The Garden Restaurant at Lodhi has to be the most picturesque of eateries in Delhi, set up front of the sprawling Lodhi gardens, right opposite Mausam Bhavan. It is an ideal locale for a relaxed lazy afternoon, a romantic evening or even catching up on coffee with your friends.
The Location
Gate No.1, Lodhi Gardens
Opp. Mausam Bhavan,
Lodhi Road, New Delhi-110003
The Hours
11:00 am to 12.15 am
Seating and Parking
Seating is ample at 175 covers and for parking, one relies on the lodhi garden and mausam bhavan parking.
The Ambiance
In one word, heavenly!
The Garden Restaurant is an idyllic place on winter afternoons, summer evenings and rainy days. I just fell in love with the place! I went for lunch with my teenage son on a rainy afternoon, and suddenly from the hustle and bustle of a buzzing Delhi, we were transported to a tea estate of the British Raj. In Lutyen’s Delhi, with lush botanical surroundings, at the entrance itself, where the big mustached durban escorted me in, with a big umbrella to save me from the rain, I started feeling special and pampered. Little wooden crates at the entrance with home grown herbs like basil, rosemary and thyme added to the ambiance.
Seating was in the garden area (which was vetoed out on account of rain), the atrium, ground floor, the bar floor and terrace.
I was led down a pretty cobblestoned path and through veiled cabanas to the main restaurant and up the wooden stairs with a bamboo banister to the wood floored bar level. The ground floor also houses a quaint little tuck shop of sorts, where they sell their sauces, herbs and organic produce. The walls were an imperial red, reminiscent of the Raj., The chairs are all made of wood and bamboo cane with comfortable deep red cushions., The tastefully done interiors with high roof ceilings and big picture windows transported me to another world, completely. Also, I must not forget to mention, even the washrooms are so different, with rose petals strewn around and the floral aroma adds to the magic of the place.
The seating is ample at 175 covers and for parking, one relies on the Lodhi Garden and Mausam Bhavan parking.
The Price
On the steeper side, even by Delhi standards . A meal for 2, sharing dessert and without alcohol, will set you back by at least Rs. 3000.
The Food
However magical the place maybe, the hero of the experience has to be the food. And boy, what a gastronomic delight it was! The menu includes salads, soups, appetizers, pizzas, pastas, mains, desserts and beverages, deriving from European, Mediterranean, Lebanese influences. However, their USP is they use local seasonal produce and organic herbs and vegetables, adding to the earthy feel.
Fresh green salad – A mélange of crisp fresh lettuce, pears, tomatoes and beans, it was a delight in every bite. I loved the sprinkling of goat cheese ( the chef threw in some extra at my request) and the honey dressing with extra virgin olive oil, which took the salad to another dimension completely. I didn’t need to add any black pepper ( which I would usually, to cut the sweetness of a honey dressing) as it was perfectly balanced.
Fish and chips – The fresh water River Sole was perfectly crumb fried, a wholesome portion and was served with rustic herbed crisp potato wedges. Also, it was accompanied by a coleslaw which, surprise, surprise, was crunchy, raw papaya rather than the creamy cabbage that we all avoid. The tartar sauce was homemade and not the heavy prepackaged variety, and fresh herbs and dill pickle in it had me completely demolishing the helping, with all the potatoes, which I would never had done in the normal course of things.
Stuffed chicken breast – The chicken breast was served as a sliced roulade, stuffed with rustic chunky spinach and creamy cheese. It was delicious and the flavors were definitely spot on. It was served with a mushroom tomato white wine sauce, and thankfully, the sauce was of pouring consistency with little chunks of mushroom and not a thick gluggy mess as I have encountered elsewhere. The freshness of the homegrown tomatoes in the sauce was evident, and when I say that the spinach was greener and the tomatoes redder, maybe it’s the pesticide free produce shining through!
Almond bread pudding with toffee sauce – The proof of the pudding is in the eating- and it sure was! There was a yummy piece of warm almond loaf placed in a pudding bowl, drowned in toffee caramel sauce with a big helping of homemade fig ice cream on top – this must be pudding heaven! It was so delectable, and every bite exploding with flavors and new discoveries of pieces of figs and gooey toffee ( which is also made in their kitchen itself) that it converted a hard core chocolate aficionado, a teenage boy (my son) into a fresh fig and caramelized toffee lover — he actually asked the chef if he could buy a jar of the toffee sauce to take back to the hostel( incidently , it was possible;)). This was an absolutely befitting finale to a perfect meal and I could not ask for anything else. The portion was generous, too, and mom and son both left the place happy.
This meal was a memorable one, and the receptive staff and the earthy feel of the experience with the Lodhi Gardens in the backdrop with the birds fluttering on the terrace made it worth the big bucks spent, definitely a place to go for a special day!