Drinks, Dinner & Conversations: 5 Restaurants In Hauz Khas Village Perfect For A Quiet Evening

Their sunny terrace overlooks the Hauz Khas lake and ample greens. Wooden seating and pops of teal make it look like just the kind of place we want to be at for a dinner date. We love the new European menu that comes with a full-fledged bruschetta bar. They’ve also got a whole lot of smoothies, salads, soups, tapas, grills, sliders, pizzas, pastas and desserts {Tiramisu, we’re coming for you}. We’ve kind of got our mind set on their Upside Down Pot Pie pizzas and live grills section. So, does that call for a cheesecake and Whiskey Sour celebration? Um, why the hell not?

The decor and set-up will add to your dining experience almost as much as the food. What takes Coast Cafe from a stereotypical cafe to a sophisticated spot for a long meal is the space design. The space is well-lit: Think exposed white brick walls lined with green plants and large, arched bay windows that let the light in. Don’t leave without trying the tacos-clean and fresh, the perfect summer snack, and filled with crispy, batter fried fish with crunchy red lettuce, lemon and light sour cream, and salsa with extra fresh coriander. Our mains consisted of Masala Fish Curry and Garam Lamb Curry. The Fish Curry changed profiles with every bite; you could actually taste different layers in both the curries which was truly delicious. We tried both with appams first, and then with malabar parathas. The sophisticated appam curries turned into good old comfort food with the paranthas.

With their consistent quality dosas, idlis, uthappams and Mysore Pak, they’re bound to hit the spot every time. We recommend starting your meal here with the tender coconut water or a piping hot cup of rasam. We know there’s no dearth of South Indian joints in the city, and you can score a dosa in almost every nook and corner, but it’s only once in a while that you find one spiced to perfection, crisp on the outside with a masala filling. Naivedyam’s on our list for this very reason. You can pretty much order anything off the menu without the fear of disappointment, but highlights include the South Indian Thali {especially if you have a rumbling tummy}, the Mysore Rava Masala Dosa and the Appam Kurma {appams mixed with vegetable stew}.

The first thing we love about Lord Of The Drinks Meadows is that you don’t have to immerse yourself in the chaos that is HKV to get there. If drinks, dinner and ambience are what you seek, you’ve made the right choice. The ambience is super-comforting because of the comfy seating, live music and dim lights. While the food here is always presented pretty and tastes good, we hear that it’s the Italian cuisine that you’ll remember the most. The peri peri chicken pizza, butter chicken risotto or even the masala paneer bhurji tart are some quirky but great options.