Wendy’s

Wendy’s The newest burger in town is square Cuisine: burgers Atmospherics: Every time a chain from the west enters the country, everyone waits with bated breath to see what compromises they will make to the food. Out goes beef and in come (usually strange) vegetarian options. None of this is true for Wendy’s. Though there…

WTF Cafe

WTF were exactly my words while I climbed up the steps to Café WTF one rainy evening. The waterproofing of the ceiling is less than perfect, so the staircase has rain pouring incessantly. Defence Colony Market wins the prize for ‘shortest shelf life of a restaurant’. Café WTF is in the fun mould for youngsters…

Yauatcha

Cuisine: Chinese/Dimsum An international, upscale brand comes to town There is a remarkably high degree of standardization between the food in the Mumbai outlet and the Delhi one. I visited both in the space of four days. Atmospherics: Not nearly as plush as the Mumbai branch vis a vis décor, the Ambience Mall branch is…

Sorrento

Blurb: The best Italian restaurant in the NCR, to date. Cuisine: Italian Atmospherics: Shangri-La can be said to be a slow starter here in Delhi, but it’s fast gaining ground. Sorrento has a patio that feels like Italy, indoor seating that has nooks and corners, a wine cellar, and an open kitchen. Few restaurants outside…

Shang Palace

Blurb: Delhi’s first foray into Modern Chinese Cuisine: Chinese Atmospherics: Shang Palace is the signature Chinese restaurant of the Shangri-La world-wide. The de facto cuisine of all the branches is modern Cantonese. In the case of Delhi, a smattering of Yunnan and Sichuan has been added, so that, though the template is Cantonese, die-hard fans…

Zamozza

Blurb: A mixed bag of unbelievably good and ‘what the customer wants’ Atmospherics: It has much going for it, location-wise. On the ground floor of a building on Janpath, right next door to Shiv Sagar (same owner), it is down a narrow alley within the building itself. So the ceiling is a blaze of lights,…

Zura

Cuisine: Mediterranean Blurb: bookshelves, multi-level café, bar and restaurant with style and flair Gurgaon Sector 29 is a smorgasbord of restaurants and bars. Zura is for those times when you’re catching up with friends and want to nibble rather than gorge. Atmospherics: It is a breezy café with bookshelves and a laden pastry counter. You…

Imly

Cuisine: street food from all over India The eye-catching ‘train’ has fired everyone’s imagination Atmospherics: with ample parking, it is just off the main Rajendra Bhavan sprawl. Imly and its likeness to a train has, in the few weeks that it has been opened, been besieged with customers of all ages and it is easy…

Fatty Bao

Cuisine: oriental The Big Daddy is here, though in a seemingly playful avatar Atmospherics: First the location. Sangam Courtyard is on a main road in an easy to find location. Though it is packed with restaurants – some by Delhi’s most important players – Fatty Bao is the first one to start. The playful sketches…