The restaurants with 'it'

Anoothi Vishal on new restaurants in the capital that satisfy on more than one count.

Now that it seems futile to wait for the prettiest restaurant in the country, Olive, Delhi, to reopen, the hunt must be on for suitable successors.

Which is that "it" place now where people can congregate and be assured of an above-average "experience" "" ambience and food and that elusive "x" factor "" because after all, when you are paying that kind of money, it cannot be just about the basics. In recent months there has been an explosion of new restaurants in Delhi. A pick:

SEVILLA
An inside-outside seating arrangement always works. Especially if you can pretend to be sitting under the twinkling sky, or under a giant banyan tree, without the sweaty inconvenience of such an al fresco arrangement. Sevilla is charming and, as all Olive fans will acknowledge, comes closest to approximating the enchanted ambience of the Mehrauli restaurant.

This new restaurant at the Claridges is situated where the earlier Corbett used to be, only now it is much better lit up and much more comfortable. Instead of the earlier "camp"-style seating, there are glass cabins, suitably airconditioned, and a separate area for the bar.

Pretty lights and much aromatherapy aside, the centre of this evening-only restaurant is dominated by a quaint wood-fired oven where your pizzas get done. This, you'd be surprised to know, has not been imported, but assembled at a fraction of the cost, locally by the executive chef. He has also invested in an accurate thermometer to make sure that the crusts turns out just right!

A round of parties and the lack of similar ambience elsewhere has ensured that the restaurant is generating just the right buzz. While you are there, try the fabulous tapas and the exhaustive range of sangrias. The management insists that the menu is not Spanish-only. Ignore all marketingspeak, enjoy what you will, though if you take my advice, don't miss out on the excellent seafood paella.

SMOKE HOUSE GRILL
Despite a rack full of (empty) wine bottles that patrons have signed and left behind as mementos, wall illustrations from graphic novels and other such engaging stuff, I wouldn't put Smoke House Grill in GK II right there in terms of ambience.

If you ask me honestly, it is too dark and perhaps too confusing as far as the ambience goes. The food, on the other hand, stands out. It is suitably cutting-edge (ignore a certain tendency towards pompousness on the menu).

The halibut with a simla mirch dressing is what I keep upholding in all foodie conversations, but stuff like the smoked salmon with wasabi cream cheese is equally welcome. The good thing is that the restaurant is now open for lunch. But if you go there for dinner, leave the kiddies behind "" that's a policy.

TRAVERTINO
It is not new. But what is new is the turnaround that has happened here. Threesixty at the Oberoi is still the place most popular with both those who like good food and those who want to be seen as such, but now sister restaurant Travertino is coming out of the shadows. Forbes recently listed it as one of the most expensive in the world: "It would seem strange to go to India for Italian food but..."

It's an important "but". While the snob value would be enough for many a Delhiite, the restaurant also has one of the best wine lists around. More importantly, it has lost the stiff air of its former self. The new chef (and new manager) have ironed things out considerably and the menu, which tries to keep everything simple while offering the best of ingredients, is definitely world class. If you are one for luxury dining, you'll find everything on the table, from foie gras to Rs 40,000-a-kilo truffles.

IVY
There are certain restaurants that you consciously seek out, others where you just drop in because of convenience. Ivy would fall in the latter category. I have had the best caesar salad here as well as a really special version of succulent duck (this when I don't even like either the greens or the fowl) but the "x-factor" seems missing.

So while I would happily go here for drinks if I were in the vicinity, I wouldn't necessarily remember it while arranging a special evening out. Nevertheless, Ivy seems to be popular enough with the corporate crowd with everyone from the Mittals downwards hanging out here.

Also...
Tabula Rasa (in Saket), because of its innovative concept so popular in many modern restaurants in the West. The portion size is kept smaller so that you can sample many more of its global cuisine dishes.

Veda (in Connaught Place), because here's another turnaround. The older, smart-aleck-y menu seems to have been ditched (along with the chef). And because here's a place to take your expat guests out to for an "Indian" experience, complete with the over-the-top Rohit Bal-look.

19 Oriental Avenue, at the Shangri-La. For poshed-up Chinese. The expat community throngs here.

Baci, in Sunder Nagar. There are some places which abide, this is one. I love the restaurant, its ambience, grilled prawns, Sunday brunches and all.