Paharganj — Delhi's Main Bazaar neighbourhood — is the first thing most budget travellers see after arriving at New Delhi Railway Station. It is chaotic, loud, and relentlessly commercial: guesthouses stack up on top of each other above a street packed with travel agents, money changers, restaurants, and shops selling everything a traveller might want to buy or have fixed. It is nobody's idea of beautiful, but it has an undeniable energy.
The neighbourhood serves its purpose efficiently: cheap beds, cheap food, internet, tailors, laundry, and direct access to the railway station. The best food in the area is found at the chai stalls in the early morning and the rooftop restaurants at sunset. If you are on a tight budget and just need a base to see Delhi, Paharganj works. If you can afford Khan Market rates, it's worth considering whether you want to be here at all.