best soup places in delhi (2026)

tldr: out of the 10 soup spots i checked across delhi, my top 3 are pishori chicken soup corner (old delhi, best overall, rs 100), sunny chicken soup (solid runner-up, rs 100), and al jawahar near jama masjid for mutton soup (rs 150). pishori wins the delhi soup war and it’s not even close. full reviews with prices and honest opinions below.

i have strong opinions about soup. specifically, chicken soup in delhi during winter. this is a city where the temperature drops to 4 degrees and grown men stand in line for 30 minutes to hold a hot glass of broth. i respect that energy.

delhi’s chicken soup scene is dominated by two names that everyone fights about - pishori and sunny. the debate has been going on for years and people get genuinely angry about their pick. i went to both, tasted both, compared both on every parameter i could think of - taste, quantity, price, preparation method, condiments, consistency.

if you’re looking for other delhi food options, i’ve covered street food in daryaganj and nonveg food in north delhi in separate guides.

the awards (my picks)

• best overall: pishori chicken soup corner - 50 years of consistency, hand-prepared glasses, unbeatable broth
• best for first-timers: pishori - because you don’t have to figure out condiments yourself
• best quantity: sunny chicken soup - loaded with shredded chicken, generous pour
• best condiment game: sunny chicken soup - five different condiments laid out for you to customize
• best value: both are rs 100 and both are worth it
• best atmosphere: pishori - the crowd energy is something else
• best mutton soup: al jawahar near jama masjid - different style but worth trying
• most overrated: sunny chicken soup - good, yes, but not the king people claim

the full list

the top tier (my regulars)

1. pishori chicken soup corner

old delhi / rs 100 per glass / 9/10

this is the one. pishori has been making chicken soup for 50 years. the same uncle, the same spot, the same recipe. i’ve been drinking this soup for over a decade and it has never changed. that kind of consistency in delhi street food is rare enough to be remarkable.

what makes pishori different is the preparation. the uncle prepares every single glass himself. he doesn’t hand you a glass and point you to a condiment table. he adds the lemon juice, the vinegar, the green chillies, the butter, everything - mixed to his proportions, glass by glass. you get 20-25 glasses being prepared simultaneously and each one is identical.

the chicken chunks here are massive. not shredded thin like at sunny - these are proper thick chunks that you can bite into. the broth is rich, well-seasoned, and has that depth that only comes from slow cooking. there’s butter in it (not cream, which is a key difference from sunny) and the lemon juice cuts through the richness perfectly.

the crowd here is insane. i’m talking full-on chaos during peak winter evenings. but the line moves fast because the uncle has his system down. rs 100 and you get a glass that could be a meal.

what to order: the standard chicken soup glass - there’s only one option and that’s all you need

verdict: 50 years of making one thing perfectly. this is what street food excellence looks like.

2. sunny chicken soup

old delhi / rs 100 per glass / 8/10

sunny is the other name in the delhi soup war and i understand why people love it. the glass is loaded with shredded boiled chicken - and i mean loaded. every sip has chicken in it. at rs 100, the value is undeniable.

the preparation is different from pishori. they set up about 12 glasses at a time, fill each with shredded chicken, add red chilli, pour the chicken broth over it, then top with cream and butter. the glass gets handed to you and then you’re on your own with five different condiments on the counter - vinegar onions, garlic paste, chilli sauce, ginger water, and green chillies with salt and pepper.

here’s the thing about the diy condiment approach: it’s fun the first time. you feel like you’re customizing your soup. but it also means every glass tastes slightly different depending on how heavy-handed you are with the additions. at pishori, every glass is the same because one person controls the proportions. at sunny, you might oversalt it or go too heavy on the vinegar.

the base broth without condiments is decent but not spectacular. it needs the additions to really come alive. once you add the vinegar onions and a bit of ginger water, it transforms into something genuinely good. the cream adds a richness that’s different from pishori’s butter approach.

