Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Delhi for grown-ups.

Where to drink

Sidecar ★ 4.6

$$$ Cocktail barCocktail barGreater Kailash

Sidecar in Greater Kailash 2 runs a two floor bar and bookstore, and this Delhi bar has topped the 30 Best Bars India ranking in three separate years.

OrderA Potter's Touch cocktail with the Bartender's Fried Rice.

DrinkCocktails from Sidecar Going Places, the bar's fifth annual signature menu, including the crowd favourite Potter's Touch

FoodSmall plates that change by season, including the Bartender's Fried Rice, plus a Hachette bookstore and Subko coffee counter downstairs

TipThe bar opens at 13:00, the bookstore and Subko counter from 10:00; ranked No. 8 on the 30 Best Bars India 2025 list.

PCO ★ 4.4

$$$ Cocktail barSpeakeasyVasant Kunj

PCO in Vasant Vihar opens to a weekly code keyed into a phone booth; this Delhi speakeasy won the Times Food and Nightlife Best Bar award six years running.

OrderEve's Choice or Oral Fixation from The Forbidden menu, or book the Director's Room for mood cocktails.

DrinkThe Forbidden, a menu of 12 drinks built on ingredients banned somewhere, plus mood cocktails in the reservation-only Director's Room

FoodBar food alongside the cocktail list

TipThe four-digit code changes every week and goes out to PCO's WhatsApp patron list, so get the code before you go; the door opens for five seconds.

Barbet & Pals ★ 4.5

$$$ Cocktail barCocktail barGreater Kailash

Barbet & Pals in Greater Kailash 2 takes its cocktails from the Himalayan foothills, a Delhi bar by bartenders Jeet Rana and Chirag Pal with Amninder Sandhu.

OrderA Bird's Eye View cocktail with the Naga pork sausage Bar-Brat.

DrinkBird's Eye View, a rotating regional menu themed on Jeet Rana and Chirag Pal's Himalayan roots

FoodSmall plates from chef Amninder Sandhu spanning Kumaon, Bengal and Naga flavours

TipThe basement holds Cavity, a separate weekend tasting bar from the same team; book both in advance.

Top Banana ★ 4.3

$$$ Cocktail barCocktail barGreater Kailash

Top Banana sits above Ikk Panjab in Greater Kailash 2, a vinyl-only Delhi cocktail room with a wood-edge bar for scribbling late night notes.

OrderThe Shadow Play martini with the Artichoke Ice Riot small plate.

DrinkShadow Play, a pickle-three-ways martini, and the zero-abv Watch It

FoodFrench-Japanese small plates from chef Tarannum Sehgal, a Provence Michelin kitchen alumna

TipThe bar-top doubles as a guestbook; ask staff for a marker to leave your own note.

Upstairs ★ 4.5

$$$$ Cocktail barMartini and jazz barLodhi Colony

Upstairs sits one flight above Indian Accent at The Lodhi hotel, a 36-seat Delhi martini bar with live jazz vocals on most evenings of the week.

OrderThe desi dirty martini and a winter pea kulcha with goat's cheese.

DrinkTableside martinis, including a desi dirty martini with a potato-cheese olive

FoodBar bites from Indian Accent's chef Hitesh Lohat, built on Delhi market memories

TipReserve ahead; the room is small and is moving toward a members-only model.

The Love Hotel ★ 4.2

$$$ Cocktail barCocktail barLodhi Colony

The Love Hotel is tucked inside Guppy on Lodhi Road, a 20-seat Delhi cocktail room from the Olive Group with a naked bar and playful drink names.

OrderThe Late Checkout old fashioned with the crunchy summer wraps.

DrinkLate Checkout, a whiskey old-fashioned with coconut syrup and matcha white chocolate foam

FoodKobachi-style Asian small plates for grazing, from chef Saurabh Sharan

TipThe room seats only 20, so a booking ahead of a Friday or Saturday night helps.

Hoots ★ 4.4

$$$ Cocktail barCocktail barVasant Kunj

Hoots in Vasant Vihar's Basant Lok market is a dim, intimate Delhi cocktail bar that reached No. 59 on the Asia's 50 Best Bars 51 to 100 list in 2021.

OrderThe miso old fashioned twist and a whisky sour with chamomile foam.

DrinkA miso old fashioned twist and a whisky sour topped with chamomile foam

FoodBar food built to share alongside the cocktail list

TipIt is a small room; go on a weeknight if you want a seat at the counter without a wait.

Lair ★ 4.3

$$$ Cocktail barSpeakeasyVasant Kunj

Lair in Vasant Vihar's Basant Lok market is a film noir styled Delhi speakeasy, ranked No. 8 on Asia's 50 Best Bars and No. 96 in the world in 2025.

OrderThe Moroccan Symphony or Calendula Punch, with the char-grilled chicken.

DrinkMoroccan Symphony and the Calendula Punch

FoodAsian and Thai-leaning small plates alongside the cocktail menu

TipRenesa designed the room in black concrete, glass and slivers of light, closer to a film-noir set than a Prohibition bar.

Cirrus 9 ★ 4.5

$$$$ Cocktail barRooftop barSunder Nagar

Cirrus 9 tops The Oberoi on Zakir Hussain Marg, a Delhi rooftop bar with views of Humayun's Tomb and a landmark themed cocktail menu of nine drinks.

OrderA Signature Skyline cocktail on the terrace facing Humayun's Tomb.

DrinkThe Signature Skyline Cocktail Menu, nine drinks themed on Delhi landmarks

FoodAn eclectic international small plates menu paired with the cocktail list

TipClosed shoes and full-length trousers are required for men, with no flip-flops; under-25s may stay only until 20:00 under excise rules.

Patiala Peg ★ 4.4

$$$$ Cocktail barHeritage barConnaught Place

Patiala Peg at The Imperial hotel is a vintage Delhi bar built around the 120ml giant peg, said to be the only place serving that pour worldwide.

OrderThe signature 120ml Patiala Peg pour, the bar's namesake drink.

DrinkThe 120ml Patiala Peg, a giant pour honouring the Maharaja of Patiala

FoodBar snacks served alongside The Imperial's vintage drinks list

TipThe hotel opened in 1936; ask staff for the polo match story behind the giant peg.

The Cavalry Bar ★ 4.1

$$ Cocktail barHeritage barMajnu Ka Tilla

The Cavalry Bar sits inside the Maidens Hotel in Civil Lines, Delhi, a colonial-era bar that dates to 1903, with high ceilings and a finger food menu.

OrderA classic cocktail with a plate from the finger food menu.

DrinkClassic cocktails in a colonial-era room

FoodFinger food served in the Maidens Hotel's colonial-era lounge

TipThe hotel dates to 1903; the bar's colonial architecture is worth a look even outside happy hour.

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