly fish, but there’s meat, veg and Desi-Chinese dishes also.

Banga Bhawan is the government house for West Bengal. There are two locations, but the one on Hailey Road is larger and nicer. Plus you can walk to the amazing stepwell Agrasen ki Baoli from there.

Bring ID to this one. I had to show a photo of my passport at the guard house.

Address: 3 Hailey Road, Connaught Place, New Delhi
Hours: 12:30 pm – 5:30 pm & 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm; daily
Must try: Bengali Special Thali with fish

12. Meghalaya House

metal dishes of rice, dal and vegetables with plate of sliced cucumber at Meghalaya House in Delhi — The food was simple but good at Meghalaya House

Meghalaya is a North Indian state bordering Bangladesh, so the food is not as spicy and aromatic as most Indian cuisine. Food was simple, but good and fresh. T

here’s two locations in Delhi, and I went to the central one near Khan Market and Lodhi Garden.

This bhawan canteen is nondescript, but the staff were welcoming and service was great. I went during off hours and the only thing they had was dal, rice and vegetables. If you go during meal times you can order off the menu. The meal in the photo above was INR 215 or 2.50 USD.

Address: 9 Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Rd, New Delhi
Hours: 7:00 am – 10:00 pm; daily
Must try: Dal with sabzi (veg) and rice

13. Gujurat Bhawan

round metal thali tray full of food on wooden table at Gujurat Bhawan — A nice selection of Gujurat specialties on the thali tray (pre rotis and rice)

metal cup of lassi with coriander on wooden table — There was a celebration at the next table, and the server brought me an extra lassi they had

This was one of my favourite bhawans. Nobody came to take my order, but after 10 minutes the server just brought me a veg thali tray. I’m not sure if that’s all they serve, but every single diner was getting it. Luckily it tasted really good!

The restaurant was very busy. After everyone got their thalis the servers walked around with rice, rotis and refills of dal and vegetables. Considering it was all you can eat and delicious, it was excellent value. My thali was INR 210 or 2.45 USD. It even came with a dessert of vanilla cream with fresh fruits.

Gujurat is PM Modi’s home state, so I think this bhawan tries a little harder than some of the other ones.

Address: 11 Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Hours: 7:30 am – 10:00 am (breakfast), 12:30 pm – 3:30 pm (lunch) and 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm (dinner), daily
Must try: Veg thali

14. Ladakh Bhawan

plate of chicken momos at Ladakh Bhawan in Delhi — There were limited options when I ate at Ladakh Bhawan

large wooden painted makk on entrance wall of Ladakh Bhawan in Delhi — Ladakh art at the bhawan entrance

I really wanted to try the Ladakh specialty thupka (a hearty noodle soup), but because of a festival there were no vegetarian options. There’s always a religious festival in India, so it’s entirely possible.

Instead I ordered chicken momos, another regional food. They were okay but I’ve had better.

If you want Tibetan style noodle dishes, this is the perfect state bhawan in Delhi. Ladakh borders Tibet, so there is a lot of crossover in the cuisine.

Address: 9 Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Hours: 8:00 am – 10:00 am (breakfast), 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (lunch) and 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm (dinner), daily
Must try: Thupka, mokthuk, then thuk (Tibetan style noodle soups)

15. Jammu Kashmir Bhawan

piece of lamb meat with rice and sauce on white plate — Rogan Josh (lamb curry) is the specialty at Jammu Kashmir House

This bhawan is directly behind Ladakh Bhawan. At first I felt a little out of place as the only foreigner and the only woman not in a head scarf, but the server was very welcoming and super courteous.

He suggested rogan josh, a famous and flavourful lamb curry from Kashmir, and I noticed other diners ordering it too. Generally I avoid meat in the summer, but I tried a little and ended up eating most of the aromatic sauce with rice. A half serving of rogan josh with a big bowl of rice cost INR 175 or 2.00 USD.

Address: 9 Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Hours: 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (lunch) and 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm (dinner), daily
Must try: Rogan josh

16. Odisha Niwas

rectangular metal thali tray with different vegetable dishes, dal, raita, rice, pappadam and rotis — The veg thali plate came with raita and salad at Odisha Niwas

I have a fondness for veg thali trays since it gives you a chance to try different regional foods, is cheap, and usually comes with refills. And this Delhi state bhawan had a great one that cost only INR 230 or 2.70 USD.

The veg thali came with two vegetable dishes, dal, raita, salad, rice, rotis and a crispy pappadam. Plus the server was going around refilling trays as many times as diners wanted. The restaurant was a good size and pretty busy when I was there.

Address: 27 Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Hours: 8:00 am – 10:00 am (breakfast), 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (lunch) and 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm (dinner), daily
Must try: Veg thali

The Wrap-up on 16 State Bhawans in Delhi For Delicious Regional Food

If you want to eat authentic foods from across India at great prices, the state bhawans in Delhi are your best bet. Not only are bhawans representative of their state’s culture and food, eating at one of them is a cultural experience for tourists.

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16 State Bhawans in Delhi For Delicious Regional Food

In a rush? These are my favourite state bhawan canteens: