Mediterranean Affair: European Tapas and Bar

A stone’s throw away from the Ashok Hotel’s mighty façade is Ophelia, borrowing equal parts drama and character from its namesake. While the high-end tapas bar’s outdoors exude a contemporary, yet minimalistic and laid-back vibe with illuminated cabanas on wooden decks, it is the interiors that transport you to a British ball. Think imperial décor, plush designer chairs, crystal chandeliers along with scattered fragments from the Victorian era. 

Famished after a long drive, we dug right into the delectable Turkish starters, beginning with the Mezze platter, both vegetarian (with paneer shashlik) and non- vegetarian (with lamb). On the side was a generous serving of tahini and three dips—hummus, muhammara and spinach—along with balloon bread. 

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The mains, a fine selection of European and Turkish delights, had all the right flavours. The braised lamb with saffron mash is a good place to start, followed by quinoa and soft cheese steak with ratatouille . While the vegetarian variant was loaded with cheese, not that we’re complaining, meat lovers will vouch for the tender lamb set atop mashed potatoes spiced with saffron. 

Ophelia definitely scores brownie points for presentation. Cutting straight to the chase, we got our hands on the signature cocktail, the Hamlet, a jasmine- infused gin served in a flask stashed inside a novel. 

Without any qualms we made room for desserts and h-apple-y topped it all off with a serving of apple crumble cheesecake and sorbet on the side. 

Where: Hotel Ashok, 50-B, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 
When: 3pm-1am

Pro Tip: Try the chocolate shell with mascarpone cheese topped with fresh fruits and soft mousse.

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