Forget every rooftop restaurant charging ₹500 for Instagram views and watery butter chicken. Real deal is in holes-in-the-wall where you'll hear more Hindi than English.

The technique matters: Proper butter chicken = tomato base slow-cooked for 3+ hours until it's thick enough to coat a spoon, then finished with cream. Not cream dumped over bland chicken like tourist spots do. Dal makhani should simmer overnight — If it's not black-dark and creamy, walk away.

Where locals go: Sher-e-Punjab (Rawatpara, ₹180 for full meal), Joneys Place (opposite GPO, ask for 'extra teekha' if you want actual spice), and Taj Restaurant (not the fancy one — The tiny joint in Sadar Bazaar). These guys have been perfecting recipes since the 80s.

Pro move: Order family-style — Share 2-3 dishes instead of individual plates. Get the garlic naan, not butter naan. And if they serve you anything in under 15 minutes, it's pre-made tourist slop.