Triveni Terrace Cafe

"Open for: All day Price Range: $$ Located inside one of Delhi’s independent art centers, Triveni transforms the roadside chai tradition into a sit-down space. The casual cafe offers classic Indian snacks like masala cheese toast — a sandwich stuffed with onions, garlic, tomatoes, and cheese — and West Indian sabudana khichdi, a cool, lightly spiced snack made from tapioca and peanuts. In Delhi’s scorching summers, Triveni’s version of masala chaas (a thin, spiced yogurt drink) is a respite from the heat. Vibe check: Artists, potters, and dancers come together here over steaming cups and small bites." - Sharanya Deepak

"It seems absurd to recommend a chaat dish that is eaten sitting down, but even the residents of Delhi sometimes need a moment of rest. Triveni, a cafe that operates in an art gallery in central Delhi, serves some of the city’s best palak patta chaat. Leaves of spinach are coated in besan or gram flour, fried into fritters, and topped with yogurt, mint, and tamarind chutneys, chopped onions, and sev (small pieces of spiced crunchy noodle-like snacks made from fried chickpea flour). Palak patta chaat is a classic Delhi favorite, though it hasn’t caught hold as tightly among younger generations, and it could soon begin disappearing. Triveni’s version is a perfect tea-time snack, and it goes especially well with chai." - Sharanya Deepak