India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (243 page)
The Hyatt is also incidentally where you’ll find the best pizzas in town, at
La Piazza(
011/2679-1234
). Chef Wladimiro Gadioli dishes out authentic Italian cuisine; an extensive wine list includes superb vintages from around the world, though the prices may have you gagging into your glass. Excellent, authentic Spanish and Catalan dishes are served in classy, beautiful surroundings (with a supersexy tapas bar downstairs) at
Lodhiin the new Aman hotel . While it’s a big draw with Delhi’s young, fun-loving crowd, it’s also a great family venue. For a Spanish dish with a slightly locally twist, order the fish stew prepared with saffron, or the lamb paletilla, made with dried fruits.
Delhi’s only Brazillian churrascaria, located at Crowne Plaza (Site 2, Sector 29, Gurgaon;
dinner only) is very good indeed. The sheer length and styling of the room at
Wildfire, ending with flaming urns on large pebbles, makes for great ambience (make a reservation for a table by the window where the flaming urns are), but it’s the food that has meat-lovers coming back for more. After sampling their salad buffet, you’re meant to sit tight and experience the rodizio style of service—various meats are brought to the table on skewers and sliced straight on to your plate. Brazillian chefs believe in not letting your plate sit empty until you raise your hands and beg them to stop. Our only grouse was with the chair design—too high for the tables.
Finally, if you simply want to sit back and relax with a good bottle of wine and a buffet choice of pretty much anything from anywhere around the world, The Oberoi’s smart, contemporary
Threesixtydegrees
) is open all day and somehow almost always buzzing with businessmen.
Expensive
An irritating trend (at least for voyeurs) among the moneyed crowd is to eat at “members-only” restaurants. The most popular of these very hip joints is
Oriental Octopus
(Habitat World, India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Rd.;011/2468-2222
or 011/5122-0000, ext. 2512), where you dine at curved, meandering tables shared by gorgeous designer-clad Delhiites—a million miles from the streets of Shahjahanabad. See if your concierge can arrange a reservation, or find a member and tag along. The food isn’t bad either—start with Singaporean steamed spring rolls, and move on to Malaysian black-pepper prawns tossed in garlic and crushed pepper. It also has an interesting bargain-priced buffet spread.
Even more irritating (for restaurateurs at any rate) has been the city’s clampdown on health and safety regulations, which saw the closure of numerous venues because of unsound architecture (a problem in some of the city’s more ancient structures). In mid-2007, for example, the sublime and wonderful
Olive Bar and Kitchen
that was located in Mehrauli had been closed and is still awaiting an imminent comeback; in the meantime, you can visit
Olive Beach
(9, Sardar Patel Marg, Chanakyapuri;011/4604-0404;
www.olivebarandkitchen.com
), although we find it better for drinks than for what comes on your plate.
For superb Italian by one of Delhi’s most celebrated restaurateurs, Ritu Dalmia (also responsible for London’s Vama), try to get a table at
Diva(M-8, M Block Market, Greater Kailash I;011/2921-5673
), which has drawn countless accolades despite fever-pitch prices. You simply can’t go wrong here; any of the seafood starters are recommended, and the lamb chops in red wine are superb. Also under her able hands is the pizzeria Caféat the Italian Cultural Centre (Nyaya Marg, Chanakyapuri;011/2467-4575
), best done if you’re in the embassy zone running around for official work or cultural screenings, as well as the brand new café
Latitude 28(011/2465-7175
) run by Goodearth (see “Shopping” later): with an international menu, this all-day dining focuses on unpretentious freshly prepared food. One could just have a simple panini and a juice, or go for something more wholesome like a pasta or lamb stew; there is also a huge array of organic salads for the health conscious.