Karim's

Karim's is an Indian restaurant brand headquartered in Old Delhi and associated with the culinary heritage of Shahjahanabad, the historic walled city of Delhi. Its flagship restaurant stands in Gali Kababian near Jama Masjid, where the business was established in 1913. The brand is known for serving Mughlai food, a cuisine shaped by the culinary traditions of the Mughal courts and later adapted for a wider urban dining public. The business traces its family history to Mohammed Aziz, who worked as a cook in the royal court of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar. Following the emperor's exile, Aziz left Delhi, but the family later returned to the city. During the Delhi Durbar held in 1911 for the coronation of King George V, Aziz's son Haji Karimuddin came back to Delhi with the idea of operating a simple eating house that would make royal-style food accessible to ordinary customers and visitors. The initial operation reportedly sold only two principal preparations, aloo gosht and dal, accompanied by rumali roti. In 1913, Karimuddin established the restaurant that became Karim's near Jama Masjid. The original location developed a reputation for traditional Mughlai cooking and became a prominent destination for visitors to Old Delhi. Its setting in the narrow lanes around Jama Masjid is an important part of the brand's identity: Karim's is presented not only as a restaurant but also as a longstanding institution connected with the food culture and historical character of the neighborhood. The flagship is known for serving customers throughout the day and into the night. For much of its early history, Karim's was centered on the original Old Delhi restaurant. The brand began opening branches in the 1990s, starting with an outlet in Nizamuddin West. It subsequently expanded to locations including Kailash Colony, Noida, Gurgaon, Kamla Nagar, Dwarka, and other parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region. The chain later developed a presence outside India, including in the United Arab Emirates. Reference material describes the network as having more than 50 outlets across India and the UAE. Karim's menu has broadened considerably beyond the two dishes associated with its early food stall. It includes non-vegetarian Mughlai staples such as biryani, chicken curries, karahi gosht, kebabs, keema, mutton curries, nihari, qormas, pulao, rolls, soups, tikka dishes, and rice preparations. Vegetarian offerings include dal makhani, jeera rice, karahi paneer, palak paneer, paneer rolls, and shahi paneer. Breads such as baqarkhani, naan, rumali roti, and tandoori roti accompany the main courses, while sweets and desserts include gajar ka halwa, gulab jamun, kheer, and shahi tukda. The brand is currently described as being operated by fourth-generation restaurateur Aivaz Asif through Karim Hotels Pvt. Ltd. Karim's therefore combines a family-operated heritage narrative with a multi-outlet restaurant model. Its core positioning remains centered on recognizable Mughlai cooking, continuity with the original Jama Masjid restaurant, and the appeal of eating traditional Delhi food in an established historical setting.

Karim's presents its history through a family connection to the Mughal royal kitchen and the food culture of Old Delhi. The story begins with Mohammed Aziz, identified in reference material as a cook in the court of Bahadur Shah Zafar. After the emperor was exiled, Aziz left Delhi for Meerut and later Ghaziabad. The family returned to Delhi in the early twentieth century, when the city attracted large numbers of visitors for the Delhi Durbar held in 1911 for the coronation of King George V. During that period, Haji Karimuddin, one of Aziz's sons, developed the idea of opening a dhaba that would serve Mughal-style food to the public. The concept was commercially practical as well as cultural: rather than restricting royal culinary traditions to courtly settings, it offered familiar preparations to residents and travelers. The first food operation was modest and reportedly sold aloo gosht and dal with rumali roti. This limited menu established the broad culinary direction that the business would retain. In 1913, Karimuddin founded Karim Hotel in Gali Kababian near Jama Masjid in Shahjahanabad. The restaurant's location became central to its identity. It was situated in one of Old Delhi's best-known historic areas, close to the Jama Masjid complex and the dense commercial lanes of the old city. Over time, the restaurant became associated with traditional Mughlai cooking and was described as one of Old Delhi's most prominent culinary destinations. The original restaurant remained the center of the business for many decades. A major structural change came in the 1990s, when Karim's opened its first branch in Nizamuddin West. Further locations followed in areas including Kailash Colony, Noida, Gurgaon, Kamla Nagar, and Dwarka, together with other parts of Delhi and the National Capital Region. This expansion transformed Karim's from a single heritage restaurant into a broader chain while retaining the Jama Masjid outlet as its symbolic flagship. The brand's menu also expanded from its early two-item offering. Its current food range includes Mughlai meat and poultry dishes, kebabs, qormas, nihari, biryani, curries, rice dishes, rolls, and tikkas. It also offers vegetarian preparations such as dal makhani and paneer dishes, along with breads including naan, baqarkhani, rumali roti, and tandoori roti. Desserts such as halwa, gulab jamun, kheer, and shahi tukda extend the menu beyond savory dishes. Karim's later development included operations in the United Arab Emirates as well as India. Reference material describes more than 50 outlets across the two markets. The business is identified as operating under Karim Hotels Pvt. Ltd. and as being run by fourth-generation restaurateur Aivaz Asif. The available material does not provide a full corporate chronology, ownership structure, outlet-by-outlet history, or independently verified financial information. The brand's historical importance rests on the combination of continuity and accessibility. It links a family account of Mughal culinary service with a restaurant format intended for ordinary diners, then carries that identity into a modern multi-location chain. Its flagship remains the clearest expression of the brand: a long-established restaurant in the Jama Masjid area serving food associated with Delhi's Mughlai culinary tradition.

