Indira Gandhi International (DEL) is the world's most efficient airport in the world's most populated country. Terminal 3 — the international terminal — opened in 2010 and was at the time the world's largest, with one terminal handling more passengers than most country's airports combined. The drinking is split between the Air India Maharaja Lounge (Star Alliance Gold required) which runs the same Indian-spirits showcase as Mumbai's, and Plaza Premium Lounge near gate 22, which is one of the best Priority Pass options in Asia.
The cheat code at DEL is the Aerocity hotel district — a five-minute drive from T3 with a dozen serious hotel bars including the Roseate New Delhi (Chambers bar), the Holiday Inn Aerocity, and the Pullman Aerocity. The Roseate's bar pours proper Indian whiskies (Amrut Spectrum, Paul John Brilliance) at non-airport prices. The DMRC Airport Express to New Delhi station takes 22 minutes if you've got 90 minutes pre-flight.
By terminal, ranked
Plays for Delhi Airport: post-security, pre-security, lounges, and the airport-hotel cheat code.
Better drinking in Delhi proper
Skip the airport entirely. These rooms are worth the cab, even with luggage.
The Friday Pour
Pre-flight drinks, hotel-bar reviews, and the openings we're watching across 200+ cities. Friday mornings, no filler.