India is a paradise for food lovers. If you enjoy a little spice in your life, this is a destination that you will absolutely love.
Each region has its own style of distinct flavours and cooking styles.
We may earn affiliate commissions from websites we link to, at no cost to you. Click here for details.
The East is renowned for its chilli curries, and the West utilises coconut and seafood in its cuisine. But if you travel to Northern India, you can immediately taste the change.
Here, it’s all about korma and tandoori specialities, and finally, the South is famous for fiery, spicy foods.
To taste India’s best food, you must visit these top five food cities and regions to eat this incredible cuisine!
The best food in India can be found in these 5 cities & regions
1) Amritsar
The best food in India may be right here in Amritsar for those who love hearty, rich food heavily laden with ghee. In other words, this is the stuff that will keep you smiling for weeks after you’ve returned home.
The most popular dish on top of everyone’s foodie hit list is kulchas, crisp yet soft leavened bread (similar to naan) stuffed with mashed and boiled potatoes and aromatic spices.
Amritsar has some of the best food in India, and be sure to try as many fish tikkas as possible, plus this list I’ve prepared for you below.
Foods to eat while you’re in Amritsar:
- Amritsari kulchas
- Dal Makhani
- Sarson Da Saag & Makki Di Roti
- Lassi
- Kulfa
- Besan Ladoo and Pinni
2) Hyderabad
Hyderabad is a delicious place to visit to find the best food in India. It has a huge variety of Indian foods, the biryani being a dish you must eat in this region.
From street food vendors high-end restaurants and humble cafes, you can’t go wrong in this historical city. The best food in India is all about big flavours, and Hyderabad will deliver this for you.
Foods to eat while you’re in Hyderabad:
- Hyderabadi Dum Biryani
- Hyderabadi Biryani
- Hyderabadi Kebab
- Mughlai
- Dosa
- Haleem
- Paaya
- Uttapams
- š„ Hot Tip: Book accommodation on Booking.com
- š Book your tickets online: We use Viator and GetYourGuide
- š Stay charged: This Belkin Power Bank is essential!
- šø Join a Group Tour: View our tours OR search Tourradar
- ā Get Connected with eSIM: Easy and affordable! View eSIM
3) Gujarat
Gujarat is surrounded by coastline, with an abundance of fresh seafood on its doorstep.
The people of Gujarat primarily eat a vegetarian diet, so you can bet this food here is packed full of fresh spices, vegetables and delicately fragrant curries and stews.
The food here perfectly balances spicy, sweet and savoury flavours.
Don’t miss the baked lentil cakes and dhokla, steamed savoury cakes. These are the perfect breakfast food to be eaten with a hot cup of Indian spiced masala tea. Don’t miss Gujarat on your culinary journey to find the best food in India.
Foods to eat while you’re in Gujarat:
- Dhokla
- Khandvi
- Fafda
- Handvo
- Panki
- Thepla
Read more: 28 Most Popular Foods from India
4) Mumbai
Welcome to India’s largest city and formerly known as Bombay. Indians are big consumers of street food, and I can totally understand why. It’s some of the best food in India that you will eat. The best food in India can be found on the streets of Mumbai. And, the best thing is that it’s available everywhere and at all hours of the day.
I’ve asked my Indian friends where the best food in India is from, their answer is unanimously Mumbai. This huge city gets the number one spot for best street food in India, and arguably the best food in India.
Foods to eat while you’re in Mumbai:
- Bombay sandwich
- Dahl puri
- Pani Puris
- Ragda Pattice
- Kanda Poha
- Sev Puri
- Pav Bhaji – deep-fried potato dumplings in a bun.
5) Kerala
South Indian cuisine utilises coconut milk and fresh herbs. Lemongrass, curry leaves, and many fruits available in the region are also featured in the dishes prepared in the south. The cuisine here focuses on more coconut milk-based stews, seafood and lentils.
As the texture of the curries isn’t as thick as in other regions, the food here is commonly served with rice rather than bread. Kerala covers all bases if you want a broad variety of the best food in India.
