In Hakiman Gali, a 16th-century mohalla of Agra, the neighbourhood still functions like an extended family. Rotating iftar dinners keep residents meeting over meals all month. Seventh-generation Agra-wala, journalist, and filmmaker Tahir Ahmed Qureshi opens the doors of his ancestral home during Ramzan to continue the tradition started by his mother, Abida Afaq, and aunt, Saira Mairaj. Guests arrive before sunset to witness the kitchen buzz or lend a hand with prep work. A tea on the terrace with a view of the Taj Mahal sets the tone for a floor-laid dastarkhwan. “When it’s just us, it’s small. But when more people arrive, the dastarkhwan grows brighter, fuller. That’s the joy of it,” he says. Plates of baingan ke pakode, dry chana dal, mangode or crisp moong-dal fritters;, and saag gosht trigger conversations about recipes rarely seen outside home kitchens like these. Tahir’s culinary lineage is an ongoing story, shaped by his mother’s life in Rampur and Aligarh, and finally preserved in the rhythm of his Agra home.
Location: Kala Mahal, Hakiman Gali, Agra
Dates: All through Ramzan 2026
Price: Rs3,600 per person for group of 8; from Rs4,500 per person for 2
Group size: Maximum 8
Bookings: Instagram; Website; +91 92868 16355

Rampuri-Awadhi Iftar, Lucknow

Career counsellor and journalist Naheed Verma’s family traces their roots to the Rampur–Pathan estate. Walking into her 1960s Art Deco duplex on Mall Avenue is like flipping a page from a history book. You could be sitting in her salon, eyeing a 200-year-old heirloom chair, the stern portrait of her grandfather-in-law, Nawab Sadat Ali Khan, or an antique sword, listening to honeyed ghazals. Once the dastarkhwaan is laid, conversation turns to Rampur, its legendary khansamas, and the patrons who elevated its cuisine to extraordinary heights. Starting with a prayer, the iftar opens with dates, a pinch of salt, water and sherbet. Rituals are unveiled, and stories are multi-layered, like each course. From kababs, qormas and qaliyas to seasonal specialities like chuqandar (beetroot) gosht and rasbhari lal mirch ka qeema, Naheed’s home becomes a time machine, transporting you to an era where hospitality was honoured and romanticised like art.
Location: Mall Avenue, Lucknow
Dates: 8 and 15 March 2026
Price: Rs3,500 per person
Group size: 2–12 guests
Bookings: Instagram; Website | WhatsApp +91 95326 91802