Best North Indian Restaurants in Chennai: Where to Find Authentic Tandoor, Curries and Biryani
A guide to five North Indian restaurants in Chennai, with dishes, cost for two and how to book
30 Sep, 2026 by Purbita Bhattacharjee
Punjab Grill, The Great Kabab Factory, Cream Centre, J. Hind and The New Punjab Club are five places to book for North Indian food in Chennai. Between them, they cover tandoor kebabs, butter chicken, and dum biryani, with cost for two running from ₹1,100 to ₹3,000. All five are bookable on EazyDiner.
Each of the five has a dish or two that makes the trip worth it. In this list, you'll find what they serve, how the room feels, and what else to order alongside the signature plates. Pick the one that suits your plan, then book a table on EazyDiner.
In this guide
- What Should You Expect From North Indian Food in Chennai?
- Which Are the Best North Indian Restaurants in Chennai?
- How Do the Best North Indian Restaurants in Chennai Compare?
- What Should You Order at North Indian Restaurants in Chennai, and Where?
- Which North Indian Grill Buffets in Chennai Are Worth Booking?
- Where Can You Find Vegetarian and Pure Veg North Indian Food in Chennai?
- How Do You Book a Table at North Indian Restaurants in Chennai?
- How Should You Plan Your North Indian Meal in Chennai?
- Frequently Asked Questions
What Should You Expect From North Indian Food in Chennai?
North Indian food in Chennai is built around the tandoor, thick gravies and breads, with biryani and a sweet finish alongside. Expect smoky kebabs, dal, butter-based curries and rice cooked in the dum style. The restaurants here also differ in format, from à la carte menus to full buffets.
- Tandoor starters: Galouti Kebab, Paneer Tikka and Ajwaini Fish Tikka all come off the grill.
- Gravies: Butter Chicken, Malai Kofta and Banjara Gosht.
- Breads and rice: Ulta Tawa Paratha, Channa Bhatura and Mutton Dum Biryani.
- Buffets: The Great Kabab Factory and J. Hind both run as buffets.
Which Are the Best North Indian Restaurants in Chennai?
The best North Indian restaurants in Chennai are Punjab Grill in Velachery for butter chicken and dum biryani, The Great Kabab Factory in Egmore for kebabs, Cream Centre in Anna Nagar East for pure veg food, J. Hind in T. Nagar for a buffet, and The New Punjab Club for frontier dishes.
Punjab Grill, Phoenix Market City, Chennai
Punjab Grill is a polished, upscale dining room inside Phoenix Market City, set up for long family meals. It serves both veg and non-veg food and opens from 12 PM to 10 PM every day (Source: EazyDiner restaurant page). Start with the Palak Patta Chaat, which is crisp spinach leaves topped with dahi and tangy chutney. The Butter Chicken is one non-negotiable from the mains. The Mutton Dum Biryani is slow-cooked in the dum style, and the Kulfi Falooda closes the meal.
Must-haves: Palak Patta Chaat, Dal Punjab Grill, Kulfi Falooda, Butter Chicken, Mutton Dum Biryani
Cost for two: ₹2,200
Ratings: 4.6★ (Excellent)
The Great Kabab Factory, Radisson Blu, Egmore
Kebabs are the whole point here. The restaurant is the signature dining room of Radisson Blu Chennai City Centre, the premium hotel on Ethiraj Salai in Egmore. It is a formal hotel dining room, and the evening is planned around the grill. The restaurant offers multiple buffet options throughout the day. The Galouti Kebab is the soft, minced-meat Lucknowi classic that barely needs chewing. The Gosht Lagaan Ka Seekh is a mutton seekh for anyone who wants more bite. Vegetarians get the Peshwari Paneer Tikka, and the Banjara Gosht covers the gravy side.
Must-haves: Galouti Kebab, Gosht Lagaan Ka Seekh, Peshwari Paneer Tikka, Banjara Gosht
Cost for two: ₹3,000
Ratings: 4.1★ (Good)
Cream Centre - Vegetarian Legacy Since 1958, Anna Nagar East, Chennai
Cream Centre opened its first restaurant at Chowpatty in Mumbai in 1958 and now runs nearly 35 outlets across India, according to the brand's own website (Source: Cream Centre website). The Anna Nagar East branch is pure vegetarian, like all its other outlets. The hall is neat and spacious, making it suitable for a family dinner. The Tandoori Achaari Mushroom brings pickle spices to the tandoor. Paneer Tikka is the safe order, and Channa Bhatura is the heavier one. The Malai Kofta is for anyone who wants a creamy gravy with naan.
Must-haves: Tandoori Achaari Mushroom, Paneer Tikka, Channa Bhatura, Malai Kofta
Cost for two: ₹1,100
Ratings: 4.2★ (Good)
J. Hind, Grand by GRT
Order the Tandoori Seafood Kebabs first. J. Hind is a modern Indian restaurant at Grand by GRT Hotels on Sir Thyagaraya Road in T. Nagar. The interiors offer an old-world charm with a traditional balcony and a display of lights. The Amritsari Dhaba Murgh Makhanwala is a buttery chicken gravy in dhaba style. The Ulta Tawa Paratha comes off an upturned griddle, and the Murgh Malai Kebab is the creamy, mild one. It is another buffet option on this list.
