One of the most popular restaurants in New Delhi!
Delicious food and aesthetic ambience is the selling point of Diggin cafe located in the Santushti Shopping Complex, Race Course Road, Chanakyapuri. This place is a popular hang-out spot for people in New Delhi, especially youngsters.
So if you are looking for a beautiful, affordable place with good food in New Delhi for your next get together, the search ends here with Diggin Chanakyapuri!
This place is a must-go as it assures you of a good time and you are bound to want to visit again!
Diggin gives you a one of a kind experience that is unlikely to be found anywhere else in Delhi, or maybe the whole of India.
About the place…
Digvijay Singh Bedi, the owner of Diggin, is an alumnus of the London School of Economics who returned to India to fulfil his dream of setting up a cafe given his nickname, Diggin.
The first branch of the cafe was set up in February 2014 at Anand Lok, New Delhi, and a new branch, Diggin Chanakyapuri, was established in 2019, and it has completed 2 years.
There is also a third branch in Delhi now, situated at Connaught Place. However, there are no branches of Diggin anywhere else in India.
The menu of Diggin is based on the likes of the owner himself. The cafe specializes in Italian, which is his favourite!
But you will find a wide variety of options on the menus of Diggin all across Delhi, which will cater to your taste.
Anand Lok vs Chanakyapuri
The original and more popular branch of Diggin is situated in Anand Lok, just opposite Gargi college, which makes it more crowded. One will always find that place to be overflowing with college-going students.
Also, the cafe at Anand Lok is much bigger than the other, but there is not a huge difference in the quality of food and experience offered by both the restaurants.
The new Diggin Chanakyapuri has become more preferable now as their menu does not differ much from that of Anand Lok, and it has open and pleasant surroundings. Its outdoor ambience is also much better, and its location is more ideal.
Location of Diggin Chanakyapuri…
For those visiting the place for the first time, Google Maps will confuse you a little as in place of a turn for a road, and you will find the gate for the Air Force station standing in front of you. But don’t get confused; you are at the right location!
The cafe is inside the Air Force station, on the right side of the road, in the Santushti Shopping Complex area. It is open from 11:30 am to 8:30 pm on all days.
Tip – for those travelling by Delhi Metro, the Lok Kalyan Marg metro station located on the yellow line is the nearest metro station to the location. You will have to take an auto-rickshaw or some other means of transportation further from there.
The calm and beautiful Santushti Shopping Complex creates a relatively good neighbourhood for the place, but the Diggin cafe has a charm of its own!
This place was made for Insta lovers!
Diggin Chanakyapuri, in its entirety, is filled with photogenic locations. The ambience is inviting, and the décor is perfect for people who love to click photos!
They have a flower-covered bridge, hanging birdcages and a whole lot of greenery just outside the entrance of the cafe, which presents to you an old school vibe that looks very beautiful and would surely create even more beautiful photos for your social media pages!
The interiors of Diggin are minimalistic yet colourful and vibrant. The French windows and the seating arrangement give the cafe a European vibe and allow the sunlight to add to the ambience. Bookshelves and posters with quotes hanging on the wall also create a charming atmosphere.
Diggin has outdoor seating as well. There is a large open area with buntings and decorations and plenty of seating, and on the other side of the cafe, there is a small patio full of plants and smaller tables, ideal for those looking for some privacy.
Tip – get your name on the waiting list and then click pictures as the waiting queue usually gets very long. It just means more time for more photos!
Delicious dishes on the menu!
For all you foodies, Diggin Chanakyapuri offers you something most restaurants don’t: fast food and fancy Italian, Mexican, at the same place!
Even though the place specializes in Italian, the menu has all the food one could want. Be it a healthy meal or a cheat day meal! The most popular of them include the go-to comfort foods like pizza, pasta and burgers!
The Baked Pasta and the Zucchini Fries are must-haves! Compliment it with a Belgium Chocolate Shake or a Strawberry Mojito and top it off with their mouth-watering Tiramisu!
Diggin also always has a special menu prepared for its customers. So don’t forget to get a taste of some of their specials!
Also, they have their menus displayed outside so you can decide upon your food while waiting for a table as well!
Note – they do not serve alcohol.
The place is well within your budget!
Since most of the crowd at Diggin consists of young people with budget constraints, the menu at this place is designed to cater to their needs and wants.
Most dishes are made for sharing and having enough quantity. You can easily share a fun meal with your friends without having to spend a fortune like in the case of most fancy restaurants.
A complete meal for two people at Diggin would roughly cost around Rs 1100-1300, which is not too much and when in a group, share more and save more!
Reviews and ratings!
Diggin has primarily positive reviews and ratings, mainly appreciating the beautiful ambience. Diggin has a 4.4/5 star rating on Zomato, 4.6/5 and 4.1/5 on Dineout and Magicpin, respectively.
Ambience and atmosphere are essential points of focus for the customers of Diggin, and most reviews highly praise both these aspects of Diggin. Reviews regarding the food are also usually positive, with everyone having their favourites.
Multiple reviews claim the service to be good, but one might witness slightly slow service occasionally, especially on the weekends as all branches of Diggin remain crowded throughout the day.
It might also take quite a while to get a table for the same reason. However, Diggin Chanakyapuri performs slightly better in this department as it is comparatively less crowded.
Deliveries and takeaways!
Even though nothing beats the experience of visiting Diggin, safety can also not be compromised, especially now, given the situation has worsened again and it can be dangerous to dine in at restaurants.
So if anyone is unable to visit the place, make use of their online delivery and takeaway service, which offers equally good food at the comfort of your home! They offer assistance through the Zomato app and the Swiggy app.
Keeping all aspects in mind, Diggin will appease you both in taste and the overall feel of the meal.
Even though the significant crowd comprises youngsters, people of all age groups can have a good time there! There is also no age limit for entry, making it a place for everyone!
Author’s note…
I have visited Diggin Chanakyapuri and will recommend everyone to do the same. I visited around Christmas, and their Christmas themed decor and food made my experience even more memorable!
As it was a Saturday, the place was crowded, and I had to wait for almost 45 minutes to get a table for two. I made good use of the time by clicking lots of photos!
The interior felt homely, with the food being great in taste! The service was also relatively quick, with the staff being cooperative. My recommendation would be to have the baked pasta and the Belgium Chocolate shake.
Advice – outdoor seating has longer queues, so take it if you get a table inside! You will still get plenty of chances to click photos outside!
Here’s the complete address for you dream food destination:
Diggin
Santushti Shopping Complex
Shop No-10
Race Course Road
Chanakyapuri
New Delhi, Delhi, 110003
I hope your experience with Diggin Chanakyapuri to be as amazing as mine was. Do not forget to try out their daily specials.
Let us know your experience with Diggin once you visit the cafe. You can share your thoughts and feelings with us in the comment section.
Also, if you enjoyed reading this article, here are a few suggested reads :
https://icytales.com/dialogues-cafe-where-you-literally-buy-time/
https://icytales.com/sheroes-cafe-the-hangout-of-heroes/
Hope you have a great day ahead!!
