Up-And-Coming Restaurant: Dilli Dilli

By Aidan Hosler

Photo of the Dilli Dilli NYC location, Image source: Dilli Dilli, official website. 

Your new culinary gateway to New Delhi, Dilli Dilli is opening its doors and opening your palate to the flavors and spices of India. Originating in New York City’s Times Square, Dilli Dilli’s new location on 27 Main Street in Millburn is almost certain to draw the same large crowds that made it an iconic staple of the city. Gilafi Paneer (homemade paneer tikka with capcicum brunoise) and Kwality Channa Bhatura (tea leaf chickpea masala served with fresh bhatura) are just some of the highly anticipated dishes to be craved at Dilli Dilli. But food isn’t the only thing that’s cooking up in the kitchen. The small chain’s owners Gaurav Anand and Vipul Gupta have been marinating the history of Old and New Delhi since December 2024. With the challenging mission to traverse generations of food and culture in a single sitting, Anand and Gupta used their ingenuity to craft dishes that created both a boom of flavor and a timeless allusion to Indian culture. In fact, the very name of the restaurant itself originates from the original name for the city of New Delhi, Dilli. Vipul shares that elements of the menu such as their delicious smoky kebabs hark back to the street vendors that characterized the culinary experience of Old Delhi. At the same time, however, items such as mouth-watering desserts inspired by New Delhi’s many high-end bistros take guests on a journey not only of delicious food, but also of culture.

With the idea of such a formal, high-class, and exquisite dining experience in mind, Anand admits that Times Square seemed like an odd choice at first. The owners remarked in a recent interview that the bright lights, sensory overload, and chaos of modern Times Square left them uneasy on opening day. Nevertheless, it was a passion and commitment to bringing authentic Indian cuisine to others that allowed for the team in New York City to grow and prosper. Such a passion is rooted in the idea that while Indian culture is celebrated worldwide, the signature food of New Delhi is often overlooked in many restaurants. Luckily, Anand and Gupta are changing that, by providing an experience that is centered around the culinary tradition of India’s bustling capital city. While the center of Manhattan was certainly a major leap forward, it certainly wasn't the last for Anand and Gupta, as Able Atoubi, a key member of the founding and creative team of Dilli Dilli, expressed optimism and excitement about the recent expansion to Millburn. “We’re not chasing the next Manhattan location,” she said in a recent interview, “we’re answering a call from a community that’s been waiting for this.” Indeed, Atoubi shares that the choice of Millburn was not random, but a calculated, well-through-out move that wishes to add a taste of Delhi to an eclectic, vibrant community where differences can be united in a shared passion for great food.