Chor Bizarre: A diner that will steal your heart

Chor Bizarre, Delhi’s iconic restaurant, first captured the city’s heart when it opened in 1990 at Hotel Broadway on Asaf Ali Road. Now, after a brief hiatus and relocations, it has returned to its original location, where it belongs. Despite the time that’s passed, Chor Bizarre’s popularity endures, with even the younger crowd captivated by its retro charm. This one-of-a-kind restaurant not only offers unforgettable cuisine but also surrounds guests with eclectic interiors, quirky curios from across India, and a warm sense of hospitality. Originally, Chor Bizarre introduced a whole new dining experience to Delhiites, and with its recent reopening, it’s weaving the same magic through an expanded menu, vibrant regional cuisine pop-ups, and fresh design elements.

Celebrating regional flavours

Chor Bizarre’s emphasis remains on Kashmiri and North Indian dishes, though its new menu celebrates India’s culinary diversity in greater depth. Rohit Khattar, the restaurant’s founder and a Srinagar native, proudly shares, “We are amongst a handful who have access to the secrets of the ‘Wazwan’ – the legendary Kashmiri community feast of 36 courses from which selections are available. We have three wazas in our kitchen to ensure an authentic experience.” Alongside these treasured dishes, the new menu now includes an extensive variety of vegetarian dishes, street-style chaats, and choices from around India. For Khattar, this evolution is a true tribute to India’s cultural richness.

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Living up to its tagline as “India’s Restaurant,” Chor Bizarre hosts pop-ups all year that spotlight the country’s regional specialities. While Kashmiri cuisine forms the heart of the menu with iconic dishes like goshtaba and yakhni, diners will also find chicken chettinad, nihari gosht, Malabar prawn curry, sabz biryani, and jackfruit moilee. Every dish arrives at tables that differ in style, with each one adding a unique touch. The dishware, collected from across India, reflects the restaurant’s “Nothing matches but everything gels” philosophy, blending into a dynamic dining experience.

Adding a new dimension to the decor is the “Kashmir Corner,” showcasing local woodcraft and crewel embroidery, along with pop-up themes like “Tribute to Our Neighbourhood.” Rohit explains, “We have curated and are bringing you some of the very best chaats – papdi chaat, kalmi vadas, aloo chaat, kachoris, and even the great Japani samosa as a tribute to these legendary shops and stalls – some over a century old.” Coming soon are even more pop-ups featuring dishes from the North East and other lesser known Indian cuisines, ensuring guests embark on an evolving culinary journey with every visit.

A bazaar for the senses

Chor Bizarre’s interiors are as much of an attraction as its food. A delightful blend of kitsch and bazaar-like charm, the decor is thoughtfully designed to evoke a true chor bazaar experience. Rohit recalls, “I came back after studying in the US and wanted to start a restaurant. I loved collecting bric-a-brac so my mother happened to mention to designer Rajeev Sethi that I was a bit of a kabaddi (a collector of odds and ends). He then suggested that I should try a restaurant with a chor bazaar theme. That set the ball rolling.” Inspired by this idea, Rohit and his wife, Rashmi, sourced elements from street markets and chor bazaars across India, transforming Chor Bizarre into a feast for the eyes as much as the tastebuds.

Upon reopening, Rashmi took the lead in restoring the restaurant’s eclectic interiors, adding new (yet vintage) touches while keeping signature items like the four-poster bed, the Singer sewing machine table, and the 1927 Fiat—now Chor Bizarre’s “Chaat Mobile” (previously a salad bar). The ambience brings to life a bazaar’s quirky energy, with artefacts collected from across the country. “Our hand picked collection of furniture, tableware, and curios is meant to draw guests in and inspire them to explore beyond the table,” says Rohit. Diners find themselves surrounded by retro Bollywood posters, tables brimming with antique jewellery, and an array of appetisers and kebabs.

Adding to the nostalgia is a carefully curated Bollywood playlist featuring old tunes from Rohit’s personal collection. A self confessed Bollywood enthusiast, Rohit shares how growing up in his family’s cinema theatre in Srinagar meant he watched multiple films a day from the projection room. This playlist, paired with the warmly lit space, amplifies the sense of yesteryear and completes the experience of stepping into a different era.

A legacy of culinary excellence

While the rooms at Hotel Broadway, where Chor Bizarre resides, are still being refurbished, the restaurant itself is open and ready to welcome diners. Rohit, who is also the Founder Chairman of Old World Hospitality, the company behind Chor Bizarre, sees this reopening as a deeply personal project. “Chor Bizarre was the first restaurant I opened. Since then, we have launched many others. However, reopening this one is a homecoming. No other place is as close to my heart as Chor Bizarre.” Over the years, the restaurant has garnered multiple awards, consistently topping lists for its outstanding culinary offerings. It’s also India’s first ISO 9002-certified restaurant, underscoring its dedication to quality.

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Chef Srinivas A, the Brand Chef for Chor Bizarre, has been with Old World Hospitality for 17 years, playing a crucial role in its culinary journey. “It’s said you could travel the length and breadth of India and not repeat the same dish at any meal. So, just as we did for the décor, we have collected interesting recipes from different parts of the country to make your gastronomic adventure complete.” For Srinivas and the entire team, every dish on the menu is crafted with the goal of showcasing India’s vast culinary landscape.

Chor Bizarre continues to evoke the nostalgia of India in all its eclectic beauty, combining food and decor with a joyful sense of fun and reverence for tradition. It’s an experience that every visitor should savour, a place where memories are made and India’s spirit comes alive in each flavour and every carefully chosen artefact.