Smoke House Deli is a modern European café with quaint interiors. It sounds like a clash of interests but works surprisingly well. It is casual, friendly, inviting, and unpretentious. It offers a unique menu that encompasses lavish breakfasts, stellar healthful salads, hearty soups, sumptuous burgers, and tasty hot dogs with the main course to tempt one’s palate. It is definitely a place worth checking out the next time you are out shopping because the variety of teas, coffees, and drinks it offers is amazing. Smoke House Deli has been located at four places in Delhi – Saket, Vasant Kunj, Khan Market, and Hauz Khas Village.
THE LOCATION
The Smoke House Deli eatery I visited is located on the first floor of DLF Place Mall, Saket, just next to the escalator.
Address: 252/253 DLF Place Mall, Saket
Timings: 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Seating: 54
THE AMBIENCE
It is the decor of the place that actually almost mesmerizes the customer; it beckons when you inadvertently cross it with your shopping bags or tired after a movie. It offers a definite colonial old-world look, with a mix of cane and wrought iron furniture. The ceiling and walls are painted white on which old doors and windows are all nailed together. The table linen is all flowery with hanging lampshades; it looks so Cinderella-like at every seating. Somehow, the flowers on the white background suddenly transport you to a European café.
THE SERVICE
As the place is quite popular, on weekends, you may need to wait a little for having your meal there; however, as soon as your turn comes, the server will seat you comfortably. Service is not impeccable, but there is nothing to complain about either. The staff is friendly and hospitable.
THE FOOD
A single visit to Smoke House Deli can’t do justice as their menu is quite exhaustive, but the usual choices were worth trying. The complimentary bread basket is served in a little rustic sack-like bag and the bread is warmed to the right temperature. This is one of the places that give you an add-on option, wherein you can take half a sandwich with any soup to have a light meal. The Chevre with Grapes Salad (Rs. 350) is a delightful option that fills your mouth with tangy flavor. It has fresh grapes, oranges, walnuts, and goat cheese. The salad leaves are crisp and fresh. With the Smoked Chicken and Caper-berries Salad, I specifically asked for an orange vodka dressing on the side, but it came in premixed; however, in all fairness, it was changed immediately – the tangy dressing was, in fact, delicious, but the caper berries and chicken have got nothing to be written about.
In the main course, the portions are decently sized and attractively served. The Harissa Chicken served in pan was a sumptuous, spicy treat as was the SHD Peri Peri Rabbe Chicken with Smoked Pimento Reduce (Rs.510) served with a side salad, spicy and flavorful.
For dessert, I loved the pretty Granola Chunks with Honey and Curd (Rs.210) with freshly cut fruits. It proves that healthful options can also be yummy. This, however, figures in the all-day breakfast options, rather than the dessert section. The Philly and Plum Cheesecake was, in fact, the icing on the cake, surprisingly light warm with blueberry compote and a hint of plum sauce that I, for one, could have had more.