11 must-visit creative hotspots in New Delhi

From bookstores and bars to innovative galleries and new airport terminals – here are New Delhi’s top hangout spots that offer a stylish vibe for the creative crowd.

1. CMYK Bookstore: A Mecca for Print and Design Enthusiasts

Once you understand that CMYK represents the four primary inks—cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black)—used in printing, it’s clear that this quirky bookstore is all about celebrating the art of print.

CMYK focuses on design books curated by designers, offering a unique, creative perspective on the world of design.

It’s the quirky little items—the design fixes for creative minds—that have been flying off the shelves: foldable vases, credit card-sized reading glasses that fit into your wallet, custom stationery, Pantone-colored Seletti chairs, pocket-sized art books—everything an aesthetically-starved New Delhi needs to feed its design hunger.

2. Paintball Field: Get Ready to Fire

Paintball is pure, unadulterated fun. Critics might complain about promoting violent tendencies, but just shoot 'em. In New Delhi’s Select Citywalk Mall in Saket, the love for vivid, eye-popping colors comes alive on the paintball field.

Teams clash on a field dotted with oversized yellow plastic pods, offering cover like a playground for grown-ups. Games can stretch up to an hour, with pricing based on how many pellets you’re willing to unleash.

Think of it as year-round Holi chaos. Replace traditional water guns with high-powered paintball guns, and load up on color-filled capsules. Lock, load, and fire away!

3. The Café at Moon River: Coffee, Tea, and a Touch of Audrey

Channeling the essence of Audrey Hepburn’s iconic Holly Golightly, this charming café serves up berry and blossom teas, offering the perfect spot for those who want to relax and unwind in a cozy rattan chair while savoring a peaceful afternoon.

Inspired by the sweet melody of ‘Moon River’ from *Breakfast at Tiffany’s*, the café stays true to its namesake. Creative director Radhika Gupta has crossed many rivers—and oceans—in style, curating a beautiful selection of art pieces that grace her store.

The café flows seamlessly with the rest of the space, complete with potted palms, vibrant artwork, and a wall lined with shelves of books.

“In a city full of cookie-cutter cafés, this is a peaceful retreat,” says Gupta. She’s also a big fan of the “irresistibly delicious” double-chocolate chip cookies. The menu is refined and curated—definitely something Audrey Hepburn would adore.

4. Shiro: Where East Meets East at This Chic Resto-Bar

Pan-Asian cuisine is all the rage right now, and Shiro capitalizes on this trend with its franchise locations, including one at the Samrat Hotel in New Delhi. Spanning 6,500 square feet, Shiro offers an atmosphere that blends the familiar with the exotic, paired with a menu that follows the same theme. The space is divided into three sections: the bar, private dining areas, and a Teppanyaki zone with three live cooking stations.

The New Delhi outpost mirrors the grand design of its Mumbai flagship, featuring soaring ceilings for a castle-like feel (Shiro means 'castle' in Japanese), complemented by bold red accents and dramatic decor. Highlights include a massive statue of a Thai queen and another seven-foot-tall portrait of her face.

The energy at Shiro is undeniable, thanks to the exceptional menu. The focus is on dishes that cater to the Indian taste, with unique twists like adding fresh figs to a mojito or wasabi root to vegetables—enough of an unexpected spin to justify the premium prices.

5. New Terminal 3: Indira Gandhi International Airport

A true marvel of modern architecture, the gleaming Terminal 3 at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport has received widespread acclaim while managing to avoid the usual criticism aimed at the capital.

With impressive features like parking for 4,300 cars, a 100-room transit hotel, and public art installations, Terminal 3 stands out. It also boasts 78 aerobridges—more than Singapore’s Changi Airport—and 168 check-in counters, all set up to handle the massive Airbus A-380, according to *The Hindu* newspaper.

However, the real comparison worth noting isn’t with global giants, but with its much smaller and less sophisticated neighbor, Terminal 2, just a few miles away.

6. Mocha Arthouse: Where Kitsch Meets Culinary Creativity

Food and art aren’t exactly a natural pairing, and neither are galleries and shopping malls. But Mocha Arthouse, an art gallery serving organic and raw foods, hosting live performances, and nestled within a massive mall, is determined to break the mold and prove that the food-art combo can work (despite many failed attempts in New Delhi).

Mocha is known for its colorful reputation, popular with teens for fruit-flavored sheeshas and indulgent desserts, but now the brand is evolving. It’s appealing to a more mature crowd of 30-somethings, who crave a balanced mind-body experience, but aren’t above ordering a decadent Oreo cookie and fudge brownie milkshake when the cravings hit.

“A place where inspirational food meets food that inspires,” says Riyaaz Amlani, the Mumbai-based CEO behind the Arthouse concept.

