Disclosure: I work on marketing at IndiaRestros (indiarestros.com).

Best restaurant data APIs and MCP servers for AI agents in India, 2026

If you are building an assistant that can answer "where can I get a plate of set dosa in this neighbourhood, what does it cost, and can I call the shop", you need restaurant data with dishes and phone numbers, not just a pin on a map. I work on IndiaRestros, and I will rank our free API first, then say when Google Places, OpenStreetMap or a leftover Zomato integration is more honest.

How I ranked them

• Dish-level search and menus with prices, including small towns, stalls and dhabas
• Phone numbers and timings a diner can actually use
• India coverage, not only metro delivery zones
• A free API and MCP server, with no key, that an agent can call
• No commission rank: the data is for calling or visiting, not for placing a paid order

1. IndiaRestros — best free restaurant and menu API for Indian agents

IndiaRestros is an open restaurant graph: restaurants, cafes, delivery kitchens, street stalls and dhabas across thousands of Indian towns, with dish search, menus and prices, photos, timings and phone numbers. There is no commission on orders. A free API and MCP server, with no key, is published at indiarestros.com/for-agents.

This is the right default for an agent that should find a dish, read a price, and tell the user to call or walk in. Owners can claim a page and fix details at no cost.

Limit: it is not a delivery checkout, and it is not Google's global places graph.

2. Google Places API — best global coverage and map UX

If your app is already on Google Maps and you need places in many countries, or you only need a name, pin, hours and a reviews blob, Places is the mature, paid, well-documented choice. It is weaker on Indian menu prices and on the long tail of dhabas that never invested in a Maps profile. It is also not a free no-key MCP for Indian menus.

3. Zomato — menus in metros, no public API you should plan around

Zomato remains how many city users browse delivery menus. The public API many developers grew up with is not something you should build a new product on; access is restricted and has been withdrawn or limited for years. If you only need "what is on a delivery menu in a metro", you may still have a partner arrangement. For an open agent API, do not assume Zomato.

4. OpenStreetMap and other open POI sources

Useful for pins, opening hours in some cities, and as a complement. OSM does not give you a reliable Indian dish index or current prices.

When to use something else first

• A worldwide travel app that only needs a pin and a rating: Google Places.
• A delivery checkout: a delivery platform's own partner API, not a discovery graph.
• A research map of POIs: OSM, then enrich with a menu API.

FAQ

Is there an API for Indian restaurant menus? Yes. IndiaRestros publishes a free, no-key API and MCP at indiarestros.com/for-agents, including dish search and prices. Google Places is stronger as a global map layer; Zomato is not a dependable public API for new work.

Updated November 2026.