ITP Indian Travel Places: Food, Travel, Tourism Business Events and Trade Shows
Cafe Dali, Lodhi Colony: Restaurant Name
Phone: +918882941078
Address: 136-137, Meharchand Market, Lodi Colony, New Delhi 110003 India
Time: 13:00 PM – 16:30 PM and 19:00 PM – 23:00 PM
Meals for two: ₹1,200
Cuisines: Pizza, Pasta, Italian
Facilities: Takeaway Available, Indoor Seating
Cafe Dali, Lodhi Colony, New Delhi: About
Right at the very end of Meharchand Market, after barber shops, upholstery showrooms, and fashion boutiques – as well as a sprinkling of cafes and dosa joints – comes Café Dali, the lone formal European-style restaurant serving Italian food. On one hand, it adds to the cacophony of the funky row that makes up the market. On the other hand, it is difficult to slot it neatly, as there is little precedent for a formal restaurant that serves food from a European country. The 40-seater is fronted by glass doors; from outside, it does seem a bit of a mirage in the desert. Inside, there is silver service and the staff is well trained, and fairly well-informed as well, as most of them have worked in various Italian restaurants in the city.
Food:
Pappa al pomodoro (₹350) was a generous portion of freshly baked bread served with grilled cherry tomatoes and basil pesto; it was a delicious introduction to Café Dali. Gamberetti all’aglio (₹1,400) consisted of perfectly grilled shrimp doused in lemon-scented oil and dressed with garlic and fresh herbs. Perfect for this weather, and to my joy, the shrimp were fresh and cooked to perfection. Lobster and lemon zest ravioli with seafood bisque (₹2,500) was flavoursome, but the five-star appeal of lobster was drowned out in the sauce that was an unappetizing shade of grey and too thick for the star ingredient: the lobster. For main course, I had salmon alla griglia (₹3,000), and the salmon was optimally cooked. The scorched section of corn on the cob added a surprising and rare juxtaposition to the salmon, and the lemon butter was perfectly executed. The tiramisu was one of the better renditions I have had in the city.
Cafe Dali, Lodhi Colony, New Delhi: Plus & Minus
As the first venture into the food and beverage space of an accomplished businessman who has visited Italy several times, there are a few disquieting features. This is not a café but a ristorante according to the Italian nomenclature. Pizza is a snack akin to, say, chola bhatura, which you cannot have in a ristorante, which is a formal dining space. The menu is embarrassingly peppered with typographical errors, and Italian terms have been misspelled. And whatever spin you put on it, the concept and the location are at odds with one another.
