New Delhi Dining & Shopping |
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Shopping
India's rich historical and cultural legacy has created a wealth
of handcrafted items and Delhi is the country's foremost shopping
centre. Colourful bazaars in the old and new city are fascinating
places to shop or just to browse for handicrafts made of brass,
wood and leather as well as for jewellery.
Shops tend to open around 1000 and close between 1800
and 1900. VAT is currently not used in India, however,
implementation of this is planned for April 2003.
Tip: Remember that bargaining
is expected in the bazaars and smaller shops.
Antiques
Good buys are antique lamps, crystal and books.
Artwork
Several galleries carry paintings by contemporary artists. As the
seat of empires for centuries and with royalty as patrons, Delhi
has long been a cultural centre attracting the best painters
throughout the country. Therefore you are sure to find something
that takes your fancy. Even if not intending to buy, just looking
will be a pleasure to most. Among the active galleries are Art
Heritage, Triveni Art Gallery, Sridharani Gallery, Art Today,
Vadehra Art Gallery, Eicher Gallery, Gallery 42, Dhoomi Mal Art
Centre, Gallery Escape, Lalit Kala Akademi, LGT Gallery, Gallery
Ganesha, Gallery steps, AIFACS, Max Mueller Photo Gallery, British
Council Division Gallery, Gallery Romain Rolland, Khirkee Gallery,
the Village Gallery and at times the American Centre.
Carpets
and Rugs
Caution is the watchword when it comes to buying carpets, which
means sticking to reputable fixed-price, non-commission shops. All
the carpets at Saga, on Mathura Road, come with a Central Silk
Board guarantee. Similarly, Barakhamba Gallery, on Barakhamba
Road, and June 1st, at New Friends Colony, offer high-quality
goods and service.
Clothing
Probably the top place to shop is Fabindia in Greater Kailash
646-5497, which exports much of its stock. Fabindia sells cool
and classically tailored Indian clothing, as well as some
household goods.
Handicraft
The most central of the government-run handicraft centres is the
Cottage Industries Emporium, on Janpath, which is well
stocked with leather, textiles, jewellery, silks, cotton and
saris. On Baba Kharak Sing Marg, the Himachal Pradesh Emporium
has soft blankets and shawls in wool, cashmere or pashmina, while
the Poompahar Emporium stocks the region’s glazed Thanjuver
pottery and traditional stone carvings of gods and goddesses, and
the Uttar Pradesh Emporium specialises in leather goods and
copper and brass items. Located in south Delhi, Hauz Khas
Village has a centralised collection of furniture shops and
bazaars, along with a good selection of frequently changing
boutiques offering designer clothes, silks, chiffons and organzas.
Traditional crafts, have long been practiced in Delhi and you’ll
discover fine potters, wooden toy makers, kite makers and lacquer
craftsmen in Old Delhi where it is not unusual to come upon a
traditional workshop.
Jewellery
Jaipur Kundan Style Jewellery Items made in the famed
Jaipur kundan style (precious stones and gems are inlaid into
gold) are particularly popular. Gold and Silver Jewellery
Can be found t numerous outlets throughout the city and often good
deals can be found. Diamonds and other Precious Stones
Look for good buys in diamonds and other precious stones.
Markets
Delhi’s markets come crammed with goods, people and smells. The
magnificent bazaars of Chandni Chowk are open daily and
piled high with gold, nuts, spices, silks, carpets and perfume and
are worth visiting for the spectacle alone. Sunder Nagar Market,
off Mathura Road, is open Monday-Saturday and is a good place to
search for antiques and jewellery, as well as boasting a huge
variety of other knick-knacks and artefacts spilling out of the
shops. One of Delhi's most prestigious markets and a regular haunt
of the city’s ex-pats, is Khan Market, just south of India
Gate, open Tuesday-Sunday. There are a number of excellent
bookshops here. The wholesale Spice Market, on Khari Baoli,
in the Old City, is where, for centuries, the culinary traditions
of North Asia, China, Persia and the Middle East have worked their
influence on local cuisine. Many markets specialize in certain
goods, such as fabrics or crafts or produce, while others have a
type of two-of-everything selection that is almost daunting.
