I managed to cut Rs 6,000 restaurant food bill by 42% by using this food app and credit card discount; Here's how I cracked the deal

Economic Times

16 hours ago

Several food apps, including Zomato and Dine-out, are offering dine-in discounts at restaurants, with some discounts reaching up to 50% . The coolest thing about these offers is that they apply to both popular family restaurants and cozy little cafes.
Taking advantage of one of these deals, this correspondent along with six friends, visited a premium family restaurant called The Tandoori Village located in the DLF Mall of India, Noida Film City. We booked a table for seven through the Zomato app. By using the full offer benefits, we enjoyed lunch and managed to save 42% on our total bill ever after covering the optional service charge and convenience fees. We paid Rs 3423.
The dishes and drinks we ordered, totaling Rs 5,994, were:
Particulars Quantity Price Mineral Water 2 Rs 220 Dahi ke Kebab 1 Rs 545 Tandoori Bharwa Aloo 1 Rs 545 Dal Makhani 1 Rs 495 Subz Miloni 1 Rs 545 Rara Murg 1 Rs 645 Butter Roti 4 Rs 320 Lachcha Paratha 3 Rs 345 Stuffed Paratha 1 Rs 185 Kulfi 2 Rs 690 Roasted/Fried Papad 2 Rs 110 Paneer Hyderabadi 1 Rs 545 Total including Rs 519 service charge and Rs 285.46 GST - Rs 5994
Here's the deal using which we saved 42% on our total food bill of Rs 5994 Here's a step-by-step walk-through on how we nailed the deal:
Step 1: Initially, this correspondent searched for restaurant dine-in deals on the Zomato app in Delhi-NCR. Once a suitable restaurant was found, we reserved a table for seven and paid a cover charge of Rs 175. This cover charge was deducted from the final bill at the restaurant, so it's not really an extra fee. As can be seen from the screenshot below, the Zomato app indicated that if we settled the final bill through their platform, they would offer a flat 35% discount. We reached the restaurant and settled down at our table with a stunning view of the outside.
Zomato Source: Zomato app
Step 2: We placed our usual order for food and beverages. The total came to Rs 5,994, which included a service charge of Rs 519 and Rs 285.46 for Goods and Services Tax (GST). We told the restaurant's manager that we would like to pay via the food aggregator's App.
Step 3: We entered the bill of Rs 5,994 and hit the 'Proceed to cart' button. A new mobile page popped up, showing our final bill as Rs 3,721.1. We applied for a HSBC credit card discount of up to 12%. This brought the bill down by Rs 446.53. So, the total came to Rs 3274.57. However, Zomato applied a convenience fee of Rs 149, which raised our final bill to Rs 3,423.57. In total, we ended up paying Rs 3423.57 for a restaurant bill of Rs 5,994. In percentage terms it comes to Rs 5994-3423.57/5994*100= Rs 2570.43/5994*100= 42.883%The final bill included a service charge of Rs 519 and Rs 285.46 in GST
Zomato Source: Zomato app Similar deals in other restaurants on Zomato and Dine-out by Swiggy These restaurant deals are offered by the food aggregators at their discretion and are subject to change as per their policy. Some restaurant discounts might be available only during specified hours like off-peak hours. So do re-check the deal before dining out at the restaurants. Also remember that the discounts can be restaurant-specific even if it's a national chain.These restaurant deals were available on July 28, 2025, and were checked by this correspondent. Delhi NCR restaurants Restaurant Name Discount Café Delhi Heights 15% on both Dineout by Swiggy and Zomato Social (Nehru Place) 25% on Zomato Pind Baluchi (Noida) 20% on Dineout by Swiggy and Zomato Ce La Vie Kitchen & Bar 50% on both Zomato and Dineout by Swiggy Ministry of Sound (Noida) 50% on both Zomato and Dineout by Swiggy
Hyderabad restaurants deals Restaurant Name Discount Karim's- The Original From Jama Masjid Delhi 6 10% on Dine-out by Swiggy Pind Balluchi 25% on both Dineout by Swiggy and Zomato Chill & Terrace-Radisson Blue Plaza Hotel 30% on Dineout by Swiggy Café Delhi Heights 15% on Dineout by Swiggy and Zomato
Kolkata restaurant deals Restaurant Name Discount Social (Park Steet) 20% on Zomato and 25% on Dineout by Swiggy Tall Tales (Camac Street) 50% on both Zomato and Dineout by Swiggy Chilly's Grill and Bar 15% on Zomato Oudh 1590 10% on both Zomato and Dineout by Swiggy
Bengaluru restaurant deals Restaurant Name Discount Sky Garden (Koramangala) 50% on both Dineout by Swiggy and Zomato Pind Baluchi 20% on both Zomato and Dineout by Swiggy Social (Church Street) 30% on both Zomato and Dineout by Swiggy
Mumbai restaurant deals Restaurant Name Discount Gourmet Bar by Novotel 50% on Zomato and Dine-out by Swiggy Café Delhi Heights 20% on Zomato Karim's Original from Jama Masjid Delhi 6 20% on Dine-out by Swiggy