best food in india curry naan bread

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

best food in india Amritsar
Amritsar – A city offering a variety of foods to ensure you eat the best food in India

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

best food in india hyderabadi biryani
Be sure to include a stop in Hyderabad for some of the best food in India.

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

3) Gujarat

best food in india vegetarian thali
Gujarat has some of the best food in India for sure, especially for those who love vegetarian dishes.

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

4) Mumbai

best food in india mumbai street food
So many amazing street eats in Mumbai. The best food in India is arguably found from talented street vendors who create flavourful food every day.

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 5 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

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!