Multi award-winning Leeds Indian restaurant is must-try for range of curries, authentic street food and more

As Delhi Wala Food celebrates its third birthday in the city, we caught up with chef and owner Nitin Sharma, to find out what the secret ingredient is to his success.

“I am just passionate about food,” Nitin laughs. “I’m a foodie and I love to eat. I have to make sure that I love the food first, because if I do not love the food, how can I expect someone else to like it?”

Combine Nitin’s innate passion with his extensive culinary experience in restaurants around the globe from Delhi to Dubai, London to Edinburgh, and the result is an exciting menu and a first-rate customer experience.

What’s on the menu

Delhi Wala’s menu is not the usual anglo-Asian staples – curries feature here of course, but there is more Indian street food, a reflection of that melting pot of cooking cultures and cuisines from across the Sub-Continent that epitomises food in Delhi. There’s a Kerela fish curry,chicken chattinard from the south, Momos from Nepal, Chaat from Delhi in the north and so much more. It’s a cornucopia of pick and mix styles, tastes and sensations.

“I like to present people with something different, something they may have never had before,” says Nitin, who has worked with Michelin-star chefs and at restaurants as diverse as Marco Pierre White’s former New York Italian in Leeds to Wagamama; Loch Fyne Seafood to Carluccios.

Alongside appetisers, cold chaat and street food small bites, there’s things like Chicken 65 Chaat – crispy chicken pieces topped with chick pea curry, yoghurt, mint sauce, tamarind sauce, and garnished with fresh herbs for a burst of flavour. Shyam Sarera, in the vegetarian section are spinach and paneer koftas seved in a luscious creamy tomato gravy, with a hint of honey and saffron, offering a unique blend of flavours and textures.

But sometimes, Nitin says, simple is best. One of the most popular dishes is from the street food section – Hara Bahra Kebab, which is a simple pattie containing cashew nuts, spinach and potato and fried. “Every single person who has tried it loves them,” he says.

There are lots of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, including fish and meat choices. The vegan choices are more than just ‘options’ as Nitin explains.

“This is a whole menu in itself, not just a vegan version of something else, but its own entity from starters and main courses through to desserts.”

Authenticity in the dishes comes not only from Nitin’s background and experience, but the ingredients. He sourced supplies of spices direct from India which give him those genuine tastes and flavours he is looking for, and a fresh consignment is sent every three months.

One of his chefs, Uma, comes from Nepal. Momo, a delicious dumpling, is a staple of Nepalese cooking and Nitin says hers were the best he had ever tasted. And so, they have their own special place on the menu – Uma’s Momo

It’s not just the attention to detail in the cooking and flavours though, that sets Delhi Wala apart.

“Presentation is really important,” says Nitin. “It’s more modern than traditional here. For example we do some grated potato which is deep fried and that’s used as a garnish on some dishes.”

As you might expect from a self-confessed ‘foodie’, portion sizes are generous with curries large enough to share and street food portions which are ideal for a ‘tapas’ style dinner.

“When you are a food-lover you like to make things better and that is what inspires me.”

There’s a lunchtime menu too ’til 3pm, which includes Thali plates –small portions of a variety of dishes, like a tasting menu. There are also burgers, pizzas and pasta dishes modified Indian style available at lunchtimes too.

Meet the chef

Nitin grew up in Delhi, where diverse culinary influences from across the great continent of India come together.

He is still the main chef in the kitchen, with his wife Jyotsna, looking after front of house.

“I like to work and ensure that every dish is done ‘my way’,” he said. He clearly runs a happy ship though; all the staff have been with him since day one, as have many of the regular customers.

Nitin and Jyotsna settled in Leeds and have a boy and a girl. It was when Nitin was asked to cater for a friends’ party, and the food was such a hit, that he took the plunge and opened his own restaurant. His first was in Halifax, close but still a long drive after a long day. Awards came quickly but unfortunately the Covid pandemic followed just afterwards and, whilst the business did survive for a while on takeaways, it wasn’t the same as having an eat-in restaurant.

So, when the opportunity to set up Delhi Wala in Leeds came up, he jumped at it.

“It’s my home town, and I always wanted to have something like this in Leeds.”

Award-winning dining

The fully licenced restaurant, underneath the arches at Bishopsgate Street, Leeds, has picked up a host of accolades in the past year – to add to those from 2023 and 2024, which included a ‘rising star’ in the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Olivers, a street food award and Trip Advisor’s Travellers’ Choice award. In 2024/25 Delhi Wala picked up a national award for Indian Street Food, and English Curry award, Best of Leeds award, a Yorkshire Prestige Award, Good Food award for 2024/25 and a Blue Ribbon Icon Award.

Get special discount

To celebrate the restaurant’s third anniversary, they are offering 10% discount on your food bill on Mondays to Fridays at 3-6pm, from January 16th.*

Find out more

To make a reservation book here.

Check out the website for more details and menus here.

*Minimum spend £10. T&Cs apply.