Cash only. Not on apps. Gone by evening. Idrees Biryani breaks every modern rule — and 9,600 reviewers will tell you the biryani is worth every one of them.
A short menu, perfected over decades — the most famous biryani in Chowk, Lucknow.
The legend itself — tender mutton, saffron-fragrant rice, coal-degh depth.
Juicy chicken layered with long-grain rice and whole spices.
Full biryani plate with raita and chutney — the complete meal.
For the serious appetite — crowned with coriander and fried onion.
Cool, seasoned curd — biryani's oldest friend.
Sliced onions, lime and green chilli.
Real moments from our counter, kitchen and tables in Chowk, Lucknow.
Idrees Biryani is a legend built on refusal: no apps, no cards, no shortcuts. The biryani is cooked the only way the family accepts — sealed handis over coal, rice and meat layered by hand, opened only when the aroma says so. When the degh finishes, the day is done.
People plan their Chowk visits around this shop. The mutton biryani — fragrant, grease-light, every grain separate — is the plate that made the name. Over nine thousand reviews later, nothing has changed: same lane, same coal, same queue. Cash in pocket, arrive early.
A few reasons Chowk keeps coming back to us.
Handis sealed and slow-steamed on coal — the flavour gas cannot give.
Rated by more biryani lovers than almost any kitchen in Lucknow.
Rice and meat layered by hand, spice measured by memory.
One degh, one day — when it finishes, we close. Always fresh.
Unfiltered love from the people who eat with us every week.
“You have not had Lucknow biryani until you have stood in the Idrees queue with cash in hand. The mutton biryani is a masterclass.”
“No apps, no cards, no mercy — and the best biryani in Chowk. Reached at 7 PM once and the degh was done. Lesson learned.”
“Every grain separate, meat falling apart, aroma you can smell from the lane. 9,000 reviewers are underselling it.”
Everything you need to know before you visit or order from Idrees Biryani.
Because the biryani is still cooked the old way — handis sealed and slow-steamed over coal, with rice and meat layered by hand. The mutton biryani in particular is counted among the best in Chowk, Lucknow, and over 9,600 reviewers agree. One fresh degh a day keeps the standard absolute.
No — Idrees is proudly cash-only, and it is not listed on food delivery apps either. This keeps the kitchen focused on a single fresh degh each day. Carry cash, arrive early, and you will understand why generations of Lucknow biryani lovers do exactly the same.
The shop opens around 11:00 AM and runs until about 10:00 PM — but the honest answer is: until the degh lasts. On busy days the biryani finishes by early evening. For the full choice of mutton and chicken biryani, reach before 7 PM, earlier on weekends.
There is simple, functional seating in the old-city style, and many regulars also take away. The focus here has always been the plate, not the furniture. Families visit daily, and the service is quick — your biryani reaches the table minutes after the degh opens.
We are easy to reach — call, WhatsApp or just walk in.
| Monday – Sunday | 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM |
| Note | Degh often finishes by evening |
Idrees Biryani, Chowk, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226003
In the old Chowk market, near the food lanes