‘Dynamism, diversity, and scope of opportunity’ in New Delhi, India 🇮🇳
One day several summers ago at the start of monsoon season I hopped on the backseat of my friend’s Royal Enfield and we motorbiked across New Delhi, a city of over 30 million people besides the camels, cows, box trucks, bicycles, elephants, taxis, and various vehicle contraptions which all criss-cross the streets above the metro. We were on our way to Blue Tokai, a specialty coffee shop which was then establishing itself as the premier cafe in South Asia.
Matt Chitharanjan co-founded Blue Tokai in 2013 with his wife, Namrata, and business partner, Shivam Shahi. Today Blue Tokai operates over 90 cafes and roasteries across India and Japan.
Filter: What do you like to do for fun around Delhi?
My absolute favorite thing to do is to walk around the lanes of Old Delhi. The architecture, the chaos, the shops, and the people watching all blend together to this incredible jumble that I haven’t found anywhere else.
Matt Chitharanjan co-founded Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters in 2013. It has expanded to 100 cafes and roasteries across India and Japan. Photos courtesy of Blue Tokai
There is a lot of great street food if you have the stomach for it—beef kababs near Chawri Bazar, nihari (mutton stew) at Karim’s, and paranthes at the Paranthe Wali Gali are some of my favorites. For an upscale experience, Haveli Dhampura is a restored mini palace that has been converted into a hotel and they have also have a great rooftop restaurant with an amazing view.
Along similar lines there are a number of great heritage walks by companies/people like @Unzip_Delhi and @travelsofsamwise that are really fun.
Delhi has a bunch of great cultural places to visit and the National Crafts Museum, Lodhi Arts District, and Kiran Nadar Arts Museum are some of our favourites.
Filter: If a good friend from overseas came to visit, where would you be sure to take them?
So definitely Old Delhi is one, but it's very crowded and somewhat intense, so it's definitely not for everyone. Nizamuddin has a similar experience that is a bit more accessible and slightly lower, with the added benefit of being able to enjoy some live music. You have to navigate a maze to get to the durgah (temple) but the space combined with the energy from the music is really an incredibly unique experience.
I live in Gurgaon, so I end up taking most friends to Cocktails and Dreams, but as someone who likes beer, Bira has a few tap rooms in Cyber Hub and Saket which are definitely worth visiting.
Filter: What draws you to Old Delhi?
I've been lucky to have had the chance to travel/live in a number of places throughout the world and I've always gravitated towards visiting the old parts of the cities. My partner, Namrata, is an even bigger fan of archaeology than I am, so it's something we've always enjoyed exploring together. Delhi has the best preserved and most extensive sites to visit of any of the larger cities in India and, for us, it's definitely a huge draw of living here.
Filter: What do you like to do to escape the city?
We generally go to Goa a few times a year, and while we usually go to the North, due to the construction and crowd, I would recommend going to South Goa, which is more relaxed and quiet. Delhi is also a great jumping off point for the mountains in the North and Ladakh is an amazing place with a moonscape-like terrain, incredible temples, and villages to visit—but make sure to spend time acclimating to the altitude before venturing out.
Filter: What touristy things are worth the hype?
I find most of the tourist monuments to be worth it. Humayun’s Tomb is like a mini Taj Mahal but with way less crowds. It’s also next to Sundernagar Nursery, which apart from having a nice farmers market on the weekends also has old Mughal grounds that are nice to walk around.
Qutub Minar is one of the more well-known monuments that is also worth visiting. It’s also surrounded by the Mehrauli archaeological park and there are several groups that offer guided tours.
The area around the Qutub also has a number of well-known restaurants and bars—Olive is an iconic Delhi restaurant in the area which I like to go to.
Dilli Haat is a curated shopping experience that while somewhat touristy has a great range of items at reasonable prices and is a good place to pick up gifts.
For food, places like Indian Accent, Bhawan, Pot Pot, and Comorin are definitely worth the hype.
Filter: What are your favorite quiet corners and hidden gems in Delhi?
Lodhi Garden is a great place to escape the city and walk around peacefully. It's studded with small monuments and ponds and you can pack a picnic and enjoy the greenery, especially when the weather is nice. It’s also right next door to Khan Market, which is one of the more famous eating and shopping markets in the city.
One thing unique to Delhi is that each state of India has its own building, where they have a canteen that serves traditional food from that state. Some are better than others, but Andhra Bhavan has great south Indian food, which is rare in Delhi.
Blue Tokai co-founders (L-R) Shivam Shahi, Namrata Asthana, and Matt Chitharanjan.
If you’re in Old Delhi, climb up to the top of the spice market near Fatehpur Mosque for some great views.
4S in Defence Colony is a great dive bar that is always a good time.
Filter: What’s another coffee shop in Delhi that you admire?
Quick Brown Fox in Dhan Mill sources and roasts great coffee and has good food to go along with it. The compound itself has a lot of interesting shops across art, culture and restaurants, so it’s a nice place to spend an afternoon.
Filter: Anything you’d like to add about Delhi?
Delhi has a rather negative reputation and it’s definitely a hard place. The weather is extreme, the people are louder and more aggressive than in other big cities, and the pollution is real and a huge issue. But I just love it here. I love how much greenery there is in the city, how there is history at every turn, the food, and how easy it is to get around. I highly recommend the metro—Delhi is huge and the metro makes getting around very convenient.
Filter: How did you get involved in the coffee scene in Delhi?
I moved to India in 2011 and thought I would be here for a year and move on to somewhere else. Despite those intentions, I ended up meeting my wife, starting Blue Tokai together, and settling here. India is having a bit of a moment now, but generally the sense of optimism here is palpable, which I think is fairly rare in the world today. The dynamism, the diversity, and the scope of opportunity here all combine to make India a really remarkable place.
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Blue Tokai operates 92 cafes and 3 roasteries throughout India, along with a 4th roastery in Japan. You can find their cafes by location here.
Food & Beverage
Chawri Bazar (beef kebabs)
Karim’s (nihari, mutton stew)
Paranthe Wali Gali (paranthes)
Neighborhoods
Landmarks & Outdoors
Towns
Arts & Entertainment
Shopping
Other Areas in India
