Practical information : Eating out India
Timetable
In the cities, you'll find food everywhere and at all hours. Indians eat late, whatever the meal. Breakfast is taken mid-morning, lunch around 2pm and dinner until 10 or 11pm. However, in smaller towns, restaurant opening times are much the same as in France.
Budget & Tips
You can eat for a few rupees from one end of India to the other. A thali in the south, or a dal and chapatis in the north, will cost you around a hundred rupees in a small local restaurant. If you opt for an air-conditioned restaurant, the bill will be higher, usually around Rs. 500. The bill in the very best restaurants in the big cities, or in famous restaurants with a view, can reach Rs. 3,000 per person, but this is rare.
What costs extra
Tipping is part of local practice. In a restaurant, you'll leave 10 Rs in a small restaurant, 50 to 100 Rs in a decent restaurant and 500 Rs in a top-of-the-range restaurant. As everywhere, the tip should reflect the service.
The local way
No Indian cuisine without spices. Southern cuisine is spicier (and hotter!), as all spices are readily available to cooks, since they grow in this region. In the North, turmeric, cumin, chili powder and salt are used.
Traditionally, Indians eat with their hands and mix everything on the plate. You'll impress your hosts if you do the same. It's imperative to use your right hand. Middle-class and affluent urban dwellers tend to abandon this practice when they have guests.
To be avoided
Tourists in India are out of caste, which gives them a great deal of freedom in their behavior! The very strict codification of dietary rules and table manners according to caste doesn't apply to them. So you won't be blamed if you use your left hand instead of your right. But wasting food in a country where some people are starving is frowned upon.
In summer, the temptation of ice cubes is great. Always make sure they're made from treated water. This is the case in the vast majority of cases. Avoid eating ice-cream that has been thawed and refrozen if it hasn't been sold.
Kids
Children are welcome in all restaurants. The most important thing is to make sure they don't drink tap water and only eat cooked food or fruit that has been washed and peeled for a minute. Their stomachs are even more fragile than those of adults.
Smokers
Smoking is prohibited in restaurants in India, but this is not always respected, especially in outdoor areas frequented by tourists.