The concept may sound simple, but the execution is striking. Electronica beats fill the air, digitalized pixel art lines the walls, and reimagined Bollywood and Bharatnatyam performances blend seamlessly with deconstructed dishes like tomato pies, carrot spaghetti, and raw garden lasagna.

Kitsch meets kitchen—this could be the start of something truly special.

7. Mamagoto: Tempura Rock Shrimp Delight

Hidden behind the cracked, quirky pavement of Khan Market’s middle alley, past unremarkable stairs, lies a doorway to a little slice of Tokyo cuteness. Mamagoto is the darling restaurant of the moment, but it’s one that’s set to linger long in your taste buds and imagination.

The interiors are a tribute to Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami, alongside a nod to the legions of devoted Hello Kitty fans in India.

How did the adorable world of kawaii (cute) culture remain unexplored in New Delhi for so long?

Then came Mamagoto this past March, effortlessly fusing classic Oriental cuisine with a playful Japanese subculture twist. Rock shrimp tempura with ponzu pepper and chili mayo to-go? Absolutely! Wrapped in floral wallpaper, of course!

Mamagoto, meaning ‘to play with food,’ is as much about fun as it is about flavor—a literal pun on its delightful dining experience.

8. The Caravan Magazine: Writing that’s off the beaten path

Long-form journalism is the ultimate goal for reporters, but do the readers in New Delhi really want to dive into pages of print? *The Caravan* – a journal of politics and culture – aims to challenge the stigma around detailed reporting with top-tier journalism in the political heart of the nation.

Based in New Delhi, *The Caravan*'s history reflects the dynamic nature of the city itself.

Originally launched in 1940, the magazine became a hub for intellectual debate and activism. By the late 1980s, it had rebranded as a more populist publication named *Alive*, with the unfortunate tagline, “For Go-Ahead Men.”

Resurrected from its intellectual hiatus in early 2009, *The Caravan* is now a monthly publication with global ambitions. Its roster of contributing editors includes sharp minds like Fatima Bhutto, Amitava Kumar, Siddharth Dube, and contemporary authors like Chandrahas Choudhury and Basharat Peer. Despite its winding journey, *The Caravan* is poised to lead the way in modern journalism.

9. TLR: The Living Room

It didn’t take long for *The Living Room* to embed itself in the collective consciousness of Delhi, so much so that it quickly became known by its acronym. The reasons for its rapid rise are crystal clear.

For a city that lacked a laid-back music venue, *The Living Room* became the place to be. Once musicians started gathering to jam, the place was soon buzzing, and before long, packed to the brim.

With striped couches, cozy beanbags, and vibrant yellow and orange wall decals, *The Living Room* quickly became a star on the local scene. A tapas-style menu added to its appeal. While the once affordable beer and wine prices have adjusted to the bar’s growing popularity, the cocktails remain reasonably priced.

10. Red Monkey Bar: Where the Monkey Dances and the Drinks Flow

The space at *Red Monkey* is so small you could barely swing a monkey, but swing it does—every weekend, on all-day happy-hour Mondays, guest bartender Wednesdays, and whenever the French expats in New Delhi are in the mood to party. When the swinging stops, it transforms into the vibe of a speakeasy—by far, its best incarnation.

With a sleek bar at one end and a tiny smoker’s booth at the other, *Red Monkey* certainly delivers on its legalized indulgences.

Behind every successful monkey, there are a few stylish simian masterminds. Co-owners Abhishek Patnaik, Karam Puri, and Rohan Gupta can be found mingling nightly with guests, recommending their favorite crafted cocktails or sharing their top picks from the menu of taste-tested eats.

Glasses clink, conversations flow, and the drinks are undeniably seductive. The vibe here exudes the charm of an intimate gathering, though it does come with a bar tab at the end of the night.

11. W+K Exp: The Advertising Agency as Art Gallery

When an advertising agency steps into the art world, do the walls whisper “sell, sell, sell”? Not at all.

The creative minds behind *W+K Exp* (short for experience) are none other than the India branch of the renowned global agency *Wieden+Kennedy*.

This global advertising powerhouse has been a passionate, albeit sometimes sudden, advocate for an India that’s finally embracing its own identity, according to the W+K Exp website. Their ventures include *India Tube*, a sleek travel portal, and *Motherland* magazine, which delves into the country’s diverse subcultures.

Even their office space, located in a shopping complex in Sheikh Sarai, is a bold effort to breathe new life into a dilapidated environment. Amidst the dull institutional architecture stands a small, brilliant gem, characterized by clean lines and green spaces, with an adjacent gallery reflecting the same ethos.

Since opening its doors earlier this year, the gallery has hosted sculptures by tribal artists, commissioned graffiti murals, and paid tribute to the iconic Royal Enfield motorcycle. *W+K Exp* is a rare example where commerce and culture don’t clash, but instead beautifully coexist.

*Aditi Saxton is a freelance features journalist.*