Chef Ranveer Brar: UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy Lucknow is coming into its own; food culture is evolving

As Lucknow approaches the first anniversary of its UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy tag, chef Ranveer Brar reflects on the city’s evolving food culture.

On World Cities Day, October 31, Lucknow became India’s second city after Hyderabad to be recognised by UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy.

Chef Ranveer Brar at Rumi Darwaza in Lucknow

As the state capital approaches the first anniversary of the recognition, celebrity chef Ranveer Brar, who recently visited his hometown, says the biggest change has been a renewed sense of confidence in the city’s culinary identity. “What has changed most in Lucknow after the gastronomy recognition is confidence,” he says.

Ranveer Brar loving the way biryani has been prepared with slow-cooking process at an iconic food joint in Chowk

He adds, “For years, Lucknow’s food businesses were almost proudly inward-looking. They had loyal customers, old recipes, familiar neighbourhoods, and very little desire to become anything beyond what they already were. There was charm in that, but there was also hesitation. Today, I see that changing.”

Ranveer at Roti Wali Gali in Chowk

People, he says, are “willing to take bigger risks now”. He adds, “With legacy brands, new restaurants are also becoming more confident about using Lucknow’s food vocabulary in modern ways.”

At this juncture he spells out the importance of balance. “Growth should not mean polishing away the character that made these places special in the first place. Lucknow spent generations perfecting its food quietly. Perhaps this is the moment when the city finally becomes comfortable telling the world just how good it is.”

Ranveer with Shoeb Qureshi at the Mubeen's Restaurant

Brar lists his favourite iconic foods joints in the city where he visited on his visit.

“What I love about Sakhawat Restaurant is its complete lack of pretence. The food has always spoken through technique rather than presentation. For me, Idrees Biryani represents the beautiful chaos of old Lucknow food culture. The biryani is direct, bold and deeply personal in its character,” he says and adds, “On the other hand, Mubeen's Restaurant shows how a traditional establishment can evolve with changing times while holding on to the dishes and flavour memories that made people fall in love with it. Their flavours are unapologetic and the experience is about abundance.”

Ranveer with Abu Bakar, Maroof Umar and others at Idrees Biryani food joint

He also explored chefs' delight, the Roti Wali Gali, which he called an important hub for the city's culinary heritage. “It's important because it reminds us that Lucknow is not just kebabs and biryani. Bread-making here is an extraordinary craft in itself. Watching those rotis being made is watching inherited knowledge in action: understanding dough, heat, timing and texture without needing to measure any of them.”

On a concluding note, he says, “Lucknow spent generations perfecting its food quietly. Perhaps this is the moment when the city finally becomes comfortable telling the world just how good it is.”