Chicha's

Chicha's is a contemporary Hyderabadi restaurant on Road No. 36 in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, Telangana, serving refined Mughlai and Hyderabadi dishes from traditional recipes. Jubilee Hills is one of the city's most affluent neighbourhoods, home to film-industry figures, offices and many upscale restaurants, and Chicha's is positioned as a step above the city's casual biryani houses. The cuisine is Hyderabadi and Mughlai, presented with more polish than a typical canteen-style eatery while remaining rooted in old family recipes. The signature dishes are Nizami biryani, mirchi ka salan and shikampuri kebab. The Nizami biryani follows the dum method in which spiced meat and rice are sealed and cooked slowly, and it draws on the court cooking of the Nizams of Hyderabad. Mirchi ka salan is a tangy curry of large green chillies in a peanut, sesame and tamarind gravy, traditionally served with biryani. Shikampuri kebab is a soft patty of minced meat and lentils with a spiced yoghurt centre, and it is considered one of the finer kebabs of the Hyderabadi repertoire. The dining room is contemporary and comfortable, with a calmer and more polished atmosphere than a casual biryani house, and a noise level that is moderate rather than raucous. Smart casual dress is typical, and there is no strict dress code. Reservations are recommended for evenings, particularly on weekends and for larger groups, while lunch is generally easier to book. Beverage options should be confirmed with the restaurant, as the programme is not documented here. Prices are upper mid-range for the city, at roughly INR 1,000 to 1,800 per person, and a dinner with several courses costs more than a lunch of a single biryani. The listed hours are 12PM to 3:30PM and 7PM to 11:30PM daily. Visitors who want a more elevated take on Hyderabadi food than the city's traditional biryani houses will find Chicha's a suitable choice, and it works well for group dinners and special occasions.