Bukhara

Bukhara has been one of Delhi's most famous restaurants for decades. It opened at the ITC Maurya hotel in the late 1970s and has changed remarkably little since, which is precisely why people keep coming back. The menu focuses on the cooking of India's north-west frontier, built around the clay tandoor oven, and the list of guests over the years has included Bill and Hillary Clinton, Vladimir Putin, Sachin Tendulkar and Donald Trump.

The dining room is deliberately rustic, with stone walls and tables topped with logs, and an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs threading meat and vegetables onto long skewers and lowering them into the tandoors. Cutlery is not provided, as the tradition here is to eat with your hands, which is part of the fun.

The dish everyone talks about is Dal Bukhara, black lentils cooked until rich and creamy, the restaurant's own version of dal makhani. Order it with tandoori breads. Other signatures are the Sikandari raan, a whole leg of lamb marinated with cinnamon, cumin and chilli; murg tandoori, a whole chicken marinated in yoghurt, garlic and spices; tandoori jumbo prawns; and murgh malai kebab, a creamy chicken kebab. Set platters named after famous guests, such as the Presidential platter, are a good way to try a range of dishes.

Portions are large and the food is rich, so order fewer dishes than you think you need and share. Prices are high, in line with a luxury hotel restaurant, and a tasting menu is also offered. Bookings are advisable, particularly at dinner and at weekends, and smart casual dress suits the setting. Allow around two hours.

Bukhara suits meat lovers, groups who want to share platters and visitors who want to eat in one of Delhi's most storied dining rooms. Vegetarians can order the dal and tandoor-cooked vegetables, but meat is the real draw.

ITC Maurya is in the Diplomatic Enclave in Chanakyapuri, a leafy area of embassies. The hotel also houses Dum Pukht, its celebrated Awadhi restaurant, if you want to compare two very different styles of north Indian cooking on separate visits.