When we talk about Delhi, the first thing that comes to the mind is the variety of food it has to offer.

One can find chaat papri and parathas in Gali Paranthe Wali in Old Delhi and on the other hand can also experiment with international cuisines like European and Mediterranean. Delhi has it all and to give credit to its high spirit, it has been recently awarded as the best destination in the country for food and drinks by a travel magazine for the current year.

The Best Destination for Food and Drink award is an extremely prestigious award for Delhi and is a step forward towards making Delhi a preferred tourist destination. The Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Awards is widely acknowledged as the most prestigious award in the travel industry.

Metrolife spoke to few prominent names from the food industry to know their reactions. Chef Vikas Khanna of Master Chef fame was ecstatic about the award given to Delhi. “This place has the most amazing food culture. The spices and flavours in the city is something to be proud of. Although, the city is primarily dominated by its Punjabi food culture but the spices used in the dishes have added a character to our cuisine, to our culture and to our lives.”

“Every state of India has its uniqueness and a different food culture which binds the people of India together. Every cuisine is dramatically enticing and intriguing but Delhi has that something which attracts people to the city for its culture and food. I find the spices and multi-flavours very pleasing to my taste buds,” added Vikas.

The street food of Delhi has the mix of natural flavours and spices which add to the entire experience of eating out at places like Chandni Chowk. Also, in the last few years Delhi has evolved as a city of global cuisines. People love to eat in the city and experiment with food. Be it street Indian-Chinese food, to the speciality restaurants catering to those who love Italian, Mexican, Thai, Japanese, Lebanese or Mediterranean; Delhi embraces it all.

Another known name in the industry chef Kunal Kapoor too shared his thoughts about Delhi being the favourite destination for food and drinks. “The best part about Delhi is the unchanged eating habits. We are still thriving on the age old tradition of using traditional masala. The food history is still intact. Go to Old Delhi and you will find all sorts of food items in big portions but in less price. And in New Delhi, we have all kinds of restaurants coming up with numerous international cuisines. Our food is still unadulterated.”

Talking about Delhi and its authentic food, how can forget about Moti Mahal. Running successfully since 1947, its clients include Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. Vinod Chaddha, the owner, said, “Yeh award to milna he tha Dilli ko. Even the foreigners prefer food in Delhi because of the richness of spices. We serve some of the most unique dishes that are not found anywhere. The taste and quality of food is high because of the traditional spices and log hours of marination.”

A poll was also conducted by Lonely Planet Magazine for readers both online and in the magazine. The readers have voted in large numbers, across 40 categories, to celebrate the best in travel. The travel awards reaffirm the commitment in pointing Indian travelers the best experiences they can find.