$$$$
Cocktail barMartini and jazz barLodhi Colony
Upstairs sits one flight above Indian Accent at The Lodhi hotel, a 36-seat Delhi martini bar with live jazz vocals on most evenings of the week.
OrderThe desi dirty martini and a winter pea kulcha with goat's cheese.
DrinkTableside martinis, including a desi dirty martini with a potato-cheese olive
FoodBar bites from Indian Accent's chef Hitesh Lohat, built on Delhi market memories
TipReserve ahead; the room is small and is moving toward a members-only model.
$$$$
Cocktail barCocktail barLodhi Colony
The Love Hotel is tucked inside Guppy on Lodhi Road, a 20-seat Delhi cocktail room from the Olive Group with a naked bar and playful drink names.
OrderThe Late Checkout old fashioned with the crunchy summer wraps.
DrinkLate Checkout, a whiskey old-fashioned with coconut syrup and matcha white chocolate foam
FoodKobachi-style Asian small plates for grazing, from chef Saurabh Sharan
TipThe room seats only 20, so a booking ahead of a Friday or Saturday night helps.
$$$$
Cocktail barCocktail barVasant Kunj
Hoots in Vasant Vihar's Basant Lok market is a dim, intimate Delhi cocktail bar that reached No. 59 on the Asia's 50 Best Bars 51 to 100 list in 2021.
OrderThe miso old fashioned twist and a whisky sour with chamomile foam.
DrinkA miso old fashioned twist and a whisky sour topped with chamomile foam
FoodBar food built to share alongside the cocktail list
TipIt is a small room; go on a weeknight if you want a seat at the counter without a wait.
$$$$
Cocktail barSpeakeasyVasant Kunj
Lair in Vasant Vihar's Basant Lok market is a film noir styled Delhi speakeasy, ranked No. 8 on Asia's 50 Best Bars and No. 96 in the world in 2025.
OrderThe Moroccan Symphony or Calendula Punch, with the char-grilled chicken.
DrinkMoroccan Symphony and the Calendula Punch
FoodAsian and Thai-leaning small plates alongside the cocktail menu
TipRenesa designed the room in black concrete, glass and slivers of light, closer to a film-noir set than a Prohibition bar.
$$$$
Cocktail barRooftop barSunder Nagar
Cirrus 9 tops The Oberoi on Zakir Hussain Marg, a Delhi rooftop bar with views of Humayun's Tomb and a landmark themed cocktail menu of nine drinks.
OrderA Signature Skyline cocktail on the terrace facing Humayun's Tomb.
DrinkThe Signature Skyline Cocktail Menu, nine drinks themed on Delhi landmarks
FoodAn eclectic international small plates menu paired with the cocktail list
TipClosed shoes and full-length trousers are required for men, with no flip-flops; under-25s may stay only until 20:00 under excise rules.
$$$$
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.