Head-to-Head

Indian Accent vs Bukhara

Indian Accent for Shantanu Mehrotra's modern-Indian tasting; Bukhara for ITC Maurya's forty-year tandoor and its 18-hour Dal Bukhara.

Indian Accent

New Delhi · Modern Indian · $$$$

Food 9 · Ambience 8 · Value 7

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Bukhara

New Delhi · North-West Frontier · $$$

Food 8 · Ambience 8 · Value 7

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The Verdict

Indian Accent for Shantanu Mehrotra's modern-Indian tasting; Bukhara for ITC Maurya's forty-year tandoor and its 18-hour Dal Bukhara.

Indian Accent opened at The Lodhi in 2009, the modern-Indian benchmark that Manish Mehrotra built and that executive chef Shantanu Mehrotra now runs after Mehrotra left in early 2026 to open Nisaba. It sits at number 19 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, with signatures like blue cheese naan and daulat ki chaat, and scores a 9 on the cooking in our review. Bukhara, the North-West Frontier tandoor room at ITC Maurya, has held its menu and its reputation for roughly forty years, anchored by the Sikandari Raan and a Dal Bukhara simmered over coals for eighteen hours. It scores an 8.

The split is invention against tradition. Indian Accent is the contemporary, plated tasting; Bukhara is the unchanging tandoor institution you eat with your hands.

Spend is close. Both sit in the $$$ to $$$$ tier and earn a 7 for value, but Bukhara's large, shareable plates and Indian Accent's progressive tasting reward different appetites.

Which One for Which Occasion

Occasion	Editorial Pick
First Date	Indian Accentthe refined room and tasting menu make a more intimate evening.
Close a Deal	Indian Accentthe Asia's 50 Best ranking is the credential that carries the table.
Birthday	Bukharathe big shared platters and famous dal suit a celebration.
Impress Clients	Bukharathe forty-year institution is the safe, legendary choice for visitors.
Proposal	Indian Accentthe quieter, plated room is the easier milestone setting.
Solo Dining	Indian Accentthe tasting menu is the better solo order than Bukhara's sharing plates.
Team Dinner	Bukharathe shareable tandoor spread is built for a group.

The Numbers

Our scoring puts Indian Accent at 9 / 8 / 7 (food / ambience / value) and Bukhara at 8 / 8 / 7. Indian Accent wins the cooking on invention and its Asia's 50 Best standing; the rooms and value run even. The honest read is that Indian Accent is the modern statement dinner and Bukhara is the unmissable classic, so decide whether you want new Delhi or the Delhi that never changed.

How to Book

Both are tight hotel tables. Indian Accent is the harder weekend booking given its ranking and smaller room, so reserve one to three weeks out; Bukhara runs two seatings and absorbs more covers, though prime times still fill. Both take reservations directly and through hotel concierge; check the practical-info card on each linked review above for the current platform and policy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Indian Accent or Bukhara?

Indian Accent is the more decorated and inventive of the two: the modern-Indian room at The Lodhi sits at number 19 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants and scores a 9 on our cooking grid for dishes like blue cheese naan and daulat ki chaat. Bukhara is the institution, a North-West Frontier tandoor room at ITC Maurya that has barely changed in forty years. Choose Indian Accent for the contemporary tasting, Bukhara for the legendary kebabs and dal.

How much do Indian Accent and Bukhara cost?

Both are top-tier Delhi hotel restaurants in the $$$ to $$$$ range. Indian Accent runs a contemporary tasting menu plus a la carte and earns a 7 on our value scale for the experience it delivers. Bukhara is a la carte built around tandoor meats and its Dal Bukhara, and also lands a 7, though portions are large and made to share. Either is a serious dinner; expect to spend well above a casual Delhi meal at both.

What should I order at Indian Accent and Bukhara?

At Indian Accent, the blue cheese naan, daulat ki chaat and the soy-keema with quail eggs are the dishes that built its reputation, best taken through the tasting menu. At Bukhara, order the Sikandari Raan, the Murgh Malai kebab and the Dal Bukhara, simmered over coals for eighteen hours. Bukhara is eaten with your hands and a bib; Indian Accent is plated and progressive. Both reward ordering the signatures over experiments.

Which is harder to book, Indian Accent or Bukhara?

Both are tight, but Indian Accent is the harder weekend table given its Asia's 50 Best ranking and smaller room, so book one to three weeks out. Bukhara takes more covers across two seatings and is a little easier, though prime times still fill. Both are hotel restaurants that take reservations directly and through concierge; check the practical-info card on each linked review for the current platform and policy.