what to order: standard chicken soup glass. add condiments gradually - start with vinegar onions and ginger water, then adjust spice levels.

verdict: solid soup, generous chicken, good value. but the crown belongs to pishori.

the solid middle

3. al jawahar

jama masjid / rs 150 per bowl / 8/10

if you want something heavier than the street-style chicken soup, al jawahar near jama masjid does a mutton soup that’s more like a light stew. the mughlai spicing is gentle, the mutton is tender, and it pairs brilliantly with their roomali roti. different category than pishori and sunny but worth including because people searching for soup in delhi should know this exists.

what to order: mutton soup with roomali roti

verdict: not street soup but proper restaurant-level mughlai broth. worth the extra rs 50.

4. karim’s

jama masjid, gali kababian / rs 180 per bowl / 7.5/10

karim’s nihari functions as delhi’s most famous breakfast soup for many people. it’s a slow-cooked bone marrow broth that’s rich, heavy, and warming. not technically “soup” in the pishori sense but if you’re looking for a hot, restorative broth on a cold morning, nihari at karim’s is the old delhi answer. the price has gone up over the years and the portion has gotten slightly smaller, which is annoying but expected.

what to order: nihari with a kulcha or naan

verdict: legacy broth. not cheap anymore but still hits different on a january morning.

5. kallu nihari

old delhi / rs 150 per bowl / 7.5/10

kallu is where the locals go when they think karim’s has become too touristy. the nihari here is simpler, more rustic, and arguably more honest. less fat swimming on top, more actual flavour in the broth. again, this is nihari not chicken soup, but it scratches the same winter itch.

what to order: mutton nihari, single plate

verdict: the local alternative to karim’s. no frills, good broth.

the ones i’d skip (but you might not)

6. haji shabrati nihari

old delhi / rs 120 per bowl / 7.5/10

another nihari spot that locals swear by. opens early morning and sells out by 10 am on cold days. the broth is thinner than karim’s but the spice blend is sharper. hit or miss depending on what time you go.

verdict: worth it if you’re in the area before 9 am. otherwise don’t make a special trip.

7. amrik sukhdev

murthal highway / rs 120 per glass / 7/10

this is a highway stop, not a delhi street stall. but enough delhiites make the murthal run in winter specifically for soup and parathas that it deserves a mention. the soup is decent, the parathas are the real draw, and the rs 120 price is fair for a highway dhaba.

verdict: only if you’re already driving to murthal. not worth a dedicated trip for soup alone.

8. andhra bhawan canteen

near india gate / rs 80 per thali (includes rasam) / 7/10

hear me out. andhra bhawan’s rasam is technically not soup but it functions as one - hot, tangy, peppery, and deeply comforting. you get it as part of their legendary rs 80 unlimited thali. if you’re vegetarian and craving a warm broth, this is your answer.

verdict: not soup. but better than most things marketed as soup.

delhi soup tips

• timing matters. soup season in delhi is roughly november to february. pishori and sunny are open year-round but the experience is best when it’s genuinely cold outside. go after 6 pm for peak atmosphere.
• go to pishori first. if you can only visit one, make it pishori. the consistency alone is worth the trip.
• don’t overdose on condiments at sunny. start with small amounts and build up. too much vinegar kills the broth flavour.
• rs 100 is the standard. both major spots charge rs 100 per glass and it’s enough for one person. bring a friend if you want to split.
• winter weekends are chaos. the lines at both places can stretch 20-30 minutes on saturday evenings in december-january. weekday visits are significantly calmer.
• pair it right. a glass of soup followed by a walk through chandni chowk for kebabs is the ideal delhi winter evening.
• carry cash. neither pishori nor sunny accepts upi reliably. bring rs 100 notes.

if you found this useful, check out these other delhi guides:

• best street food in daryaganj
• best nonveg food in north delhi
• best breakfast in north delhi
• best street food in north delhi