• 1990

  First branch opens in Nizamuddin West

  [1]Karim'sen.wikipedia.org

  Karim's begins its branch-era expansion with a location in Nizamuddin West during the 1990s.

• 1913

  Karim's flagship restaurant opens near Jama Masjid

  [1]Karim'sen.wikipedia.org

  Haji Karimuddin establishes Karim Hotel in Gali Kababian near Jama Masjid in Shahjahanabad, Delhi.

• 1911

  Haji Karimuddin returns to Delhi with a restaurant concept

  [1]Karim'sen.wikipedia.org

  During the Delhi Durbar period, Haji Karimuddin is described as returning to Delhi and developing the idea of serving Mughlai food to the public.

• Expansion across India and the UAE

  [1]Karim'sen.wikipedia.org

  The restaurant chain expands beyond its Delhi origins and is described as operating more than 50 outlets across India and the United Arab Emirates.

A heritage Indian restaurant brand specializing in Mughlai cuisine, with its identity anchored in the historic Old Delhi flagship near Jama Masjid and a family-operated tradition extending across multiple generations.

• Main dishes

  Mughlai main courses

  Karim's core menu is built around Mughlai preparations, including chicken curries, mutton curries, qormas, karahi gosht, keema, and nihari. These dishes represent the restaurant's connection to the rich, spiced cooking tradition associated with Mughal and Old Delhi cuisine.

• Rice dishes

  Biryani, pulao, and rice dishes

  The rice selection includes biryani, pulao, and other rice preparations served alongside the restaurant's curries and kebabs. These dishes provide substantial meal options and extend the menu beyond the flagship meat-based gravies.

• Grilled and handheld dishes

  Kebabs, tikkas, and rolls

  Kebabs, tikkas, and rolls form a further part of Karim's non-vegetarian offering. The category reflects the restaurant's broader Mughlai repertoire and includes grilled or spiced preparations suited to sharing, meals, or more informal eating.

• Vegetarian cuisine

  Vegetarian dishes

  Although strongly associated with meat-based Mughlai cooking, Karim's also serves vegetarian dishes. Listed examples include dal makhani, jeera rice, karahi paneer, palak paneer, paneer rolls, and shahi paneer.

• Breads

  Traditional breads

  The restaurant offers breads intended to accompany curries and kebabs, including baqarkhani, naan, rumali roti, and tandoori roti. Rumali roti is especially connected with the early account of Karim's original food offering.

• Desserts

  Indian sweets and desserts

  Dessert options include gajar ka halwa, gulab jamun, kheer, and shahi tukda. These sweets complement the savory Mughlai menu and provide a traditional Indian conclusion to the meal.

• 1990

  Move from a single flagship to a branch networkStrategy

  Background

  For much of its early history, Karim's was centered on the restaurant near Jama Masjid.

  Action taken

  The brand opened its first branch in Nizamuddin West during the 1990s and subsequently added locations across Delhi and the National Capital Region.

  Aftermath

  Karim's expanded from a historic Old Delhi restaurant into a chain later described as having more than 50 outlets in India and the UAE.

  Source

• 1913

  Serve royal-style food to the general publicStrategy

  Background

  Haji Karimuddin developed a dhaba concept intended to make Mughlai culinary traditions available to ordinary diners and visitors rather than limiting them to courtly settings.

  Action taken

  He opened Karim Hotel near Jama Masjid, initially offering a compact menu centered on aloo gosht, dal, and rumali roti.

  Aftermath

  The restaurant became the foundation of Karim's and later developed into a multi-outlet brand while retaining its Old Delhi flagship.

  Source

1. 1Karim'sen.wikipedia.org