5 best places you can have biryani in Hyderabad

If you say the word ‘biryani’ loudly enough anywhere in Hyderabad, one of two things will happen: either everyone’s ears will perk up and mouths will moisten, or a furious dispute will erupt about which restaurant offers the best. While this fragrant cuisine may have originated in West Asia, it was adopted and transformed into a Hyderabadi dish centuries ago.

While the concept of ‘types’ is frequently limited to ‘chicken/mutton/vegetarian,’ there are actually a plethora of biryani variations, each prepared in a unique way. Zafrani is a saffron-colored, intensely spiced dish that may be found anywhere from five-star hotels to street eateries. Sofiyani, which is milder and easier on the stomach, is also known as safaida (because to its white colour). The recipe is a well guarded family secret that only a few elderly Hyderabadi families know about. More than ten different types of biryani, such as Ulavacharu biryani (prepared with horse gramme), Gongura biryani (made with the tart gongura leaf), and the jackfruit-heavy Panasakai biryani, have all originated in Telugu kitchens across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

But for the die-hard biryani fan, methods and areas are irrelevant–so we’ve compiled a list of our favourite spots, ranging from fine-dining restaurants to tucked-away little eateries, where you can enjoy a hot dish of the excellent stuff. For the best mutton, chicken, and vegetarian (yes, it counts) biryani in town, keep reading…

Here are some of the greatest biryani restaurants in Hyderabad:

1) Paradise

In 1953, it began as a small canteen in a theatre and has since become nearly synonymous with Hyderabadi culture. Despite the fact that Paradise is frequently viewed as a bloated Hyderabadi stereotype, their biryani is truly exceptional. The mutton biryani here is made using aromatic Daawat Basmati rice (not a plug–the sign is pasted across the entryway). Underneath the long-grained rice, large chunks of fall-off-the-bone beef are barely visible. The dahi ki chutney supplied with it is a wonderful addition, being slightly spicy. Then order a platter of crunchy Golden Fried Prawns, the restaurant’s second flagship dish.

Address: SD Road, Sappu Bagh Apartment, Jogani, Ramgopalpet, Secunderabad

Phone: 00-91-8977011117

Cost For Two: Rs 800

2) Jewel of the Nizam – The Minar, The Golkonda

Various generations of Nizams gaze down on diners from black and white pictures on the gilded walls, as peacock-blue crystalware glints under the chandeliers in the sumptuous Jewel of the Nizam–The Minar. The restaurant, perched atop a minar 100 feet above the ground, offers stunning views of the Osman Sagar Lake, especially beautiful at dusk to accompany their original Kacchi Dum Biryani, spiced and slow-cooked in a sealed degh. While you’re there, try their year-round Hyderabadi haleem and the fan favourite, Barkas Patthar Gosht (mutton tenderised with papaya and grilled on hot stone).

Address: Sagar Mahal Complex, Gandipet, R R District, Near Osman Sagar Lake

Phone: 00-91-40-71328038

Cost for two: Rs 3000

3) Chicha’s

Chicha’s provides local dishes with a heavy dose of Hyderabadi Urdu and caricatures of local sites on the side to keep things lighthearted. Take a seat at one of the simple tables and order one of their old-fashioned dishes. The food, such the mutton biryani, a Hyderabadi wedding staple, will bring back sepia-toned memories of family meals and pleasant reunions for anyone who has grown up in the city. It’s mildly flavoured and surprisingly light at Chicha’s (courtesy the exclusion of the easy-fix ajinomoto). Then there’s the blood-red Shaadi ka Red Chicken, or the overly sweet but delicious Double ka Meetha.

Address: 6-2-39, AC Guards Rd, opposite Kun Hyundai, Veer Nagar, Lakdikapul

Phone: 00-91-9959911100

Cost for two: Rs 700

4) Hotel Shadab

From the outside, Hotel Shadab doesn’t appear to be much. It’s crammed into the incredibly cramped streets of Charminar’s Ghansi Bazaar. But if you look past the filthy walls and somewhat sticky tabletops, you’ll find scrumptious biryani that would make even a grown man cry tears of delight. It’s served in a copper pot brimming with aromatic brown rice and a gleaming boiled egg perched atop the heaping mound with style. Shadab is one of the rare restaurants in town where the chicken biryani is on par with, if not better than, the mutton biryani.

Address: 21-1-140-144, Near High Court, High Court Rd, Madina Circle, Charminar, Ghansi Bazaar, Hyderabad

Phone: 00-91-40-24561648

Cost for two: Rs 550

5) The Spicy Venue

The Spicy Venue’s basic interiors belie its food, which pays homage to traditional Andhra cuisine in all its hot splendour. Potlam Biryani, the MLA, is the star of the programme. This biryani is spicier than most, as it comes from the Telugu cooks of the region. It’s wrapped in a paper-thin but deceptively tensile omelette, which contains rice, minced mutton, and prawns. Call it damage control with the spicy Kakinada Peethala Iguru (crab fried in a hot Andhra masala) and soothing buttermilk to wash it all down.