Are Mumbai, Delhi and Jaipur the best cities for street food? We asked top chefs
Okay, it’s time for yet another food debate. Recently, Time Out released its latest survey on the world’s best cities for street food 2026. Of
Okay, it’s time for yet another food debate. Recently, Time Out released its latest survey on the world’s best cities for street food 2026. Of course, India made it to the global rankings because, it’s well established that the country’s culinary heritage is increasingly becoming part of international food conversations. And when it comes to street food, we'd be worried if it didn't. Read Full Story This time, three Indian cities cracked the top 20 list. The order and picks, however, is where things get spicy. With a 55 per cent approval rating, Mumbai secured the 10th spot on the list. Jaipur secured the 15th spot with 53 per cent approval, while New Delhi was ranked 19th with 52 per cent. (Please don't come at us, we didn't make these rankings.) The ranking is based on responses from over 24,000 people worldwide about their city's street food scene. Indian street food has something for every palette (Photo: Getty) If this sense of deja vu feels familiar, that's because Time Out had earlier released its World's Best Food Cities 2026 list, where Bengaluru ranked 13th - sparking debate among Indian food lovers. Now, the latest street food rankings have reignited that conversation. So, we decided to ask two of India's best-known chefs to weigh in.
Do they agree with the list? Not entirely. Chef Sanjeev Kapoor takes a nuanced view of the ranking. Rather than debating whether Mumbai, Delhi or Jaipur deserve their spots, he argues that such lists are inherently subjective, shaped by their methodology, who compiles them, who participates and whether they are based on expert opinion or public voting. "Whenever a list of any kind is made, there are multiple ways to arrive at a ranking. In today's day and age, when there is so much at stake, sometimes these lists are also influenced in ways we don't know." However, Chef Ajay Chopra does not agree with the ranking of the Indian cities. "The ranking is definitely not well researched, I would say," he adds, advocating for Delhi to be on top. Delhi vs Mumbai Both places have their edge, but when it comes to street food, experts think Delhi deserves the better spot. "We cannot take away from the fact that Delhi has been a street food zone and a melting pot for hundreds of years. The street food is much older and also much more diverse," Chopra, who has been living in Mumbai for the past 16 years, tells India Today. While he acknowledges that Mumbai's vada pav, misal pav and pav bhaji are great additions and immensely popular, he believes Delhi should rank higher.
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