Places Included
- Juggenaut
- Padmanabham
- Sarvana Bhavan
- Sagar Ratna
- Naivedyam
- Carnatic Cafe
- Udupi Cafe
- Chidambaram's New Madras Hotel
- Karnataka Restaurant
- Thalaivar
While it may be believed that you would find the best dosas and idlis in the southern parts of the country, there’s always a home away from home too. The intermingling of cultures and vast diversity in the country has led to the adoption of several dishes from different parts of the country into one’s own cuisine. Be it our adaption of the Chinese noodles into desi chowmein or the North-Eastern momos into Afghani, tandoori and plenty of other varieties. The rice cakes from South India, known as idlis, are also spruced up into fusion dishes like idli manchurian or idli burger. However, it is the original recipe that remains in the hearts of the people. One popular food item from the South Indian fare that is commonly eaten in North India is dosa.
While there are a wide array of dosas that you find on restaurant menus, ranging from rava to coconut rava and Mysore masala, the most basic of them all is masala dosa. For those untouched by the phenomenon, masala dosa is a crispy rice crepe that is wrapped with a spicy potato filling. Served with sambhar and coconut chutney, masala dosa can be eaten at anytime of the day. If you think you’ll have to go all the way till South India, then you are mistaken. There are plenty of restaurants in Delhi, serving authentic South Indian food.
Best Places For Masala Dosa In Delhi
Here are our recommendations for the best places to have masala dosa in Delhi.
1. Juggernaut
With a pleasant vibe and soothing sitar music playing in the background, Juggernaut in South Delhi is a great South Indian place. The place is so popular that they have a queue starting from 7 pm and they don’t take reservations. They have a live musician playing during the evenings on certain days. While their crispy masala dosa is a must-try, you can also indulge in their coconut rava masala dosa and Mysore masala. What’s more? They give complimentary rasam and papad.
Where: Kailash Colony Market, HS16, New Delhi, Delhi 110048
Timings: 6 am-11 pm
Cost For Two: ₹700
Cuisines Offered: South Indian, North Indian
A quaint and pretty place with a lavish setting, the interiors of the restaurant have wall paintings of dancers dressed in traditional attires. Filled with large lamps at different corners of the eatery, it has an aroma of agarbatti which is soothing. Try their Ghee roast masala dosa because it has that shein of ghee loaded on it. For desserts, you can opt for a creamy kesar kulfi.
Where: N-4, 1st Floor, N Block Market, Greater Kailash I, New Delhi
Timings: 12 pm-11 pm
Cost For Two: ₹800
Cuisines Offered: South Indian
Serving some of the best South Indian delicacies, Sarvana Bhavan has its fanfare spread across the world. While they have outlets in the metro cities, even countries like UK find a place for this restaurant chain. Pick any time of the day and you’ll find the place buzzing with a huge crowd inside and outside the restaurant. You can try their basic masala dosa or spruce things up by digging into the mix vegetable uttapam and medu vada too.
Where: 50, Atul Grove Road, Janpath, New Delhi
Timings: ₹600
Cost For Two: 8 am-10:30 pm
Cuisines Offered: South Indian
Another iconic place for South Indian food in Delhi that has never compromised on its quality and taste, Sagar Ratna has a separate outlet solely dedicated to South Indian food. Before beginning the meal, you must try their dahi vada which is a refreshing combination of vada dipped in curd and spices. Dig into the masala dosa or simply, opt for the paper plain dosa for a light dinner.
Where: K-15, Connaught Place, New Delhi
Timings: 8 am-11 pm
Cost For Two: ₹600
Cuisines Offered: South Indian
A small eatery located in the basement of a busy market, Naivedyam may not offer fancy interiors but their presentation is remarkable. Serving most food on banana leaves, Naivedyam has a range of masala dosas and uttapams to try.
Where: F-12, Main Road, Kalkaji, New Delhi
Timings: 11 am-11 pm
Cost For Two: ₹500
Cuisines Offered: South Indian
6. Carnatic Café
Housed in the quiet lanes of Meharchand market, Carnatic Café is a quaint place that has been popular for quite some time now. With several other outlets across the city, the café gives a typical South Indian restaurant vibe, with a live kitchen and cozy ambience so that you can see what is being cooked. Needless to say, their masala dosa is a classic choice but if you’re up for experimentation, go for the Malleshwari Dosa.
Where: 84-85, Meharchand Market, Lodhi Road, Near Lodhi Colony, New Delhi
Timings: 9:30 am-10:30 pm
Cost For Two: ₹400
Cuisines Offered: South Indian
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7. Udupi Café
Udupi is a city in South India and each region has its own special flavours. This café brings the tastes of Udupi on the plate with their delectable range of food. Located at one of the most important streets of Delhi, the café is surrounded by media houses and government offices. If you happen to head to this part of the city, make sure to stop by for their filter coffee and masala dosa. You can also try their uttapam.
Where: Ground Floor, Pratap Bhawan, Building 5, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, Near ITO, New Delhi
Timings: 8:30 am-9:30 pm
Cost For Two: ₹250
Cuisines Offered: Chinese, South Indian
8. Chidambaram’s New Madras Hotel
A small, hole-in-the-wall eatery that has been in business for more than a decade now. This place is centered amidst a line of clothes shops and other stores. With a two-floor seating and rustic wooden interiors, the place offers lots of good food. Apart from delectable masala dosa and tamarind rice, they have several South Indian snacks like murukku and banana chips being sold outside.
Where: 7, Khanna Market, Lodhi Colony, New Delhi
Timings: 8 am-9:30 pm
Cost For Two: ₹500
Cuisines Offered: South Indian, Chinese
9. Karnataka
Take a short walk as soon as you step out of Green Park metro station and you’ll find Karnatka’s signboard hanging in the air. Climb up the stairs and grab the table near the window for a good view while eating. The patrons love to order their rava masala dosa and dahi vadas. However, those who are in the mood to experiment can definitely go for the spring roll dosa and be dazzled.
Where: 60/5, Yusuf Sarai Market, Yusuf Sarai, New Delhi
Timings: 8 am-10:30 pm
Cost For Two: ₹450
Cuisines Offered: North Indian, South Indian, Chinese
10. Thalaivar
A great South Indian eatery in the tiny lanes of Shahpur Jat, Thalaivar is a meat-lovers paradise. You might want to have masala dosa and maybe you should, but don’t miss out on their mutton keema dosa and other meaty delights from Andhra Pradesh on the menu. With a cozy and comfortable dinning space, it is a great restaurant for friends and family.
Where: Shop-1-2, 252/B, Ground Floor, Shanti Bhavan, Opposite Bank Of India, Shahpur Jat, New Delhi
Timings: 8 am-11 pm
Cost For Two: ₹700
Cuisines Offered: Andhra, South Indian