Are Mumbai, Delhi and Jaipur world's best cities for street food? We asked top chefs

Dear readers, you can get ready with some popcorn as a spicy food take on the world's best street food cities waits ahead. As three Indian cities featured on the list, here's what Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and Chef Ajay Chopra have to say.

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.

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.

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.

"If I had to choose between Delhi and Mumbai, Delhi would obviously rank higher than Mumbai."

Delhi food supremacy

"If you say Jaipur is above New Delhi, then it is definitely not well researched because Jaipur largely holds Rajasthani food, local food and dishes from the surrounding regions. But if you look at Delhi, it's got food from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, the Mughals—it's got food from everywhere. You can get everything from Hyderabadi food to Kashmiri. Even South Indian food like dosa and idli has taken its own twists and turns in Delhi," adds Chopra, the former MasterChef judge.

For him, Delhi's the melting pot where the north, east, west and south come together.

Cities left off the menu

One common name that both chefs agreed missed out was Indore. The city in Madhya Pradesh is synonymous with the iconic Sarafa Bazaar and the night, Chappan Dukan, when it comes to street food.

"If I were given the task, one city that I would not miss is Indore because of the diversity that exists there, especially the variety available on its streets. There is one street that comes alive every night and is celebrated, and people travel to that city not just because it is India's cleanest city but also because of its street food," says Kapoor.

There's more than just poha and jalebi. From crisp khopra pattice hiding a sweet coconut filling to bhutte ka kees and spicy fried garadu (yam), Indore's street food is as diverse as it is distinctive.

Chopra, too, is clear about his preferred list, and Indore is one of the names he strongly backs.

"If I had to make my own ranking, it would be Delhi, then Lucknow, then Indore, then Jaipur, and then Mumbai. I'm sorry, but Mumbai comes pretty late on the list when it comes to street food."

He also names Kolkata and Hyderabad as cities that deserve a place on the list.

Final bite

Kapoor sees these lists as opportunities to spark conversations around India's diverse street food culture. "It's good that three Indian cities are there. Let's celebrate that. I always believe more conversations are needed to promote places like this. I hope that in the next list, Indore is right at the top."

So, while this is what the experts think, what is your favourite place for street food?

- Ends