· Tourinza Team
Old Delhi Food Walk: The Best Street Food to Try in Chandni Chowk
A guide to Old Delhi's best-known food stops — from stuffed parathas to kebabs and jalebi — for anyone planning a food walk through Chandni Chowk.
Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi's 17th-century market street, is widely considered one of the best street food destinations in India — a dense grid of lanes where individual shops have been cooking the same handful of dishes for generations, some well over a century.
Paranthe Wali Gali
Literally "the lane of fried bread," this narrow alley off Chandni Chowk's main road is lined with shops serving stuffed parathas fried in ghee, with fillings ranging from spiced potato and paneer to less common options like banana or dry fruit. Several of the shops here have been operating for more than a hundred years.
Kebabs near Jama Masjid
The lanes around Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque, are known for seekh kebabs and other grilled meats, cooked over open coals at small stalls that have supplied the neighbourhood for decades.
Jalebi and other sweets
No food walk through Old Delhi is complete without jalebi — deep-fried batter spirals soaked in sugar syrup, best eaten hot and fresh. The Old Famous Jalebi Wala, near the entrance to Chandni Chowk, is one of the most established stops for it.
Other stops worth trying
Dahi bhalla (lentil dumplings in spiced yoghurt) and aloo chaat (spiced fried potato) are common street snacks throughout Chandni Chowk, alongside countless smaller stalls worth wandering into on your own.
Tips for a first visit
- Go with a guide if it's your first time — Chandni Chowk's lanes are a genuine maze, and a local guide knows which stalls are actually worth the queue.
- Go hungry, but pace yourself — a proper food walk covers five or six stops.
- Vegetarian options are widely available throughout, including on guided routes.
Our Experience the Flavors of Old Delhi food walk covers Paranthe Wali Gali, the lanes around Jama Masjid, and the Old Famous Jalebi Wala in a single guided evening.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous food street in Old Delhi?
Chandni Chowk, and specifically Paranthe Wali Gali within it, known for stuffed parathas fried in ghee from shops that have operated for over a century.
Is Old Delhi street food safe for tourists?
Choosing busy, high-turnover stalls that cook food fresh in front of you (as a guided food walk does) is the safest approach — food that's freshly cooked and hot is generally lower risk than anything sitting out.
Is an Old Delhi food walk vegetarian-friendly?
Yes — the route includes vegetarian-only stops like parathas, chaat and jalebi, and can be run fully vegetarian on request.
How long does an Old Delhi food walk take?
Typically around 4 hours, covering roughly five to six food stops across Chandni Chowk and the lanes near Jama Masjid.