1. Maruchi
Location: Aurobino Marg, Opposite Qutub Golf Course, Lado Sarai, New Delhi
Call: +919910425070, +918769085405
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It’s rare for a bar-slash-restaurant to create a vibe that walks the trapeze rope between chaotic and dead just enough to be the right kind of buzzy, but this Teppanyaki bar swings it. While the cocktails are nice, it’s the food we’d go here for–the soft shell crab tempura rolls, pork gyoza and Japanese Fried Chicken Karage in particular. Its Lado Sarai location is a big sell, putting it in accessible South Delhi without making you wade into the mess that Mehrauli or Hauz Khas Village can be.
2. Aura at The Claridges
Location: The Claridges, 12, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Road, New Delhi
Call:+911139555080
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If you’ve been jonesing for an old-school live music bar amidst all the bouncy clubs and terrace bars, Aura at The Claridges will be just the ticket. Ideal if you’re after a cigar-and-whisky kind of spot that allows you to lean into a leather chaise, sip your single malt and partake of a band in action. You can eat here (the menu is Asian), but it’s a better spot for an apéritif or a digestif.
3. Ophelia
Location: 50-B, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Call: +917303517007, +917303527007
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Located on the site of (but not within) one of Delhi’s oldest hotels (Hotel Ashok) on Diplomatic Enclave, Ophelia reopens with a change in attitude; and clothes. From a Renaissance theme riddled with pinks to a safari-esque vibe with more clean-cut beiges and browns, the revamped Middle-Eastern restaurant is less oppressive in its new avatar; and a solid spot for late evening drinks with your crew.
4. Tickled Pink
Location: Unit 312/A, 2nd Floor, DLF Avenue, Saket, New Delhi
Call: +919773899447. +919773899449
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Saket’s vibrant DLF Avenue has an all-star line-up of restaurants, but with one missing ingredient; most of them are indoors, on the ground floor. Tickled Pink, a newly opened modern Indian restaurant, solves for that, with a gorgeous rooftop that was born for a winter brunch. If you’re in the area and fancy a gin-soaked lunch where the galoutis and tikkas keep coming, consider yourself sorted. The Balochistan Raan tacos are particularly good.
5. Ace Burgers
Location: Shop 2, Panchsheel Local Shopping Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi
Call: +918800003417
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It’s been a while since good burger cloud kitchen popped up, but Ace Burgers, it turns out, was worth the wait. The Panchsheel Park based delivery kitchen does a mean, no frills burger–exactly the way God intended. With no frou-frou attempts to dress up the burger, Ace’s menu is unfussy, messy, sinful and solid; we’d go with The American if you’re after a classic, and The Mexican is great if you don’t mind salsa dribbling down your chin.
6. Fig at Malcha
Location: 3/48, Malcha Marg, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
Call: 084478 72226
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When Fig at Museo opened in Gurgaon, the farm-to-table concept cafe at the camera museum fast became a brunch favourite with the community; just as it drew Delhi diners for its particularly unique European & Asian fare and its fantastic fair trade cafe. With its new address in South Delhi’s Malcha Marg, the commute is cut out for Delhizens, allowing them to partake of a great brunch doused in natural light without braving the expressway and traffic. The Bacon and Fried Egg Bagel and Whole Wheat Pancakes With Honey Mascarpone are tops.
