Civil House, Khan Market, New Delhi

Restaurant Name: Civil House Restaurant
Phone: 011 33105472, 011 33107664
Address: 26, Khan Market, New Delhi India
Time: 11:30 AM – 11:30 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 2,100
Cuisines: Continental, Italian, Pizza, European
Facilities: Full Bar Available, Outdoor Seating, Wifi, Serves Cocktails, Smoking Area, Free Wifi

Civil House, Khan Market, New Delhi: Decor

A family run eatery with very good coffee that faces the main road and thereby appears very visible. Many of the restaurants in this market are owned by well-known brands and owners with many other eateries in other parts of the city. This is one of the few exceptions. Individual-owned eateries can be very quirky and individualistic and before Khan Market became the rather self-conscious brand-toting space that it has morphed into, there were nooks with aunties baking pies and uncles making rolls, not with the same polish as the current breed, it must be said. Civil House could have gone the quirky auntie and uncle route, but they have decided to make a slightly bland menu, full of the usual suspects. Still, the formula appears to be working among seekers of the usual suspects.

Civil House, Khan Market, New Delhi: Food

First the best dish of my lunch, recommended by a friend. Herb crusted baked tilapia with couscous with kasundi coconut cream (Rs. 750). It is served in a Moroccan tagine (Civil House has splurged on its crockery) and is built up of cilantro leaves chopped finely and doused over a fillet of fish on a bed of couscous mixed with grated orange rind and poured over with coconut cream mildly flavored with prepared mustard. The precision with which the ingredients were handled was what made the dish stand out. Where the food is on a shaky wicket is when it tries to create healthy dishes with cooking techniques that are normal in a restaurant. Civil House special vegan sandwich (Rs. 400) was highly recommended by the server but turned out to be dreadfully dry with enormous pieces of barely roasted bell peppers, hardly any avocado and plenty of arugula leaves between enormous slices of wholewheat bread. Strawberry and apricot with endive lettuce (Rs. 400) had much going for it but for the salad dressing that was non-existent.

Civil House, Khan Market, New Delhi: Plus & Minus

The espresso is made with a great blend of Mysore coffee. It appears to be a popular meeting place for corporate meetings.