ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Address: 163-164 Rajendra Bhawan, Rehendral Place, Radha Soami Satsang, Prasad Nagar, Rajendra Place, New Delhi, Delhi 110008
Time: 12 PM – 1 AM
Meals for two: Rs. 1,200
Cuisines: Italian, North Indian, Chinese, Mughlai
Facilities: Home Delivery, Full Bar Available, Live Music, Live Sports Screening, Wifi, Nightlife, Buffet
Lanterns Kitchen & Bar, Rajendra Place, New Delhi: DECOR
Rajendra Place, of which a single, modest-sized building is Rajendra Bhawan, is very centrally located, right behind Siddharth Hotel and adjacent to the metro stop called Rajendra Place. Do approach Lanterns from the metro station side on Pusa Road, rather than the rather chaotic rear entry. At the best of times, the exterior of the double-storeyed building does not inspire confidence, in spite of the many eateries that are beginning to open there. Ignore the entrance, because once you are inside the restaurant, you are in a dimly-lit red brick and wood-paneled space with music and an upbeat vibe. Lanterns is owned by two young brothers -and they are always there -manning the entry on live music nights, interacting with guests and handling phone calls for table reservations.One brother is a chef; the other looks after administration. Between the two of them, they have made Lanterns into the icon that it has come to be.
Lanterns Kitchen & Bar, Rajendra Place, New Delhi: FOOD
The menu has pizzas and pub food, I have always gone for their Indian menu. By far and away the best in the area, and that is saying something because West Delhiites take their Indian food very seriously indeed.
However, I challenge anyone to find a more robust, rustic yet rich and creamy version of dal makhni (Rs. 240) than the one that the owners of Lanterns have perfected. Also, two of their kebabs are a rarely-seen-in Delhi combination of a Persian kebab with Indian spicing: zaffran chapta kebab (Rs. 425) and kofta kebab (Rs. 425). Out of these, my personal favorite is chapta kebab, for the resemblance it bears to the Persian koobideh kebab. The mince has to be kneaded with shredded onion to attain the desired texture and the scorch marks on the kebab as well as the flaky paratha served along with it makes it the finest kebab in the NCR. Other notable dishes to try are keema bheja fry (Rs. 425) where the bheja is chopped, but not too finely and nihari (Rs. 400) a classically cooked preparation involving slow heat and long cooking times.
Lanterns Kitchen & Bar, Rajendra Place, New Delhi: PLUS AND MINUS
Their version of murgh makhni (Rs. 400) reportedly gives the neighboring restaurants sleepless nights on account of its excellence, but something had gone badly wrong on the day of my visit.
