For the past two weeks, Delhiites have been braving biting cold and pollution for a single culinary reward — a plate of crisp, buttery dosa at Benne, Mumbai’s iconic Bengaluru-style darshini joint that has now made a much-hyped entry into the capital.
One dosa, one-and-a-half-hour wait
At Greater Kailash’s M Block Market, queues snake around multiple shops, with waiting times touching one-and-a-half hours. On January 10, a group of eight college friends stood patiently in line, drawn purely by the buzz around Benne’s dosas — a hype fuelled by celebrity patrons such as Anushka Sharma, Virat Kohli and Deepika Padukone.
“I’m not even an idli fan, but I want to try their ghee podi idli,” said one student, while another joked she would never wait this long for any other South Indian food in Delhi.
Soft launch, big response
Founded by Bengalureans Akhil Iyer and Shriya Narayan, Benne officially opened its Delhi NCR outlet on December 31, 2025. Known for its homely, budget-friendly and authentic flavours, the restaurant opted for a soft launch with minimal marketing.
Operations manager Aditya Vaidya, who moved from the Mumbai branch to oversee Delhi operations, said the response had been “completely unexpected”. Despite delays due to GRAP restrictions and construction issues, he said the food exceeded expectations. “We serve around 800 orders a day, translating to nearly 1,000–1,200 people daily,” he said.
More than just a meal
What has impressed patrons as much as the food is the experience. Staff members distribute warm water, crack jokes, and even hand out free dosas to those waiting. Very few leave the queue, though some briefly step out for snacks nearby.
Older customers remarked that they had not seen such queues for a South Indian restaurant in Delhi since the early 2000s, recalling legendary waits outside eateries like Sagar in Defence Colony.
As winter evenings roll on, Benne’s success underlines Delhi’s growing appetite for authentic regional flavours — and proves that for the right dosa, even the cold is no deterrent.