Bharat Ek Bhoj

To celebrate this pageant of the 'Great Indian Eating-Out Revolution', we decided to showcase the country's 20 best restaurants in five cities. It was no easy job: traditional market survey methods offered no reliable clues on choosing the best of several thousand multi-cuisine eateries that dot our cities. So, we decided to ask three notable epicures from each of the five cities to choose their 10 favourite restaurants in the cities they live in. At the end of the exercise, we had 15 Indian celebrities—writers, cricketers, filmmakers, painters, fashion designers, models and singers—handpicking over 100 eateries they like best for food, decor and service. On a few occasions, their lists just stopped short of 10 restaurants—because, in the words of one 'judge', there "was nothing else to recommend".

Whittling down the over-100 chosen restaurants to the top 20 required some dexterity. We shortlisted the restaurants that were common to at least two of the three lists for every city. For example, Imperial Garden in Delhi made it to the shortlist by appearing on writer Jug Suraiya and designer Sunita Kohli's lists even though former model Feroze Gujral didn't choose it as her favourite. Eateries that appeared on all the three lists in a particular city obviously made the mark straightaway. Then we commissioned food writers in the five cities to review the selected restaurants. But it's not a gourmet affair all through. The shortlist apart, there's a long list too. One that provides interesting detours on the epicure's food map—the odd roadside dhaba, the tiffin room next door or the local tea-and-snacks cabin. Point to note: the top 20 eateries appear in no particular ranking order. We also celebrate, in a separate piece, the coming of age of Indian wines. Bon appetit!