The Pit, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi

Restaurant Name: The Pit, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi
Phone: +919667661322
Address: Building no. 46, next to McDonalds, Basant Lok, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi, 110057 India
Time: 1:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Meals for two: Rs. 2,200
Cuisines: Continental 
Facilities: Takeaway Available, Indoor Seating, Table booking recommended

Décor: The Pit, Vasant Vihar

If there is one meat-lovers’ paradise in Delhi, it is here, it is here at The Pit, Vasant Vihar. Right in the beginning of the Basant Lok market on the first floor, it has supremely no fuss interiors, plenty of natural light, a well-stocked bar and a glassed-in kitchen where, among other things, the meats are smoked. There is no restaurant in or around the NCR that even comes close to the sheer variety and the quality of the juicy, tender, flavourful chicken, salmon, sole, lamb, pork and tenderloin used here. Every one of their ingredients is brined, marinated and hot-smoked before arriving at your table and each one is a masterpiece of taste, texture and a hint of smokiness. And this is the opinion of someone who is not particularly fond of meat, and who would much rather have a vegetarian meal!

Food: The Pit, Vasant Vihar

The lamb chilly bruschetta (₹ 600) is a great introduction to the quality you can expect here. Roasted fork-tender niblets of lamb napped in a savory relish with an undertone of heat in a hot dog bun that does not disintegrate. The best part about The Pit is the humongous portion size. Grilled butter garlic prawns covered the large serving dish. Pools of melting butter and a pleasant amount of char enhanced the firm flesh. Meatloaf (₹ 950) featured lamb in a 1960s favourite. Coarse mince was seasoned and placed under a weight before being cooked in a loaf tin, so that, when de-moulded, the meat loaf takes the shape of the tin. Great as a starter, served as an inch-thick slice! My companion pronounced the pork section the clear winner: the meltingly tender belly (₹ 1,000), the bacon steak (₹ 900) with a pleasant bite and the chubby sausages that arrive, four to a plate. The partners of this restaurant are clearly not from this trade: on my first visit, they declined to serve me a wood-smoked salmon steak (₹ 1,800) as they were not happy with the quality of the salmon! I did manage to get one a few days later and the succulent fish with a hint of its mustard marinade could not have been a better pairing.

Plus & Minus:

Each dish is served with your choice of any two sides that include deeply savoury mushy peas and onion rings. The service strikes a balance between professional and friendly: quite rare!