Ask a Hyderabadi what he wants to eat for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, chances are they would give a one word answer – Biryani! Any top 10 Famous Food Places in Hyderabad would have 6 Biryani Places. Lack of exposure to other cuisines, spicy palates, love for Hyderabadi food and low cosmo crowd allowed Biryani to rule the food scene. It still does, but then the winds of change are already here. People are heading to the new joints, hopping from continental to pan-Asian to Mexican to Brazilian!

But Hyderabad is a long way from being a food capital like say Delhi, Mumbai or even the arch rival Bangalore. We already have seen biggies from these cities expand to Hyderabad after being away for all these years. With the political instability being a faint memory, the only way to go now is food-forward to get there 10 Famous Food Places in Hyderabad. We did see SodaBottleOpenerWala, Mamagoto, Dhaba by Claridge, Tim Tai, Prost and Malaka Spice reach the City of Nizams, but for sure we need more.

So here is a look at the much needed 10 Famous Food Places in Hyderabad  –

1. Social Offline –

Given the number of check-ins that Hyderabadi’s do at Socials in Hauz Khaas, Churchstreet, Colaba, it’s high time they come here. We already have 2-3 copycats thriving by using the ‘Social’ tag, but we need an original one soon. They already have 15 outlets so let 16 be the lucky number for Hyderabad. Anyways, the rumour of Socials opening has been doing rounds for over 3 months.

2. Farzi Café –

Creating a name in the cluttered Delhi food scene is a huge task. And if you manage to do that so soon, you have got to be good at what you do! So, after the hype around Socials had settled, people started moving to Farzi. The twisted offerings, over the top showmanship with the food and the ever so popular spirits, made this one ‘The’ place to be. They have already moved on to Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore, so Hyderabad seems the next thing to do.

3. Theobroma –

Think of brownies and Theo’s pops up into the head. Another Parsi food joint that has become a legend in the baking and café scene. Although they haven’t gone outside Mumbai yet, Hyderabad can always be the first one. People travelling from Mumbai are always threatened to carry this back. So even a small joint with just the brownies would do too.

4. Blue Frog –

One thing we constantly crib about in Hyderabad is how we don’t have any good clubs to hang out on weekends. Blue Frog did that for Mumbai and then moved to Pune and Delhi. Live shows, dance nights, good food and more music – exactly what we need in Hyderabad. Also, it might make the other big clubs follow soon too.

5. Smoke House Deli –

Fine dine took another meaning when this places opened shop. Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Kolkatta have had a taste of it already. Their menu is super and the taste is hard hitting. The white interiors, well-lit place and the easy ambiance have become a signature of this place. The Hyderabadi palate might take a while to adjust but then worth a try.

6. Bar Stock Exchange –

After Social and Farzi, this is the most sought after place when Hyderabadi’s travel out. A sort of drinking heaven that has gained followers with its dynamic pricing routine. People bring their sauve investor instincts on board to get the drinks here. Now that they have started foraying into other cities by converting the old places, I am sure we can lend a Hyderabadi pub for the cause.

7. Truffles, Ice and Spice –

This is a personal call and plea of sorts. The only place in Bangalore that is packed on weekdays and weekends and that too without having a brewery. Food is the star and how! In a place dotted with food places, if people still wait 30min to get a seat, that says a lot. Burgers, shakes, quick-eats and bakery to die for and super VFM.

8. Saravana Bhavan –

For Indians travelling abroad, this place brings a smile to their faces. This is the go-to place if you are vegetarian and can’t adjust to any other food type. With 56 outlets across the World, they are the masters of expansion. And given the love of Hyderabadi’s for thalis, tiffins and meals, I say we ought to get one of our own too. Some might argue that it’s lost the charm and too commercial now, but hey we already know that with Paradise.

9.  Arbor / Big Brewsky / Toit –

So I have clubbed all 3 because if even one of them comes to Hyderabad, the other 2 shall follow. All 3 have amazing beers (better than Prost), top-notch ambiance and super food options. With Bangalore brewery scene becoming so cramped up and the fascination of Hyderabadi’s with brewery, it’s the perfect time to enter.

10. Monkey Bar / Fatty Bao –

Chef Manu Chandra is a master when it comes to setting up a food scene. Hyderabad surely needs his magic touch to take us to the next level. Once he sets foot here, the other biggies won’t be far behind. Any of this outlets would do for now.

I say we start a petition online to bring all these to Hyderabad right away! We are the foodies, we love our drink and we do go out a lot. And for sure our old humble Biryani won’t mind if we spend a little time with different food items. And inside news is that a few of these are already on the way, some just a month away too..sshhh..

What are the other places that you would want to see in Hyderabad?