7 Indian restaurants on Taste Atlas’ list of 150 most legendary restaurants in the world

Kakabs at Amrik Sukhdev Dhaba, Murthal, Haryana.

Taste Atlas, a Croatia-based experiential travel online guide, has released a list of eateries that “are not just places to grab a meal but destinations in their own right, comparable to the world’s most famous museums, galleries and monuments.” Bypassing any of these culinary landmarks would mean missing out on a quintessential aspect of the city’s vibrant history, tradition, and local flavour, stated the introduction to the list by Taste Atlas. The list includes small, family-run eateries from around the world to Michelin-starred restaurants. And guess what? Seven Indian restaurants have made it to the list of the 150 most legendary restaurants in the world. While the iconic biryani place Paragon from Kozhikode, Kerala, figures in the list at No. 11, Lucknow’s Tunday Kababi is at No. 12. Peter Cat (Kolkata), Amrik Sukhdev Dhaba (Murthal), Mavalli Tiffin Rooms (Bengaluru), Karim’s (Delhi) and Ram Ashraya, Mumbai, are at No. 17, 23, 39, 87 and 112, respectively.

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Let’s take a closer look at the restaurants that made it to the list.

Paragon, Kozhikode, Kerala

Paragon mutton biriyani, Kerala

Though this iconic restaurant has been synonymous with biryani they didn’t start with the rice dish. Paragon started off as a bakery in Kozhikode in 1939 and was best known for their plum cakes. Although biryani tops their menu as the most sought after dish, they are also known for their fish curry, parotta and tea. Paragon sells around 700-1,000 kg of biryani on festival days such as Onam, Vishu or Eid. The biryani which is a combination of Thalassery and Malabar biryanis is made using freshly ground spices bought locally from the Valyangadi market. What sets this biryani apart is the dum-cooking using charred coconut shells. This imparts the biryani a delicious smokey flavour.

Tunday Kababi, Lucknow

Melt-in-mouth Tunday Kababs being fried.

The story of this more than a century old kebab joint in Lucknow’s Chowk is both captivating and endearing. One of the nawabs of Lucknow, a die-hard fan of kebabs, had trouble enjoying his favourite kababs owing to health and teeth problems. He decided to organise a contest where the softest and juiciest kabab-maker will be offered royal patronage. The winner of the contest was Haji Murad Ali, who supposedly had only one hand. Tunde is an Urdu word meaning “without an arm”. The kebabs here are made using a closely guarded family recipe that uses an astonishing 160 different spices. In 2016 the outlet added vegetarian items such as vegetarian galawati kababs, begum ki pasand daal, paneer dishes and a vegetarian biryani to its menu. But the one thing that remains unchanged on the menu is their luscious, melt in the mouth galawati kebabs and Kakori kebabs.

Peter Cat, Park Street, Kolkata

Iranian Chelo Kebab at Peter Cat, Kolkata.

Established in 1975, the iconic Kolkata eatery is known for its blend of Indian and continental cuisines. The restaurant’s signature dish is the chelo kebab. Traditionally, kababs are served with naan, but Nitin Kothari, the owner of Peter Cat, served rice instead of naan to suit Kolkata’s palate. And since he enjoyed a good fried egg, he put it on top and mixed it all up with a good amount of butter. The combination of mutton and chicken kababs, rice, eggs, and butter proved to be a hit. There is a vegetarian option as well which is equally enticing.

Amrik Sukhdev Dhaba, Murthal, Haryana

Paratha at Amrik Sukhdev Dhaba, Murthal.

This major landmark on the GT Road was founded by Sardar Prakash Singh in 1956 mainly to cater to the needs of truck drivers. The delicious meal of dal, roti, subzi and rice was served on charpais initially. The hot, fluffy parathas (11 types of tandoori parathas, seven types of tawa parathas) with homemade butter and chai still rule the menu along with newer additions such as dahi kabab, fiery soya chaps and aloo puri. Soft, piping hot gulab jamun and moong dal halwa is a best way to end you meal in winters while the summer heat calls for hand-churned kulfi.

Mavali Tiffin Rooms, Bengaluru

Masala dosa at Mavali Tiffin Rooms.

This legendary south Indian eatery has had Bengaluru eating out of its hands since 1924. MTR started as Brahmin Coffee Club serving coffee and idlis on Lalbagh Fort Road in Bengaluru in 1924. Later in 1951 it was renamed as Mavali Tiffin Rooms after the locality where it was situated in. Go in the wee hours of the morning and gorge on steamy, soft rava idli, piping hot masala dosas blanketing a hearty potato palya, fluffy pooris with potato gravy and chutney. Finish it off with a fruity kesari bath with pineapples and cloves. The unlimited lunch thalis are also worth checking out. Whatever you do, don’t miss the filter coffee. It’s everything!

Karim’s, Delhi

Karim's in Old Delhi.

This 109 year old restaurant near Jama Masjid in Old Delhi is the place to visit when you want to taste history. It started with just two dishes — aloo gosht (mutton with potatoes) and dal served with rumali roti in 1913. Founder Haji Karimuddin named it Karim, after one of the 99 names of God in Islam. It means the bountiful and generous one. Today it’s highly sought after for its kebabs, tandoori bhara, mutton korma, mutton stew, chicken Mughlai and chicken Jahangiri. The hero dish is still the shockingly tender seekh kebab cooked on coal. Vegetarians are enticed with palak paneer, dal makhana and shahi paneer.

Ram Ashraya, Matunga East, Mumbai

Upma and pineapple sheera at Ram Ashraya.

Ram Ashraya has been serving up idlis and filter coffee to hungry customers as early as 5.00 am for decades. Founded by Shyambabu Shetty almost 81 years ago, Ram Ashraya serves as a reminder of the many immigrants who came to Mumbai and shaped it into the city it is today. Idli sambar, upma and dosa rule the roost as also the bisi bele bath, a flavourful combination of rice, lentils and vegetables, and puliyogare, a tangy tamarind rice preparation. This is a no-frills place where the daily specials are chalked on a blackboard. But the food is hugely affordable and delicious.

Other culinary giants from the world

The global icons on the list include Figlmüller, a venerable Viennese institution that has earned its reputation by specialising in a single dish — the Schnitzel Wiener Art — for over a century. Then there is Katz's Delicatessen of New York famed for its iconic pastrami on rye sandwich since 1888. Multiple James Beard awardee Peter Luger Steak House of Brooklyn is also on the list for its perfectly aged and charred steak. The list also includes Pizzeria Starita a Materdei of Naples, Italy for its Montanara pizza. The dough is deep-fried before being topped with smoked mozzarella and homemade sauce. Then, it’s finished in the oven for a creamy and crispy effect that’s unlike pizza anywhere else. The pizzeria also featured in a Sophia Loren film in the 1950s.

Carnivore Nairobi

Meat lovers' favourite Carnivore restaurant of Nairobi features at No. 142. It’s known for serving various meats roasted on a traditional Maasai sword over a charcoal pit.

Meat carver at Carnivore, Nairobi

Expect everything from chicken and pork to ostrich and crocodile.