Ali Baba Caves: Open {With Caution}, Sesame!

Ali Baba Caves in Hauz Khas Village only caters to a limited audience in the city: It’s all about loud music, Chinjabi food and shisha.

Chilli Chicken, Tandoori Chicken Wings

Gin & Tonic, Leffe {It’s misspelt as Laffe on the menu}

The only thing this restaurant wins for is the basic selection of alcohol, shisha, and the Chinese and tandoori selection on the food menu.

The restaurant has been built to resemble actual caves and has shady lighting to complement the already shady feel. The music is loud and bounces between Punjabi and Bollywood hits, with a little western pop here and there. It attracts a pretty big crowd but isn’t for everyone.

The menu offers a lot, but it is best to stick to the basics. You can indulge in some Chinjabi platters such as chilli chicken, drums of heaven and the assorted non-vegetarian platter; or the usual mix of Mughlai with paneer tikka, tandoori chicken wings and chicken tikka.

For spirits, it is best to stick to the selection of beers or IMFL, as the cocktails are potent, but not really balanced in taste. We would recommend the gin & tonic and Leffe. The shishas surprisingly, are well made and coal change isn’t a problem at all.

This place is built for a specific crowd, and can be experimented with, IF you’re in the mood for a typical Delhi-Punjabi scene. The staff is prompt and the DJ takes requests too, and that’s always a big plus.

Timings: 12pm – 12am