Address: 14, GF, Capitol Point
DLF Multilevel Parking
Baba Kharak Singh Marg
Connaught Place
New Delhi
Timings: 11 am to 11 pm
Cuisine: Continental
Seating: Fine Dining
Cost: Rs 1500 (approx) for two people, without alcohol
Payment Methods: Cash and Credit Cards
Wi Fi Internet Available
Every time I drove past the new multi level parking on Baba Kharak Singh Marg I longed for an opportunity to step in and see what the big deal was about this mammoth white building, hovering over and becoming part of the sky line of Connaught Place. I got an opportunity to do that when we visited Espresso Grill and was quite fascinated to see how this massive and sophisticated parking lot worked, with our car being taken away on a lift!
Given its slightly difficult location, I’m guessing Espresso Grill will become a destination restaurant rather than a place with frequent drop-by’s. The reason I say this is, because if (like us) you’re coming from the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib side, you’ll have to drive around in a circle, quite literally, before you can reach Espresso Grill, since the road has no U turn.
But Espresso Grill made up for the extra drive with excellent food and staff who knew their menu. The restaurant has a Deli-ish feel as you walk in, with breads, sauces and crockery for sale on one side and since it was nearing Christmas when we visited, they even had very cute Christmas hampers for sale, complete with Christmas cake, macaroons and a bottle of Sula wine of your choice, which makes a perfect little Christmas gift. Espresso Grill has a strong European feel to it, with a mural across one wall, depicting a very chic and busy street in Europe and an open kitchen in the back.
The menu at Espresso Grill is a delight and has much more than you’d expect of a Deli. The menu also reflects the respect the chef has for his food icons, Gordon Ramsay and Donna Hay and has paid tribute to them through dishes like the Gordon Ramsay Signature Roasted Cauliflower Soup with a Wild Mushroom Crositini and Cooler. I had the opportunity to meet the owner of Espresso Grill, Mugdha, that evening, who started the restaurant with an effort to bring to Delhi her experiences of world travel, food and the deli experience, making Espresso Grill a lively combination of a deli, a café, a lounge and a restaurant, all perfectly rolled into one.
We started with the Chicken and Fava-Beans and Wasabi Soup which was served in a beautiful stoneware bowl and was nicely warm with a wholesome feel and soothing flavour, just perfect for a chilly winter evening. For the soup I’ll give them an 8 on 10. We then moved onto their appetizers and tried the Pan Asian Barbeque Pork Spare Ribs and Spicy Korean Kimchi, which was an incredible burst of flavours and perfectly done with the right texture and taste. For this I’ll given them a 9 on 10.
For the main course we tried their Slowly Braised Shanks of Baby Lamb, Red Wine and Rosemary and Chilly Glaze, Dauphinoise Potatoes and a Crispy Nest of Leeks. The very informed server who was taking my order suggested I have a glass of red wine along with my meal, which as it turned out, complimented the lamb perfectly. The presentation of this dish was excellent and I hadn’t the heart to begin eating it because of how beautiful it was. Once I dug in, I discovered the meat was perfectly tender and mildly spiced with a slight hint of a sweetish flavour, which only added to the character of the dish. The dauphinoise potatoes were perfectly done, layered, flavourful and creamy and went excellently with the lamb. An incredibly satisfying main course for which I’ll give them a 9 on 10.
For dessert we chose their All American Carrot Cake Slice with Cream Cheese Frosting Served with a Tartare of Pineapple and Mint. I was a little skeptical of ordering this, given the mention of pineapple and mint and was not sure of how this would go with the carrot cheese cake, but my server informed me that the pineapple and mint tartare would be served on the side. A well informed server makes all the difference and adds so much more to the dining experience. The dessert was soft and smooth and creamy and very high on taste, melting in your mouth as you tucked in. The tartare on the other hand had an extremely intense flavour of mint and the flavour of pineapple was non existent.
A few suggestions would be to skip their black dinnerware, given the beautiful presentation of their food, the black dinnerware takes away so much from the visual experience of the food. Serving breakfast would also be an excellent idea, given the lack of breakfast options in Delhi.
Why Go? Espresso Grill gives you a perfect and relaxed European deli experience and is an excellent place to go for a cup of coffee and a slice of cake after a day spent shopping in Connaught Place, or even a quite dinner for two.
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