Must-haves: Tandoori Seafood Kebabs, Amritsari Dhaba Murgh Makhanwala, Ulta Tawa Paratha, Murgh Malai Kebab
Cost for two: ₹2,500
Ratings: 4.5★ (Excellent)
The New Punjab Club, Anna Nagar East, Chennai
Old-world gentlemen's club styling sets the tone, with an English club feel and Punjabi food to match (Source: Hospitality News, 2025). The restaurant is on the third floor of J B Khanna Jag Tirth on 2nd Avenue, Anna Nagar East. The menu follows the northwest frontier region as it was before partition, including Punjabi cooking. The Ajwaini Fish Tikka is fish in a carom-seed marinade, cooked in the tandoor. Murgh Ke Sholay is the chicken pick for the table. Pinde Subz covers the vegetarian side.
Must-haves: Ajwaini Fish Tikka, Murgh Ke Sholay, Pinde Subz
Cost for two: ₹1,599
Ratings: 4.7★ (Excellent)
How Do the Best North Indian Restaurants in Chennai Compare?
| Restaurant | Area | Cost for Two | Rating | Must-Have Dishes |
| Punjab Grill | Phoenix Market City, Velachery | ₹2,200 | 4.6★ | Butter Chicken, Mutton Dum Biryani |
| The Great Kabab Factory | Radisson Blu, Egmore | ₹3,000 | 4.1★ | Galouti Kebab, Banjara Gosht |
| Cream Centre | Anna Nagar East | ₹1,100 | 4.2★ | Channa Bhatura, Malai Kofta |
| J. Hind | Grand by GRT, T. Nagar | ₹2,500 | 4.5★ | Tandoori Seafood Kebabs, Ulta Tawa Paratha |
| The New Punjab Club | Anna Nagar East | ₹1,599 | 4.7★ | Ajwaini Fish Tikka, Murgh Ke Sholay |
What Should You Order at North Indian Restaurants in Chennai, and Where?
Order butter chicken at Punjab Grill, kebabs at The Great Kabab Factory and Channa Bhatura at Cream Centre. Here is the full list by dish type.
- Butter chicken and gravies: Butter Chicken at Punjab Grill, Amritsari Dhaba Murgh Makhanwala at J. Hind, Banjara Gosht at The Great Kabab Factory.
- Kebabs and tikkas: Galouti Kebab at The Great Kabab Factory, Ajwaini Fish Tikka at The New Punjab Club, Murgh Malai Kebab at J. Hind.
- Street-style plates and breads: Palak Patta Chaat at Punjab Grill, Channa Bhatura at Cream Centre, Ulta Tawa Paratha at J. Hind.
- Biryani: Mutton Dum Biryani at Punjab Grill.
- Vegetarian mains: Malai Kofta at Cream Centre, Peshwari Paneer Tikka at The Great Kabab Factory, Pinde Subz at The New Punjab Club.
- Dessert: Kulfi Falooda at Punjab Grill.
Which North Indian Grill Buffets in Chennai Are Worth Booking?
Two restaurants in this guide run as buffets. The Great Kabab Factory in Egmore is built around kebabs and lists ₹3,000 for two. J. Hind in T. Nagar is a modern Indian restaurant at Grand by GRT and lists ₹2,500 for two.
- Confirm the format: EazyDiner also describes J. Hind's multi-course tasting menu, so confirm the buffet with the restaurant when you reserve (Source: EazyDiner restaurant page).
- Treat the price as a guide: Cost for two is approximate and can change with the day and the menu.
Where Can You Find Vegetarian and Pure Veg North Indian Food in Chennai?
Cream Centre in Anna Nagar East is the pure vegetarian option in this list. Punjab Grill, The Great Kabab Factory, J. Hind and The New Punjab Club serve both veg and non-veg food (Source: EazyDiner restaurant pages). The vegetarian dishes worth ordering:
- Cream Centre: Tandoori Achaari Mushroom, Paneer Tikka, Channa Bhatura, Malai Kofta
- The Great Kabab Factory: Peshwari Paneer Tikka
- The New Punjab Club: Pinde Subz
- Punjab Grill: Palak Patta Chaat and Dal Punjab Grill
How Do You Book a Table at North Indian Restaurants in Chennai?
You can book a table at any of these North Indian restaurants in Chennai through EazyDiner in four steps.
- Open the EazyDiner app or website and select Chennai.
- Search for the restaurant by name, for example, Punjab Grill in Phoenix Market City.
- Choose your date, time, and number of guests. For The Great Kabab Factory, pick a lunch or dinner sitting.
- Confirm the reservation.
Pay the bill through PayEazy on the EazyDiner app. All five restaurants in this guide are listed as PayEazy-enabled (Source: EazyDiner restaurant pages).
How Should You Plan Your North Indian Meal in Chennai?
Pick by neighbourhood first. Punjab Grill is in Velachery, The Great Kabab Factory in Egmore, and J. Hind in T. Nagar. Cream Centre and The New Punjab Club are both in Anna Nagar East.
People are eating out more often now. The National Restaurant Association of India's India Food Services Report 2024 found that the average Indian ate out 7.9 times a month in 2023-24, up 20% from 6.6 times in 2018-19 (Source: Business Standard, 2024).
For North Indian food in Chennai, start with the kebabs or the butter chicken, add a bread, and leave room for dessert. Then book your table on EazyDiner before you head out.
Written By
Purbita is a cheerful soul with a strong passion for reading, cooking, and travelling. An avid film buff, she often escapes into the world of fiction. A trained Bharatnatyam dancer, she loves to shake a leg, blending formal grace with her lively spirit. She aspires to become a renowned food and lifestyle writer.
