Reel vs Reality: Viral Christmas spots in Delhi test patience, diners complain ‘The line was so long that we gave up'

Chances are, if you’ve been doomscrolling on Instagram, you’ve seen more than a few reels featuring beautifully decked-up cafés celebrating Christmas. From Café Wink in Anand Vihar to Diggin at Anand Lok and Wongdhen Café in Majnu Ka Tilla—complete with artificial snow to create the perfect snowy Christmas vibe—it seemed like every spot was a dream destination. Now, picture this: it’s Christmas Day, and you head to one of these Insta-viral spots, only to find yourself facing wait times stretching from an hour to five hours! That’s exactly what happened to many Delhiites, who shared their experiences online, sparking a viral trend that resonated with thousands.

“A midweek Christmas was just what my husband and I needed to relax and soak in the festive vibes,” says Nabiya Khan who works at a real estate firm in Noida. “We had planned days in advance to visit Diggin at Anand Lok after seeing all those reels on Instagram. We expected a wait since Diggin is always busy, but the line was so long that we gave up after a while. We clicked a few pictures and ended up going for a long drive instead.”

Nineteen-year-old IGNOU student Bhavya Anand faced a similar situation at the ever-famous Majnu Ka Tilla. Her reel documenting the chaos has since amassed over 1 million views and more than 20,000 likes. “There was absolutely no space to walk. Majnu Ka Tilla already has narrow lanes, and with such crowds, it felt even worse,” she recalls. “Every café was packed, with at least four to five groups waiting outside each one. It was so crowded that I couldn’t even take a decent photograph. In the end, I just gave up and had street food, laphing, bubble tea, and corn dogs. Honestly, if I’d known it would be like this, I’d have stayed home and ordered in,” she says with a chuckle.

It wasn’t just cafés that were overcrowded—malls across Delhi-NCR felt the festive rush too. Viral reels captured the sea of people at places like Select Citywalk in Saket, Gaur City Mall in Noida, and CyberHub in Gurugram. “I went to Great India Place in Noida on Christmas since I had to shop for an upcoming trip abroad,” shares Aum Saxena, a student at Symbiosis College, in Noida. “I reached early, around noon, thinking it wouldn’t be too crowded. But even then, it was packed! By 2 PM, it was so chaotic that I abandoned my cart and headed home. If I’d stayed, I’d have been stuck in line for at least an hour or two!”

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