Tailor-Made Gastronomy At The Darzi Bar...

The Darzi Bar, located in Connaught Place is one of the places in Delhi's F&B space dedicated to providing a bespoke culinary experience.

Simply put in the words of MasterChef India Season 2 Winner Shipra Khanna whose brainchild Darzi is, as clothes are custom-made for the body, the dishes plated at Darzi are custom-made for the belly.

Located up a flight of stairs with a designated neon-lit trial room at the entrance overlooking a wall full of thread bobbins, the interiors at Darzi stay true to the theme from the word go.

There are neon-lit banners across the outlet, the bar counter is bordered with an inch-tape like inscription, there are tailoring machines for lamps, and life-like tailoring scissors put up on the walls.

Coming to the nomenclature of the dishes on the menu, that too is inspired from Master Ji's dialect and tailoring terms strewn across.

On the whole, the menu has a good variety to offer across Indian, Oriental, Italian, and Continental cuisines and it would be best to go by Chef's recommendation.

Here's what you must try when at The Darzi Bar & Kitchen...

Beverages:

Eye Blinker, a concoction of kokum, chili, mint, lime, and cumin, making the eyes blink in the first sip, true to its name.

Peachy Zipper was a grainy blend of peach and watermelon.

Inch Tape was a pineapple and lavender beverage presented in a vial of smoky liquid nitrogen.

Soup & Salad:

Mexican Tomato and Red Kidney Bean is the classic tomato broth done the Darzi way.

The Original Greek Salad tossed in vinaigrette is done right at Darzi with a hearty mix of tomatoes, olives, feta, and onions finished with oregano.

From the All Day Menu...

Kuliya Ki Chaat was reminiscent of Old Delhi in being a bite-sized fruit and vegetable chaat that had scooped cucumber, apple, and tomato stuffed with an eclectic mix of pomegranate seeds, boiled chickpeas and chaat masala.

ISBT Makhani Maggi was also prepared the street food way with cheese and makhani gravy.

Appetizers:

Kandhari Paneer Tikka is a Darzi specialty and a true must-have, with soft cottage cheese cubes being marinated in beetroot and topped with a couple of pomegranate seeds.

Veg Quesadilla was a true-blue Mexican style platter with salsa and sour cream on the side. The tortilla was crisp, the filling was ample too.

Dahi Ke Kebab was the authentic hung curd snack prepared right at Darzi.

Amritsari Machchi was the classic Fish 'n' Chips platter done right with crisp fish fillet - mustard tartar dip and crinkle fries on the side.

BBQ Chicken Wings rendered in hot barbeque sauce with crinkle fries on the side.

Sulemani Anda is the ultimate egg dish at Darzi, being a one-pan meal with minced egg filled inside a baked egg preparation.

Main Course:

Achari Paneer Pizza at Darzi is a thin-crust veggies and pickled cottage cheese pizza.

Desserts:

Shahi Tukda Croquants were rendered in a pool of Rasmalai, topped with a scoop of Kesar Pista ice cream and garnished with chocolate chips.

Pineapple Halwa is a good break from the run-of-mill Moong Dal Halwa at Darzi.

All in all, I had a great time at The Darzi Bar & Kitchen. :)

A Visit To The Luggage Room...

The Luggage Room is one of the fairly new entrants on the F&B scene in the heart of the capital city. 

An offshoot of Sandoz Group, The Luggage Room emulates a lounge perfect for that relaxed weekend meal with friends complemented by ambient music in the backdrop.

I had visited them earlier this month for lunch and the place was easy to spot given its prime location in M Block, Outer Circle right above House of Commons and adjacent to 38 Barracks and The G.T. Road.

The Luggage Room is located on the second floor and can be moderately or dimly lit depending on if your visit coincides with a party being held there. As the name suggests, The Luggage Room features a wall of backpacks and every element in the decor borrows from the concept of a suitcase. Be it the door at the entrance, the menu, the table or even the platter in which the dishes are presented, almost every facet speaks of 'luggage' at The Luggage Room.

Coming to what would be some of the well-made dishes worth a try at The Luggage Room...

