Crowne Plaza has brought in the varied flavours of the walled city under one roof. Find out how

Its narrow lanes are filled with colour and aroma. As you enter the serpentine lanes of Ballimaran and Dariba Kalan, you are transported far away from the glitz and glam of Lutyen's Delhi. Yet this was once the place from where the shehenshahs and the sultans of yore ruled the country.



Chandni Chowk used to bustle. Much of that grandeur is gone now. But even then the place doesn't fail to attract Delhiites and tourists alike. Some go for the wide variety of lip-smacking fare, yet others go trousseau shopping.

Small eating joints here have become institutions in themselves. Some (like Karim's) find a mention in famous food guides, while others are known to connoisseurs alone. Some dishes have become synonymous with its makers. So it isn't surprising that they attract foodies in large numbers who don't mind braving the crowds, the filth and what not to reach their favourite food joints. And all of this adds to the ambience.

Recreating the magic
However, there are many who would like to avoid all that at any cost. The food is greasy and oily, they sneer, so why bother taking all the trouble. For such people, Delhi 6 food festivals at five stars are just perfect. We visited one such place to find out if the life of Chandni Chowk can be recreated in the cold interiors of a swanky hotel.

And we liked what we saw. Crowne Plaza has tried to recreate the atmosphere, sans the crowd. It's global-cuisine restaurant Edesia has been converted into mini Chandni Chowk. A boot polish wallah and a bioscope wallah greeted us at the entrance. Inside, there are luggage carts, pigeons in cut-out form, old film posters, paanwallahs and all the trappings that you generally associate with the old city.