Travel + Leisure India and South Asia Celebrate the Best in South Asia’s Culinary Landscape with 6th Annual Delicious Dining Awards

Travel + Leisure India and South Asia Celebrate the Best in South Asia’s Culinary Landscape with 6th Annual Delicious Dining Awards

On the evening of 14 July 2025, Travel + Leisure India and South Asia hosted its sixth annual Delicious Dining Awards under the theme Feast for the Senses at The Le Méridien, New Delhi in partnership with Glenfiddich and Macarena Beer, celebrating the best in South Asia’s culinary landscape. In its sixth edition, the Delicious Dining Awards garnered over 500,000 votes, as voted by Travel + Leisure India and South Asia’s readers and continues to highlight the individuals who are shaping the future of culinary innovation whilst recognising the cultural impact of dining. The evening’s attendees span celebrity chefs, culinary influencers, and industry experts.

Last year, Travel + Leisure India and South Asia introduced the Sustainability in Dining category, acknowledging the efforts of those paving the way for environmentally conscious dining experiences. This year, the awards expanded its Tastemakers category to honour the Hospitality Designer of the Year and Culinary Chronicler of the Year – recognising the designers, writers, and storytellers whose efforts are instrumental to the industry.

“The Delicious Dining Awards continues to bring the best names in the culinary industry together, to celebrate not only their successes but foster meaningful connections,” said Björn Rettig, CEO, BurdaLuxury. “This is important as community is at the epicentre of what Travel + Leisure India and South Asia stands for. This year, we’ve expanded our Tastemakers category to place greater emphasis on the value of community – recognising the individuals who are responsible for being the architects of these establishments as well as those who tell the stories. This award remains not only a testament to the innovation that exists within India and South Asia’s culinary landscape, but also to the power of community building.”

“India and South Asia’s culinary landscape is ever-evolving, and the Delicious Dining Awards showcases the best that the region has to offer,” said Akshita M. Bhanj Deo, Editor-in-Chief, Travel + Leisure India and South Asia. “With esteemed jury member Culinary Author Rohini Rana from Nepal on board this year, we are proud to announce that nominations will open to the entire South Asian region in 2026 under a new category, marking a bold step towards recognising regional culinary excellence on a global stage. For the first time, international nominations will also be welcomed as we expand the scope of the Delicious Dining Awards beyond borders.”

The winners of the 2025 Delicious Dining Awards span five categories, with Wan Posh, Rah Bagh By The Orchard, Srinagar being the recipient of the Best Sustainable Kitchen Award, which falls under the Sustainability in Dining category introduced last year. Marryam H. Reshii received the award for Culinary Chronicler of the Year and Ashiesh Shah was the recipient of the Hospitality Designer of the Year – both an expansion of this year’s Tastemakers category.

2025 Delicious Dining Award Winners by Category:

Standalone Restaurant and Bars

Best Vegetarian Restaurant: Street Storyss, Bengaluru

Best New Restaurant: Kaméi, Delhi

Best Instagrammable Restaurant: Gallops, Mumbai

Best Café: Carbon-Craft Coffee Bar, Jaipur

Best Legacy Restaurant: Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra, Mumbai

Best Speakeasy: Mamma Killa, Delhi

Best Bar: Monkey Bar, Bengaluru

Best Weekend Gourmet Experience: Copper Chimney, Mumbai

Best Specialty Restaurant: Kokkam, Lucknow

Restaurant in Hotels

Best Contemporary Indian: Made in India, Radisson Blu MBD Hotel, Noida

Best Specialty Cuisine – Thai: Soy x Neung Roi, Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel, Delhi Airport

Best Specialty Cuisine – Japanese: ADRIFT Kaya, JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity

Best Specialty Cuisine – Pan Asian: The Spice Root, The Imperial New Delhi

Best Specialty Cuisine – Italian: Brava, The Khyber Himalayan Resort & Spa, Gulmarg

Best Specialty Cuisine – Chinese: Shang Palace, Shangri-La Eros, New Delhi

Best All-Day Dining: Amarsar, Alila Fort Bishangarh

Best Sustainable Kitchen: Wan Posh, Rah Bagh by The Orchard, Srinagar

Best Sunday Brunch: Lotus Café, JW Marriott Juhu, Mumbai

Best Family Restaurant: Bukhara, ITC Maurya, New Delhi

Best Service: ITC Hotels

Best New Restaurant: Avartana, ITC Maurya, New Delhi

Best Weekend Gourmet Experience: Riwaz, The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore

Best New Gourmet Restaurant: Oryn, Fairmont Mumbai

Best Health-Friendly Menus: Aujasya Café, The Leela Ambience Gurugram Hotel & Residences

Bars in Hotels

Best Bar: ZLB23, The Leela Palace Bengaluru

Best Sundowner: Loya, Taj West End, Bengaluru

Best Rooftop Bar: Sky Point, ITC Kohenur, Hyderabad

Best Bar Design: The Writers Bar, Raffles Udaipur

Jury Approved

Best Cocktail Program: Bombay Daak, Mumbai

Best Pop-up: Dom Fernando, Sri Lanka

Best In-Flight Menu: Singapore Airlines

Best Coffee Experience: Nandan Coffee

Regional Offerings: Mei-Ramew Café, Meghalaya

Tastemakers

Restauranteur of the Year: Zorawar Kalra

Chef of the Year: Himanshu Saini

Culinary Chronicler of the Year: Marryam H. Reshii

Mixologist of the Year: Ami Shroff

Culinary Icon of the Year: Ranveer Brar

Homegrown Coffee Maker of the Year: Mithilesh Vazalwar

Hospitality Designer of the Year: Ashiesh Shah

Dessert Chef of the Year: Girish Nayak

Emerging Chef of the Year: Adwait Anantwar

Social Media Star: Sneha Singhi Upadhaya

For the complete list of winners, including Editor’s Choice Awards, please click here.

Connect with Travel + Leisure India and South Asia @travelandleisureindia, to stay up to date on the latest trends in travel, hospitality, and lifestyle.

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Piradej Monga

Regional Corporate Communications & Branding Manager

Piradej Monga
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