Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
3 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
3 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
4 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All India New Delhi Cafe Lota
Gastro Obscura

Cafe Lota

Nestled among the artifacts of the National Crafts Museum, this hidden gem offers hard-to-find regional foods from all over India.

New Delhi, India

Added By
Reina Gattuso
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
  Somdutta/Used with permission
  Somdutta/Used with permission
  Imrana Khan/Used with permission
  Portraits of Inquisivity/Used with permission
  Do Chatore/Used with permission
  Portraits of Inquisivity/Used with permission
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The ancient art in New Delhi's National Museum may get all the credit, but if you want a truly multisensory tour of India, the National Crafts Museum's Cafe Lota is the place to go. For decades after its establishment in the 1950s, the Crafts Museum, despite its stunning collection of textiles, sculptures, and other handicrafts, was largely neglected. Since 2013, the museum has experienced a renaissance, thanks largely to the opening of its cafe. Nestled in the museum's courtyard among replicated village scenes built by craftspeople from all over India, Cafe Lota serves hard-to-find regional specialties, using often-overlooked traditional grains to showcase the ingenuity of the country's diverse cuisines.

Upon entering the courtyard, visitors are greeted by rows of terra cotta horses, made by craftspeople especially for the museum. The horses guard a Village Complex, built in 1972 for the Asia Trade Fair and since relocated to the museum premises. Consisting of 15 different structures, including houses and shrines, the Village Complex was created by regional craftsmen using materials sourced from those areas. The courtyard walls showcase murals in indigenous styles from all over India, including a Mithila painting from Bihar and a painting from the indigenous Santhal people of Jharkand and West Bengal.

Inside, visitors can see examples of the over 30,000 artifacts in the museum's collection, including rare handwoven saris from the 19th century and gold and silver work. They can also look out for the museum's artist residency for traditional craftspeople as well as periodic interactive sessions and cultural events, including dance and music performances. But the real star of the show is in the courtyard itself: Cafe Lota. Built to resemble a typical outdoor roadside restaurant or dhaba, the cafe is open-air, shaded by a roof of dried natural materials. The menu embodies the same authenticity, using local grains such as ragi or millet to re-create dishes from India's vastly diverse regional cuisines. The menu includes traditional dishes such as Uttarakhand indigenous black bean curry with bhaang or hemp chutney (don't worry: it's not psychoactive) and playful fusion food, such as amaranth-crusted Amritsari-spiced "fish and chips." In an increasingly standardized culinary culture, where industrial crops such as wheat and rice have overtaken traditional regional grains, Cafe Lota and the Crafts Museum remind visitors of the diversity and ingenuity of India's farmers, craftspeople, and cooks.

Related Tags

Crafts Museums India Unique Restaurants & Bars

Know Before You Go

The cafe is indoor-outdoor, with a natural ceiling and plenty of fans giving the space a breezy feel. The restaurant, however, doesn't have air conditioning, so the faint of heart (or sweat gland) may not be comfortable going at midday from May to July. Try going for dinner when the asphalt-melting summer heat has cooled down—or wait for a beautiful, breezy Delhi winter day.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Delhi and Rajasthan: Colors of India

Discover Colorful Rajasthan: From Delhi to Jaipur and Beyond.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

Reina Gattuso

Published

August 2, 2019

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://thefoodhog.com/street-food-in-delhi/
  • https://thefoodhog.com/street-food-in-delhi/
Cafe Lota
Crafts Museum, Bhairon Marg
Pragati Maidan
New Delhi
India
28.61367, 77.242581
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

India Gate Canopy

New Delhi, India

miles away

Judah Hyam Synagogue

New Delhi, India

miles away

Sunderwala Burj

New Delhi, India

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Delhi

New Delhi

India

Places 24
Stories 4

Nearby Places

India Gate Canopy

New Delhi, India

miles away

Judah Hyam Synagogue

New Delhi, India

miles away

Sunderwala Burj

New Delhi, India

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of New Delhi

New Delhi

India

Places 24
Stories 4

Related Stories and Lists

12 Restaurants Hidden in Museums Around the Globe

List

By Diana Hubbell

Related Places

  • Casa Cruz’s alebrijes for sale.

    San Martín Tilcajete, Mexico

    Casa Cruz

    Legacy of Isidoro Cruz Hernández, one of the most crucial artists in the history of the alebrijes craft in this town.

  • Old Town State Historic Park

    San Diego, California

    Old Town State Historic Park

    A blast from the past in central San Diego.

  • Museum of Beadwork Gallery

    Portland, Maine

    Museum of Beadwork

    The only museum in the world dedicated to the global, historic, and modern art of beadwork.

  • Rabenau, Germany

    Deutsches Stuhlbaumuseum

    Take a seat at this museum that celebrates a centuries-old tradition in a town known for its furniture.

  • After his gemstone-studded saddle won a prize in the 1904 World’s Fair, G.S. Garcia became a sought-after name in riding gear.

    Elko, Nevada

    Cowboy Arts & Gear Museum

    Once a famous outpost for purchasing saddles and spurs, this museum preserves the art, craft, and style of the American cowboy.

    Sponsored by Travel Nevada
  • Some of the museum’s giants.

    Lleida, Spain

    Casa dels Gegants

    Discover everything there is to know about Catalan giants and "Big-Heads."

  • Weston, Missouri

    National Silk Art Museum

    The largest collection of woven silk tapestries in the world.

  • Bienno, Italy

    Fucina Museo

    A place to appreciate the sweat and ingenuity it used to take to make a pot.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.