Look, we respect the kebabs, we love the biryani. But sometimes your soul just needs butter chicken, that silky, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth gravy that makes everything better. Lucknow, surprisingly, has some absolute gems serving this dish, and they deserve way more hype. So if you’re the person who sneaks to the butter chicken section first at every dinner, this one’s yours. Here are 11 spots in Lucknow worth every single calorie.
Royal Cafe
There’s a reason old-timers in Lucknow still swear by Royal Cafe, and it has nothing to do with trends. This place has been quietly perfecting its butter chicken long before food bloggers made it cool. Walk in, find a seat, and let the kitchen do its thing. What arrives is gloriously simple, rich, velvety gravy, chicken so tender it falls apart at a glance, and flavours that taste like they’ve been simmering since forever. Some classics just don’t need reinventing.
Cost- ₹1185
Where- 51, Sushanpura, Mahatma Gandhi Marg, Opposite Sahu Cinema, Hazratganj
The Awadh’s Dastarkhwan
Dastarkhwan isn’t just a restaurant, it’s practically a Lucknow institution. The kind of place you’ve heard about before you’ve even visited, because someone, somewhere, has already raved about it to you. And the butter chicken? Completely lives up to the hype. Generous chunks of juicy chicken, a gravy so creamy it coats every bite in pure indulgence, it’s the all-time favourite for a reason. Some dishes earn that title; this one wears it effortlessly.
Cost- ₹520
Where- TC 34/V2, Ground Floor, Cyber Tower, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar
Gravy Groovy
Lucknow loves its own food fiercely, so when a place earns respect by flying the Delhi flag, you know it’s doing something right. Gravy Groovy’s Dilli Wala Butter Chicken is that confident crossover nobody asked for, but everyone needed. Tandoori chicken on the bone, smoky, charred, unapologetically juicy, drowning in an authentic creamy tomato gravy that’s equal parts rich and comforting. Every bite is a classic done properly. No shortcuts, no compromises, just Delhi’s finest living its best Lucknow life.
Cost- ₹399
Where- Shop A2, Kisan Bazaar, Near Cinepolis Mall, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar
UBQ- Meals, Thalis & More
Butter chicken didn’t become one of the world’s most popular dishes by accident; it earned that title, one creamy, spice-loaded bite at a time. UBQ honours that legacy with a Punjabi-style version that doesn’t cut corners. Rich tomato puree, generous cream, real butter, and masalas that build slowly and hit just right. The chicken? Soft, succulent, and completely at home in that glossy, deeply flavoured gravy. Global favourite, local favourite, at UBQ, it’s both at once.
Cost- ₹419
Where- Order online on Swiggy/Zomato
Billu Tandooria
Billu Tandooria has quietly built the kind of reputation that spreads through word of mouth, one satisfied customer at a time. And the star of the show? A butter chicken that earns every bit of that loyalty. Chunks of properly grilled chicken, carrying just enough smokiness, are folded into a smooth, creamy tomato gravy rich with butter and warmth. It’s straightforward, it’s honest, and it’s ridiculously good. Sometimes the best things really are hiding in plain sight.
Cost- ₹280
Where- 5/174, Vipul Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow
Daal Mein Kala
One of Lucknow’s most adored shawarma spots somehow also masters butter chicken like a pro. Daal Mein Kala’s butter chicken isn’t overly sweet or aggressively spiced; it lands perfectly in the middle, where the real magic lies. The gravy is smooth, rich with just the right hint of cashew, like a proper North Indian preparation, while the chicken stays soft, juicy, and deeply marinated to soak in every flavour. Overall, this butter chicken delivers on all fronts, 100 percent.
Cost- ₹670
Where- Near Tulsi, Hazratganj
Falaknuma Restaurant- Hotel Clarks Awadh
Falaknuma does things the old way, and in a world of shortcuts, that matters enormously. Their Murgh Makhani starts in a clay oven, where the chicken picks up that deep, smoky char that no modern technique can fake. Then it meets a creamy, rich tomato gravy kissed with sweet fenugreek, and something quietly magical happens. Every element belongs, every flavour earns its place. This isn’t butter chicken assembled in a hurry; it’s Murgh Makhani the way it was always meant to be made.
Cost-₹1145
Where- 8, Hotel Clarks Avadh, M.G. Marg, Hazratganj
Punjab Grill
Punjab Grill didn’t just put butter chicken on the menu; they put it on the map. This is the dish that started it all, and one bite of that rich, velvety, slow-cooked gravy tells you exactly why it became a national obsession. Smoky, creamy, perfectly spiced, it’s the kind of butter chicken that sets the standard, against which everything else gets measured.
Cost- ₹585
Where- Lulu Mall, Amar Shaheed Path
Mocha
Mocha has always had a flair for doing things differently, and their Smoked Makhani Chicken is exactly that philosophy on a plate. Classic makhani gets a modern twist here, with smoke doing what smoke does best: adding mystery, depth, and a flavour dimension that lingers way past the last bite. The creamy, buttery base you love is all there, but underneath it runs something darker, richer, and completely unexpected. Familiar enough to feel comforting, different enough to feel exciting. That’s a difficult balance. Mocha nails it effortlessly.
Cost- ₹475
Where- CP-1, 2nd Floor, Anand Plaza, Viram Khand 1, Near Patrakarpuram Crossing, Gomti Nagar
89 Mint Leaf
One bite of 89 Mint Leaf’s butter chicken and you completely get it. The gravy is rich without being heavy, spiced just right, with that slow-cooked depth that you can’t fake or rush. It’s the kind of dish that makes you wonder why you ever ordered anything else here. Unpretentious, deeply satisfying, and honestly a little addictive, this is butter chicken done with real intention, and it shows.
Cost- ₹399
Where- Kisaan Bazaar, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar
Aslam Chicken
Some places earn their reputation quietly, one plate at a time. Aslam Chicken is exactly that. Tucked in Lucknow’s lively streets, it skips the theatrics and lets the food do the talking. And honestly? The food has plenty to say. A generous tasla of butter chicken arrives, golden, fragrant, impossibly tender, wrapping you in warmth that feels less like a meal and more like a memory in the making.
Cost- ₹272
Where- Lari Heights, Nakhas Crossing Chowk, Lucknow
