47 Middle Lane, Khan Market
Khan Market’s hottest new hangout is a great place to people-watch. The regular clientele includes the baba-log of Lutyens’ Delhi jingling BMW keychains; yummy Punjabi mummies sporting blonde highlights; and a fair sprinkling of expats, looking visibly relieved to be in this congenial comfort zone that shuts out the clamour and squalor of Delhi. The decor is cosmopolitan-chic, the staff efficient, the view from the terrace is of leafy tree tops where birds sing. In fact, every prospect pleases, only the food is—well, no, it’s not vile, but it’s disappointing. I’ll qualify that—there are two items on the menu that are excellent VFM-the Juicy Tenderloin Burger (Rs 350) and the New Yorker—a grilled tenderloin and bacon panini sandwich (Rs 340). If only we’d stopped there....
The thin-crust Prosciutto Pizza (Rs 420) had a sadly anorexic topping (though the baba-log at the next table pronounced it "amaaaazing"); the Caesar salad (Rs 190), made with iceberg lettuce, was anaemic. The salmon pasta (Rs 440) belonged in the dustbin—the fish had clearly passed its sell-by date during its long journey from Norway to Delhi. The Tiramisu (Rs 180) may well have lived up to its claim of "Best in Town" if the mascarpone topping hadn’t been frozen solid. The coffee, however, was excellent.
