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While the pool was crowded there weren’t much footfall in the bistro, though it was weekend and lots of offers were on. We gave the benefit of doubt to the timing – an early sunny evening in July. The look and feel of the place is quite vintage and retro. The furniture are of solid wood and gives you a certain ‘Great Gatsby’ high. The props include old lamp shades, railway signals and showpieces that have antique vibe.
We ordered some mock tails from the menu and a plate of beer battered fish as starters. Let’s reveal you in the beginning, the service is slow. It’s really slow! And there’s not much method to it. We thought of trying some chef’s special but he was nowhere to be seen, though we asked for him a multiple times. You would need to decide for yourself because the attendants lack knowledge about the cuisine and have nothing much to share. The beer batter fish arrived almost half an hour later. The tanginess or hint of beer was lacking. Beer battered food is quite common in Delhi and there is no way you could go wrong. But they managed to. The waiters lack proper expertise and courtesy. So you may require to request for a fork, a knife, a spoon each time you can trace them. And unlike fine dining places, here you need to cry out for the waiter, although there aren’t many guests.
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On asked for ketchup, the waiter simply put a whole bottle of ketchup on the table and disappeared. We thought of sampling a wood fired pizza, which the place takes credit for. Unfortunately the pizza on arrival was found to be overbaked to the level where the crispiness has up. We could feel a burnt aftertaste on our first few bites. The cheese was good. When the waiters were asked about the kind of cheese in pizza, they couldn’t respond after much consultation among each other.
For main course, we ordered a lamb burger with barbecue sauce and fish & chips. The menu is too limited and there’s not much to try. We thought of these two as there is no way you can go wrong in making two of these dishes. Fish & chips and lamb burgers are like making an Indian chicken, which should anyways taste good. But then these flopped as well. ALSO READ: House of Soy has the best vegetarian delicacies for your Thai obsessed tastebuds
We never imagined a fish so bland. The basa seemed like the Vietnamese one but the crispiness was nowhere. Basic thumb rule for fish and chips is crispy outside and fluffy inside and the chef seemed to have reversed the rule. The waiters wouldn’t serve it on your plate. Though the plates were heaved with leftovers of the pizza, the waiters didn’t bother to change unless we insisted.
The lamb burger was worst than a
At a time when five stars are experimenting with their food and making the chef the hero of the place, hiding the creator and keeping a limited menu won’t help the place get quality customers. Making money with pool parties is one thing, but building a relationship like Radisson, Sarovars and Crowne Plazas would need some extra level of creativity.