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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About Travel + Leisure India and South Asia
Travel + Leisure India and South Asia is the Indian edition of the American luxury travel and lifestyle magazine and your go-to source of travel inspiration. Published by BurdaLuxury, a Hubert Burda Media company, the magazine comprises an audience of luxury travellers, high net worth individuals, CEOs, and entrepreneurs. Travel + Leisure India and South Asia is published across digital and print, offers bespoke events and awards and has a strong following on social media platforms. Travel + Leisure India and South Asia explores destinations, ideas, and trends and celebrates people who create authentic luxury experiences. Travel + Leisure globally and in Asia enjoys a remarkable history of credibility and is the bible of luxury travel in Asia and abroad.