Foods to eat while you’re in Kerala:
- Sadya meal
- Aviel
- Payasam
- Irachi Stew
- Malabar Paratha
Join a Small-Group Food Adventure to Taste the Best Food in India
If you want to learn more about Indian food and culture in depth, why not join a small group tour with G Adventures to taste the best food in India.
We’re aware that India is a huge country. The best food in India is hard to narrow to just five regions.
Add these cities and regions to your bucket list for more delicious adventures – Kolkata, Delhi, Goa, Lucknow, Kochi and Jammu & Kashmir.
We hope this post helps you to find the best food in India.
Recommended Extended Food Tours in India
Check out the range of food adventures and group tours in India with Tourradar.
Happy Eating! If you’ve visited this destination, please let us know where you’ve eaten the best food in India in the comments below!
Travel Tips for Asia
We have many travel guides and tips for Asiaā a fascinating continent!
Delicious cuisine can be enjoyed across Asia, and our food map of Asia will inspire your food journey.
These top 5 best street foods in Asia are unmissable! We explain Central Asian food, including seven popular foods in this region.
Our Southeast Asia packing list will be helpful if you’re travelling here.
Furthermore, if you plan to travel long-term (or at least until the money runs out), these 21 cheapest countries to visit will help you make your hard-earned dollars stretch a bit further.
Not surprisingly, our top 10 best countries for food lovers include a few Asian countries.
Youāll need to stay connected while travelling in Asia. We recommend eSIM. Itās easy, reliable and affordable. View eSIMs for individual Asian countries, or consider a regional eSIM for Asia (which covers 18 countries).
If your travels in Asia are part of a much larger global adventure, then a Global eSIM may be the answer. It connects you in 124 countries, offering data-only eSIM and data/call/text eSIM. The Global eSIM has been a game-changer; we couldn’t imagine travelling without it now.
If you want to travel with like-minded travellers, consider joining a group tour. Check out our Group Tours first for any upcoming departures in Asia, or view Tourradar for great deals on tours in Asia.
Check out our best-ever travel tips compiled from more than twenty years of experience.
Travel Planning Resources
āļø Flights: We use Skyscanner to book cheap flights worldwide.
šØ Accommodation: Booking.com is our preferred platform for booking hotels and accommodation. We use Vrbo to book apartments and long-term stays.
š„ Travel Insurance: We recommend Heymondo (Get 5% off Heymondo) & SafetyWing
š Transportation: Trainline is the best website to reserve trains. We use Omio to book transport worldwide. For travel in Asia, we use 12Go.
š Car Rental: We use DiscoverCars to book rental cars worldwide.
š« Group Tours: We now offer Group Trips; view them here! Alternatively, we recommend G Adventures OR Tourradar. For Europe, Expat Explore is a good choice. *Get 5% off when you quote code VERYHUNGRYNOMADS to your Expat reservations agent. (*Valid for new clients only).
šø Day Tours & Trips: GetYourGuide & Viator are the only two platforms you need.
š Lonely Planet: The Best Range of Travel Guides & Ebooks, and FREE Shipping! (use code RACHELDAVEY10 for a 10% discount)
š Luggage: Osprey Farpoint 40L Backpack or Samsonite Luggage Range.
š What to Pack: Donāt forget your Universal charger and a good power bank. To help you pack the essentials, here is our ULTIMATE Packing List for all Travellers.
š¶ Become a House Sitter: Join Trusted Housesitters and enjoy FREE accommodation worldwide. Use our invite to receive 25% off your new membership.
š° Send Money Anywhere: WISE & Revolut are the best online accounts that let you send money, get paid, and spend money internationally. Both are so easy to use and way cheaper than any bank transfer.
š¶ Stay Connected: Airalo eSIM allows you to get connected the moment you land at your destination, and you can avoid those expensive data roaming charges. We LOVE this product! Use code RACHEL5045 to get $3 off your first Airalo eSIM.
ā Check out our Travel Gear and Travel Resources for more valuable tips to save you money!