Travellers with even the most marginal interest in shopping should
nonetheless check out at least one market, if only for the sheer
spectacle.
Metalwork
(including Gold and Silver enamelling etc)
The city is particularly well known for its silver and gold
enamelling and you’ll find master-craftsmen for this living in the
Walled City where there are also miniature painters.
Terra-cotta
is available at a number of markets and stalls around town.
Textiles
Top-quality textiles (particularly silks) can be purchased at
bargain prices. Silk dresses and shawls are especially popular,
and hundreds of
boutiques sell women's fashions and accessories.
Zari
Zardozi or embroidery in gold thread can be found
throughout Delhi and a popular spot for a good choice of this
craft is in the Walled City.
Dining
From age old eateries in the by lanes of the Walled City to
glitzy, specialty restaurants in five star hotels, Delhi is a
moveable feast. It offers a choice of Indian and international
cuisines in different ambiences to suit varied budgets.
Mughlai
and Frontier Cuisines
For gourmets, Delhi is synonymous with Mughlai and Frontier
cuisines. The best of Mughlai cuisine can be enjoyed at
Karim, (both in Jama Masjid and Nizamuddin) where recipes, dating
from the times of the Mughals have been the closely guarded secret
of generations of chefs. Delhi Ka Aangan (Hyatt Regency), Darbar (Ashoka
Hotel) and Corbetts (Claridges) are among the many options
available in the expensive range, while Gulati Restaurant (Pandara
Market), Angeethi (Asiad Village) and Degchi (Regal Building) are
among those catering to more modest budgets.
Frontier
Cuisine
The finest frontier cuisine is available at the Bukhara (Maurya
Sheraton), Frontier (Ashoka Hotel) and Baluchi (The Hilton).
Road
Side Eateries
At the other end of the scale are many popular road side eateries
around Jama Masjid and Nzamuddin where kababs, rotis and biryani
are order of the day.
Chinese
Cuisine
Every five star hotel in the city has a Chinese restaurant, while
most markets in South Delhi have a medium budget Chinese
restaurants. The popularity of this cuisine can be gauged by the
innumerable Chinese food outlets of the "meals-on-wheels" and
kiosk variety.
Other
Speciality Restaurants
The growing sophistication Delhi's palate is discernable in the
increasing number of speciality restaurants such as EI Arab
(Regal Building), Dum Pukht or the process of slow cooking
developed in Awadh (Maurya Sheraton), Kashmiri food at Chor
Bizarre (Hotel Broadway), Thai food at Baan Thai (The
Oberoi) and Sukothai (Hauz Khas Village), Japenese food at
Tokyo (Ashoka Hotel) and Osaka (Hauz Khas Village), Tibetan
food at eateries near Chanakya Theatre, and Mexican food at
Rodeo (Connaught Place). South Indian food is another
favourite, the vegetarian variety of which is best in
enjoyed at Sagar (Defence Colony), Sagar Ratna (Lodhi Hotel) and
Dasaprakash (Hotel Ambassador). Coconut Grove (Ashok Yatri Niwas)
offers excellent non-vegetarian cuisine from South India. The best
of continental cuisine can be eaten at five star hotels,
for instance La Rochelle (The Oberoi), The Orient Express (Taj
Palace) and Captains Cabin (Taj Man Singh), though numerous
multi-cuisine restaurants also offer continental food. Keeping
pace with the changing face of the city are the growing number of
fast food outlets which serve all manner of cuisines.
Indian
Cuisine
Delightful outlets offering a range of Indian cuisines are the
food stalls at Dilli Haat. Here, the cuisine of different states
is made available at very moderate rates and are generally very
pleasant places in which to enjoy the food. For the more intrepid,
eateries such as those at Paranthe wali gali, or chaat at Bengali
Market and Sunder Nagar, bhelpuri at Greater Kailash and
sweetmeats from Annapoorna and Ghantewala can be part of the
gastronomical tour of Delhi. Delhi is also synonymous with the
omnipresent tandoori chicken and tandoori roti, which makes a
delicious meal. This is often available at roadside dhabas at a
moderate cost.
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