If it has broken, fix it. If fixing is not possible, destroy it but never push something which is not going to work. It looks like the core team at Taj Palace Delhi needs to address this issue. It is too late to fix it, and this restaurant occupies prime property, best demolish and start from scratch again. A new restaurant, a new menu, a new theme, a new set of people, everything new from the entrance to the checkout.
Why do I say that? Is it based on one experience? Is there a bias or a grudge? No, none of that. It is love, great love for the House of Tata, and the Taj Group of Hotels. When I went in yesterday, my experience of the last visit was still fresh; I was in two minds and decided to err on the side of faith. My decision was wrong. Service has deteriorated significantly. Tables, especially the “for two” ones, remain more appropriate for divorce discussions than for business meetings or having coffee with family and friends.
Getting a club sandwich right is the prime task of a coffee shop. When a coffee shop fails in putting together this eternal classic, it is curtains. Over and above, if the restaurant manages to serve a dessert which requires a chain-saw to cut through it, one knows one wasted their time and money.
On other points:
The hostess was off notes. The ambiance was just about OK. Order taking was perfect. Order serving was acceptable. The server was just about attentive. Even by 5 Star standards, prices are way off the mark. Cost for two without any hard drinks and a club sandwich shared over coffee and topped with one shared dessert at around Rs 3,500 is steep.
