La Vie, Khan Market, Delhi: Quaint Italian Cafe

La Vie is one of the very few restaurants at Khan Market that are situated on the ground floor. It is a small and cozy restaurant with the décor giving it an authentic European feel. This restaurant could very well be tucked in the back lanes of any European city.  The food is Italian, and reasonably priced.

I meet Anirudh Gupta, the young and energetic owner on whose invitation I am here. Though a vegetarian himself, he loves Italian food and has worked with chefs with years of experience of cooking in Italy to bring together his menu. Add to it a prominently displayed wood fired stone oven, and the setting is complete for “la buona cucina” (the good cooking).

I start with La Vie Da (Rs 250) a liquid concoction of lime, oregano and jalapenos which has a really interesting taste. Mint Cucumber Cooler (Rs 250) a mix of mint, cucumber and lime is fresh and soothing in this weather.

In starters, Insalata Caprese (Rs 250),  a tomato and bocconcini salad, drizzled with pesto, is ordinary but the pesto has the punch. Chicken and Spinach Vol-Au-Vent (Rs 300) are oven baked vol-au-vent with a stuffing of spinach, chicken and ricotta, topped with mozzarella and parmesan, and served with a marinara dip. While the chicken stuffing is good, the puff pastry in the vol-au-vent is too dense.

From the mains, freshly made Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli (Rs 390) drizzled in a basil pesto sauce is delicious. The quality and the consistency of the ravioli are impressive. I would have preferred a not so rich sauce but even with it, it is a great dish. The classic Swiss dish, Cordon Bleu (Rs 540) has pan sautéed breaded chicken breast with a stuffing of ham and cheese, served with a mustard cream sauce. The dish looks alluring but tastes not so good since the chicken inside is overcooked and hard.

Pizza is the flagship dish at La Vie and I am looking forward to trying it. I am served a half and half pizza, with the first half being Bingo (Rs 550), a minced lamb Bolognese spread over mozzarella and finished with cheddar cheese and the second half being Meat Lover’s Pizza (Rs 590) with Bolognese spread topped with pepperoni, ham, barbecued chicken & mozzarella. It’s not my lucky day – the pizza has got charred in the oven making the crust too crisp and compromises the mouth feel. While bingo is a good pizza, meat lover’s pizza needs more meat to deserve its name.

Apple Crumble Pizza (Rs 300) warm and hearty cinnamon apple crumble over a thin crust base and lots of cream is a delicious, indulgent dessert pizza and a must try. The combo somehow transports me back to my childhood malai and cheeni toast days.

Whenever in Khan Market, La Vie is a great option to visit for its food, décor, and its sheer ability to transport you out of the hustle bustle of the market into exotic foreign locales.

Disclaimer

This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant. Due judgement and care has been applied by the author to remain objective and unbiased in the review, but readers need to consider this review keeping this fact in mind.

 

Ratings (Out of 5)

Food: 3.5 | Ambience: 4.0 | Service: 3.5 | Overall: 3.5

Meal for two: Rs.1500 including alcohol | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Wheel chair friendly: Yes

Address: 51A, Khan Market, New Delhi | Tel: 011 24627707, +91 9999399177