The kitchen is being headed by Chef Piyush Jain who left Hiatus at Qutub Clarion Collection to take over this restaurant started by Bhanu Nehra (the same owner as that of Mia Bella in Hauz Khas Village), and he was going over to all the tables to check if his guests were liking the food.
The place is spread across 3 floors and has an in-house bakery too. The first and second floors are for dining in and the ground floor is for the bakery and take-away. Having an outdoor seating on the first floor, the place has always been packed for that part of the restaurant.
The place is done up in very light shades, with pretty lamps hanging down some of the tables and attractive decor for the place otherwise. Wooden flooring, wooden furniture, nice classy cutlery, pebbles and white color dominating the outdoor seating - that's how the place looks.
I've been there twice, and have tried a great deal of their dishes, barring the sandwiches and salads. The menu is European and the place also has European inferences here and there. From the name to the table mat to the dishes, everything looks pretty chic and European.
The complimentary bread basket is a delight!
Cajun Spiced French Fries served with Chilli Mayo - Nice fries dusted with cajun, but being elevated completely by the chilli mayo.
Corn and Cheese Bruschetta - Very garlicy (in a good way). Topped with corn and mozzarella cheese, the crisp buttered garlic bread was delicious! A very nice dish for the vegetarians.
Spanokopita - Very few places get their filo pastry right, and thankfully Schengen is one of them. Stuffed with spinach and ricotta, this dish was truly sensational! A must must order for the vegetarians!
Cold Mezze Platter - This one comes with 4 kinds of dips, pickled veggies, olives, fattoush salad and pita bread. A must order! The dips are simply gorgeous! Each dip is exquisite in its own way. Served in the classiest way possible, it also gets full marks for presentation.
Crumbed Fish Fingers with Tartare Foam - The fish fingers had a thick crispy coating on the outside, and yummy fish inside. Served with a tartar sauce that was equally good, it's hard to decide which component of this dish was better than the other.
Cajun Spiced Chicken Satay served with Peri Peri Mayo - The chicken was nice, but was a little too dry. The flavor was nice and the peri peri mayo was spectacular, but if only the chicken was juicy. I've never had juicy chicken satay anywhere, so I think it's the fault of how satays are originally cooked. Irrespective, it's a nice dish but just not juicy enough for me.
Sole Fish done three ways - Don't remember the exact name of this dish but it consisted of three different flavours/types of sole fish. Very very very juicy, very flavourful, absolutely spectacular! Must must try!
For mains I've tried their Stuffed Grilled Chicken in mushroom sauce with mashed potatoes and spring vegetables, and this is the only dish that was my least favorite from the menu. The mushroom sauce was delicious, the mashed potatoes were superb, the chicken was delicious, but the stuffing inside the chicken was too bland. That is what pulled the dish down. Communicated this to the chef too, and he very sweetly took all feedback coming his way.
Their pizzas are not to be missed! Wood-fired oven pizzas that are to die for!! I've tried their Roasted Chicken and Artichokes pizza, and their No.1 pizza that's a treat for the vegetarians. Delicious toppings, yummy cheese, and that droolworthy thin crust!
In drinks I've tried their Raz Mataz, Orange Margharita and Red Wine Sangria. All their drinks were delicious, but the Red Wine Sangria was brilliant! One of the best you can find in Delhi. Simply superb!
Their pricing is on the higher side but the food, the place, the presentation - it's all worth the buck. The only complaint I have with the place is their service on a Saturday night. They had a party going on, and the restaurant was full to capacity, but that does not justify making a customer wait for more than half an hour for their desserts. The waiter I placed my dessert order to mixed it up, and after 20 minutes another waiter comes to me to confirm my dessert order. After 35 minutes there was still no trace of my desserts and that is when I decided to not wait any longer. Hence, I can't comment on their desserts. There was a goof-up in the service, alright, but it doesn't take 20 minutes to realize in the first place that you're confused about the order.
The place excels at all fronts. It's the perfect place for a date, for a family dinner, for a ladies lunch, and for a drinking night. I will definitely be coming back very soon, specially for the pizzas, fish appetizers and red wine sangria. :)
Address: 22/48, Malcha Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi
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