Chatpati Delhi made The New York Times’ list of the country’s 50 best restaurants in 2025. How could this not be worth a bike ride?
Really, you say?
Really. This isn’t some fancy, white linen tablecloth establishment like just about every other place on the list. It’s casual and affordable (in keeping with a menu heavy on street food), in a suburban strip mall(!) in the middle of New Jersey(!!). In other words, you could show up in bike clothes and not be out of place.
This was a 28-mile ride with a big food stop in the middle, using a mix of the D&R Canal towpath and roads. Here’s the route. (Are you a foodie who is biking along the East Coast Greenway? This is a 5-mile detour from the Griggstown Causeway to the restaurant.)
A dozen of us met at our starting point of Turning Basin Park in Princeton, and we picked up another rider along the way.
We turned heads inside the restaurant as we walked our bikes through the parking lot (we’d dismounted to walk the grassy divider between the strip mall and the CVS on the corner). Where were these crazy cyclists going?
Inside, it turned out. Once we parked our bikes around the corner on the side of the building.
This is a no-reservation place, but it was early lunchtime on a Friday so we could walk right in. And then a couple of men kindly moved one table over so we could push three tables together.
Let’s get to the important part: what did we eat?
It was easier to order as a group and share. So I did. After all, I’d been here once before. We ordered two of everything so everyone could try. Some of the food photos are from my first visit.
My informal polling found lots of raves for the Raj Kachori. This is a large fried hollow ball of dough that’s filled with various yummies, surrounded by yogurt, tamarind sauce and coriander chutney and topped with some super thin crunchy Indian noodles made of chickpea flour, more yogurt and other things. Don’t ask me — we all just dug in. So much flavor!
We also had the Sev Puri Dahi Puri (spdp), which was similar but had six small fried dough balls instead of the one big one. Both are considered chaats, or snacks. We ordered two of each for the table, essentially as an appetizer. Demolished. Cost in 2026: $9.95 and $8.95 apiece.
Chatpati Delhi is known for these puffy breads the size of your head but hollow. Lots of oohs when they came out. (One order is two breads). It’s accompanied by a small portion of a chickpea curry-like dish. This is Chole bhature. $12.95 per portion.
Then we had Malai Kofta, which I loved from my first visit. It’s fried paneer (cheese) and apparently potato in a orange-y sauce made with cashews. Plus rice. Rich but not spicy hot. $14.95 per portion.
Really, that should have been enough. But someone (not me!) wanted to try the chicken biryani. Wow, the presentation on that! But it’s also where it started getting a bit spicy hot for some in the group. Oh well, lots left for me to take home for dinner. 🙂 Why do you think I brought a pannier? $16.95 per portion.
Dessert? No one could imagine eating another bite. Next time?
Also in our order was some extra rice, some naan breads, a couple of drinks. (Cold coffee comes with whipped cream in what looks like an ice cream sundae glass.) I don’t think they missed anything in our bill, and it was $15 per person, tip included.
NJ.com went deep into the menu; here’s what it has to say. I should go back and try some of their favorites. Another bike ride?
Exploring by bicycle 