Appetizers: 

Mushroom & Cheese Cigar Rolls were crisply served in shot glasses with a sweet chili sauce at the bottom.

Ajwaini Fish Tikka came with an in-house tartar sauce and the fish fillets were soft and flavorful.

Chicken Malai Tikka was creamy and had mint chutney to go along.

Tempura Vegetables were an assortment of veggies served with a somewhat tangy sauce.

Mint Lemon Fish was an Oriental preparation that had the prominent lemon flavor with bell peppers to go along the melt-in-mouth fish chunks.

Fish 'N' Chips is a classic wherein the fish was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Chips here were not the classic French Fries but some unique fried crisps.

Salad: 

Caesar Salad had the leafy counterpart complemented by numerous chicken chunks.

Soups: 

Tuscan Tomato was served with garlic bread on the side and had a cheesy crouton as garnish.

Lemon Coriander was not just a clear soup with lime and greens but also had veggies for a welcome change.

Main Course:

Special Mix Pizza was recommended by the staff and was a cheesy thin crust preparation loaded with assorted veggies.

Kadhai Paneer was a classic that went well with the bread basket and salad.

Desserts:

Chocolate Brownie with Ice-cream is a classic sweet conclusion and the brownie here was exceptionally soft and moist.

On the whole, The Luggage Room deserves a visit if you wish to relish some nice food over light banter and good company complemented by a musical ambiance. 

Clocking Deliciousness At The Clock Tower...

The Clock Tower is one of the prominent and popular names in the F&B space, located on the Golf Course Road. An ode to the boarding schools of India, The Clock Tower draws inspiration from Victorian Era with its grandfather clock being reminiscent of olden times.

Drawing from the grace and style of European spaces, and as an ode to their Alma Mater, Sherwood, Nainital, The Clock Tower is a brainchild of two alumnae who focused on bringing a colonial microbrewery to the heart of Gurgaon, rendered completely in teak wood and stone.

The Clock Tower is adorned with memorabilia and trinkets to remind patrons of the life and times of a student who has spent time as a learner in boarding schools across the country. Complete with Tintin, Asterix, and Malgudi Days corners, followed by an Alumnus Corner at the entrance, which has been host to various Reunions for a couple of prominent resident schools, The Clock Tower is a nostalgic overboard.

Spread across a sprawling three floors, and a beautiful rooftop with a patio that enables you to witness the clock up high in action, The Clock Tower is a Brew Pub and Kitchen of the style that is seldom witnessed in the capital city.

Here's what would be the must-try dishes when at The Clock Tower...

Beverages: 

Mandarin Sour

Mango Mania

Smooch

Virgin Mojito

Watermelon Cardamom Refresher was Keshav's concoction with a hint of lime.

Appetizers:

Dahi Ke Kebab is one of the classics and well-selling dishes at TCT and was presented in a wheel-cart accompanied by salad and mint dip. It was simply melt-in-mouth.

Achari Paneer Tikka had a subtle layer of tang all over the cottage cheese chunks topped with a bell pepper slice. Not overboard at all and highly recommended.

Tandoori Mushrooms were presented on a shovel, accompanied by salad. Again, subtle flavors of mustard on the palate, and they were well-prepared.

Homemade Corn and Jalapeno Poppers are an in-house special and I could taste why. This one rides away to glory in a make-shift bicycle.

Soup: 

TCT's Soup of the Day was Manchow served along with crispy noodles and is undoubtedly one of the best soups I've had since long.

Main Course:

The Clock Tower Pizza was a Chef's Special with an assortment of veggies as toppings.

Veg Stroganoff was prepared nicely, served with herbed rice.

Sikanderpur Lahsuni Saag had an assorted bread basket to complement its preparation.

Desserts: 

TCT's Dessert Jar of the Day was Tiramisu in a jar, presented with a 'cocoa fork'.

TCT's Dessert by Slice was Chocolate Cake complemented by ice-cream with a drizzle of syrup.

On the whole, The Clock Tower is not just any other themed restaurant, but one of those rare ones that have a reason backing the theme as well. Also, TCT is perfect for any and every kind of meals with friends, family, or colleagues alike. :)