<p>From Udaipur’s palace-led tasting menus to Surat’s chef-driven Indian kitchens, fine dining is no longer the sole preserve of India’s metros. Across smaller cities, a new generation of diners is discovering that epicurean ambition can thrive well beyond Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru. Indore is firmly part of this shift.</p>.<p>On a chilly Indore evening, the conversation at one of its newest outlets, Masala Code, drifts from spice tempering to sourcing, fermentation and plating. The tasting menu is structured with care. There is a deliberate attempt being made to get diners introduced to region-specific delicacies, be it Hyderabadi Dum biryani or a traditional Kerala-style mutton curry. </p>.<p class="bodytext">This is not a big-city flex. This is a city quietly upgrading its palate.</p>.In the here & now: Why eating local matters.<p class="bodytext">Long celebrated for its street-food bravado, Indore is now staking a claim in refined dining, and this is being led by Chef Vedant Newatia. Trained in Switzerland and having worked in kitchens across Europe and the US, Newatia returned home to open Atelier V, an intimate, experimental space that nudged diners toward global techniques. With Masala Code, he is turning the spotlight on Indian cuisines and flavours, but with a twist. Newatia calls it a reimagination of the tried-and-trusted. “The idea was never to modernise Indian food for the sake of it,” says Newatia. “It’s about presenting, but with global finesse, what already exists.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">The menu reflects that philosophy: Uttarakhandi kadhi, Dindigul biryani, Rogan josh, alongside elevated street staples like bhel puri and kathi rolls. Even the drinks, jamun masala or filter kaapi–infused fizz, carry a hint of home, and an appeal to our collective nostalgia for foods that have coloured our growing-up years. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Looks like small-town India is intent on setting its own table instead of playing catch-up with the big, bad metros. </p>
<p>From Udaipur’s palace-led tasting menus to Surat’s chef-driven Indian kitchens, fine dining is no longer the sole preserve of India’s metros. Across smaller cities, a new generation of diners is discovering that epicurean ambition can thrive well beyond Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru. Indore is firmly part of this shift.</p>.<p>On a chilly Indore evening, the conversation at one of its newest outlets, Masala Code, drifts from spice tempering to sourcing, fermentation and plating. The tasting menu is structured with care. There is a deliberate attempt being made to get diners introduced to region-specific delicacies, be it Hyderabadi Dum biryani or a traditional Kerala-style mutton curry. </p>.<p class="bodytext">This is not a big-city flex. This is a city quietly upgrading its palate.</p>.In the here & now: Why eating local matters.<p class="bodytext">Long celebrated for its street-food bravado, Indore is now staking a claim in refined dining, and this is being led by Chef Vedant Newatia. Trained in Switzerland and having worked in kitchens across Europe and the US, Newatia returned home to open Atelier V, an intimate, experimental space that nudged diners toward global techniques. With Masala Code, he is turning the spotlight on Indian cuisines and flavours, but with a twist. Newatia calls it a reimagination of the tried-and-trusted. “The idea was never to modernise Indian food for the sake of it,” says Newatia. “It’s about presenting, but with global finesse, what already exists.”</p>.<p class="bodytext">The menu reflects that philosophy: Uttarakhandi kadhi, Dindigul biryani, Rogan josh, alongside elevated street staples like bhel puri and kathi rolls. Even the drinks, jamun masala or filter kaapi–infused fizz, carry a hint of home, and an appeal to our collective nostalgia for foods that have coloured our growing-up years. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Looks like small-town India is intent on setting its own table instead of playing catch-up with the big, bad metros. </p>