Moti Mahal

Srushtii chauhan★★★★★★★★★★5.03 months ago

Moti Mahal Daryaganj is a place you visit for the food, not for the interiors. The food quality is very good, especially their brain fry / mattar mushroom i. The flavors are rich, authentic, and consistent. Portion sizes are satisfying, and the dishes are well-prepared. The service is also good and attentive. The staff is experienced, and the food is served on time. You can expect polite and professional hospitality. However, the interiors are quite simple and old-style. It is not a modern or fancy restaurant in terms of décor. The focus here is clearly on taste and tradition rather than ambiance.

Anand Varma★★★★★★★★★★2.02 months ago

Had heard and read a lot about this iconic place, so I travelled nearly 25 km to experience it, despite having several good options nearby. To begin with, the restaurant is quite old and not well maintained. The ambience is very average and honestly disappointing for a place of such legacy. The service further added to the experience - staff were not very courteous, and overall hospitality was lacking. We visited for lunch on a hot day, and surprisingly, only one AC unit was functioning while the rest were switched off. Despite multiple requests from us and other customers to at least turn on the fans, the owner declined - this was quite unacceptable. Coming to the food—when you visit a place known for inventing dishes like butter chicken, expectations are naturally high. We ordered their iconic butter chicken and tandoori chicken along with a few other items. Unfortunately, the food was just average—nothing extraordinary or memorable. Pricing is on par with premium restaurants in the city, but the overall experience - be it ambience, service, or food does not justify the cost. Overall: A very disappointing experience. Not worth the hype or the money in its current state. Would not recommend unless there are significant improvements.

Anoop Kamath★★★★★★★★★★4.03 months ago

If you’re hunting for the OG Butter Chicken spot in Delhi, this is it. 🍗🔥 Moti Mahal claims to be the birthplace of Tandoori Chicken, Butter Chicken, Burra, and Dal Makhani—and honestly, the legacy here feels real. Founded right after Partition in 1947, this legendary eatery has been around for almost 80 years and still operates from its original Daryaganj location. The restaurant was taken over by Vinod Chaddha in 1992, and he’s kept the heritage alive with the same recipes and old-school vibe, separate from the many other “Moti Mahal” franchises you see around. Walking in feels like a time capsule. The blue signboard, pink walls, plastic flowers, old table layouts, framed awards, and photos of Bollywood celebs, politicians, and international guests all give strong 70s–80s nostalgia vibes. It’s a little quirky and definitely old-school. But the food is the real star. The Butter Chicken + Butter Naan combo still hits the spot. Add Chicken Pakora, Burra, and Dal Makhani, and you’re basically diving into a full-on Punjabi flavour fest. 🤤 Only thing I wish? The dining space could use a slight modern refresh to match today’s vibe. Bottom line: If you want to try authentic, historic Punjabi food from the place that started it all, this is a must-visit in Delhi. ⭐

Yaduveer Singh★★★★★★★★★★5.04 months ago

An iconic restaurant that has served countless Indian and international celebrities over several decades. I had one of the most delicious and unique Butter Chicken experiences in Delhi here. Unlike the usual sweet and tangy versions, their legendary Butter Chicken has a rich, deep, perfectly balanced flavour. Paired with Butter Naan and Garlic Naan, it was absolutely unforgettable. We started with Chicken Burra, and it was outstanding — beautifully marinated, juicy, and packed with spices in every bite. Yes, the prices are on the higher side (Starters around ₹700–₹800, Main course ₹700–₹800 half / ₹1100–₹1200 full), but considering the quality, taste, and iconic legacy, it feels justified.

Kya Karu Vlogs★★★★★★★★★★5.06 months ago

Butter Chicken (Half) - Rs. 630/- Garlic Naan - Rs. 120/- Tandoori Roti - Rs. 40/- Jal Jeera - Rs.130/- Moti Mahal, Daryaganj, Delhi Punjabi & Mughlai cuisine $$$$$ 28.11.2025 So I'm on an official tour to Delhi for a couple of days & so while this is not a Food Tour, I tried my best to find a few spots to eat. Now I've stayed in Delhi twice before, 3 months in 2003 & 8 months in 2007 & have travelled about 40+ times here but I never got around to try some of the iconic food spots in this historic city. So one of the iconic places that I have noticed since 2001 is Moti Mahal Restaurant at Daryaganj. This is the place that first brought Punjabi tandoor style cooking into modern day India & is acknowledged to be the place where leftover pieces of tandoori chicken were cooked in a tomato based gravy with dollops of butter to form what we know today as Butter Chicken. What better dish to culinary define Delhi than this. I've eaten Butter Chicken for more than 3 decades now & finally I get to try the OG one. I was pretty excited when I entered this 78 years old Restaurant which has hosted a few Heads of State & many celebrities including a Chef made popular by the Hell's Kitchen TV series, Mr. Gordon Ramsey himself who cooked & ate in this very Restaurant on his trip to India many years ago. So here goes my review. Ambience - 4.2 The restaurant has an outdoor section which is arranged for events & an indoor dining section. The indoor was huge & very light pink. It was comfortable enough but I guess the last time there was a major renovation done would be around my age. Anyway if Gordon Ramsey was fine with it, who am I to complain. Service - 4.5 The service was pretty good. The waiters were attentive & polite despite my use of colloquial Hindi. The food took not more than 15mins to arrive. The lady at the counter even smiled when I took a picture of the wall of awards behind her counter. For complete review visit kari.on.eats on Instagram