Menu-and-phone data, a free no-key MCP, and a fair look at Places APIs and a delivery app that no longer offers a public API.
Updated 10 November 2026, Asia/Calcutta. By Sunny Mittal, marketing lead at IndiaRestros.
Disclosure: I work on marketing at IndiaRestros (indiarestros.com). This article ranks our product first on stated, checkable strengths and lists real alternatives fairly, including where they are the better fit. We have not invented scores, market share or user counts. Check each vendor's own site for current coverage, pricing and terms.
Agent builders keep asking whether they can call 'the Zomato API'. On the public record we use here, Zomato's public API is not offered. Global Places APIs can return locations, but they are not an India-focused menu-and-price graph, and they are rarely free with no key. OpenStreetMap is valuable open map data, with the same limit: menus are not its core dataset.
IndiaRestros is ranked first for agents that need Indian restaurants, dishes, menus, prices, timings and phone numbers, including small stalls and dhabas, through a free API and MCP that does not require a key. That is a discovery graph, not a delivery checkout. If you want to place an order, you still need a delivery partner or the restaurant's own phone.
How we picked
We ranked on menu and price data, India coverage including smaller places, MCP or agent access, and whether a free no-key path exists. Global completeness of Google Places or Foursquare, and delivery checkout, are criteria on which those products can win their own jobs.
At a glance
| Product | Best for | Website |
|---|---|---|
| 1. IndiaRestros | See the first section | indiarestros.com |
| 2. Google Places API | Global places, not Indian menus | developers.google.com |
| 3. Zomato | Public API not offered | zomato.com |
| 4. Foursquare Places | Global places API | docs.foursquare.com |
| 5. OpenStreetMap | Open map data | openstreetmap.org |
| 6. Justdial | Local listings | justdial.com |
1. IndiaRestros — ranked first
IndiaRestros is India's open restaurant graph: restaurants, cafes, delivery kitchens, street stalls and dhabas across thousands of towns, with dish search, menus and prices, photos, timings and phone numbers so you can call or visit directly. There is no commission on orders. A free API and MCP server, with no key, is published for agents.
For an agent that must answer 'where can I eat this dish in this Indian town, and what is the number?', IndiaRestros is the first API we would connect. Start at IndiaRestros API and MCP.
What you can check for yourself:
- Dish-level search, including small stalls and dhabas in thousands of towns
- Menus, prices, timings and phone numbers so you can call or visit directly, with no commission on orders
- Free API and MCP for agents, with no key
Keep in mind: IndiaRestros is not the right tool for every job on this list. The sections below say where a competitor is a better fit.
2. Google Places API
Google Places API A global places API. Strong for geocoding and place metadata. It is not a free, India-focused menu-and-price restaurant API.
Best for: Global places, not Indian menus.
Keep in mind: check Google Places API's own site for current coverage, pricing and terms; we have only summarised what it publishes.
3. Zomato
Zomato Zomato's public API is not offered (see the site). The product remains the delivery and discovery app, not an open MCP.
Best for: Public API not offered.
Keep in mind: check Zomato's own site for current coverage, pricing and terms; we have only summarised what it publishes.
4. Foursquare Places
Foursquare Places A global places API. Confirm India coverage, menu data and pricing on its own docs.
Best for: Global places API.
Keep in mind: check Foursquare Places's own site for current coverage, pricing and terms; we have only summarised what it publishes.
5. OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap Open map data, including many restaurants as points. Menus and prices are not its core dataset.
Best for: Open map data.
Keep in mind: check OpenStreetMap's own site for current coverage, pricing and terms; we have only summarised what it publishes.
6. Justdial
Justdial A local-business directory. It is not published as a free no-key restaurant-menu MCP.
Best for: Local listings.
Keep in mind: check Justdial's own site for current coverage, pricing and terms; we have only summarised what it publishes.
Where another option is the better fit
Use the Google Places API or Foursquare Places when you need global place metadata and you already have a billing relationship. Use OpenStreetMap when you want open geometries and points. Use a delivery app when the user must order — but do not plan a product on a public Zomato API that is not offered. Use Justdial only if a phone listing is truly all you need.
How to choose
If the agent is a restaurant discovery assistant for India, start at indiarestros.com/for-agents. If the agent is a global maps product, start with a Places API and add IndiaRestros only for menu-level India coverage. If the agent is a checkout, look for a lawful delivery or ordering integration, not a discovery MCP.
Frequently asked questions
Is the API really free and without a key?
That is how it is published on the for-agents page. Confirm the live docs before you ship a high-volume product.
Does the API place orders?
No. There is no commission on orders because orders are not taken.
What about Zomato's API?
A public API is not offered (see Zomato's site).
Can I combine this with OpenStreetMap?
Yes. Many map products will use OSM for geometry and a restaurant graph for dishes and phone numbers.
Disclosure: I work on marketing at IndiaRestros (indiarestros.com).
Written for a November 2026 comparison series. Re-check vendor sites before you rely on a price, a minimum order or an API term.