Embassy Restaurant, CP, Delhi: In A League of Its Own

The restaurant business is an interesting business. Just like any other vertical brand, most restaurants are slow to take off, reach their peak in 1-2 years and starts showing de growth in 3-4 years as consumers start showing interest in newer restaurants unless the brand has become iconic. Such iconic brands are far and few and Embassy restaurant may not currently be an apt fit under the legend category but is very near to that.

Spread across two floors in the Inner Circle of Connaught Place, the high ceiling Embassy restaurant can easily seat around 84 people and serves a mix of snacks, North Indian and European dishes. I visit the restaurant along with my colleague for a weekday lunch and the food takes me down memory lane.

We start with their signature dishes that are highlighted with a big star on the menu. Chutney Sandwich (Rs. 150) is a basic sandwich with chopped onion and carrots in mayonnaise unlike the mint sauce that I expected. The sandwich is comforting but the bread used isn’t as soft as I would have liked. Is it a day old? The menu also says that the sandwich is served with wafers but those are sadly missing from the serving given to us. The Veg Seekh Kebabs are soft with the corn bites enhancing the flavor. The thick and tangy chutney served along perfectly complements the kebabs.

Someone told me that Embassy serves one of the best Channa Bhatura in Central Delhi and I have to try it. The dark colored channa is served with a boiled aloo and pickled green chili and it does strike a chord with me. The single bhatura is huge and can be a complete meal for the above average sized person. But if you are looking for the Haldiram type of bhatura that does not have a trace of oil, you will be disappointed since these will make your hands greasy. However, they do not lack in taste.

My discovery of the day is the huge Mutton Samosa – the sweetness of peas adequately complemented by the minced keema in a crispy shell, takes me to heaven. This is one dish that I would strongly recommend you to try.

Dal Gosht (Rs. 575) is another dish that should be on your order. The nice cuts of mutton in dry and chunky urad dal is a beautiful combination that goes so well with the flaky laccha parantha. However, I am not too sure of the Chicken Masala (Rs. 535), a white gravy dish that has been bought to the menu by the personal chef of the Maharaja of Patiala. Cooked in almond paste and non veg stock using boiled chicken, I find the taste to be okay but the gravy is just too thick and has got congealed due to the high usage of corn flour. I check with the server if today is an aberration or if the dish is normally so thick. I am not too happy to note that this is the normal preparation. So in spite of the taste being okay, I leave the dish as it is visually very unappealing and unappetizing.

If you are fond of Tooti Fruitee (Rs. 225), go for it. But if you are in the mood for trying something new, don’t miss the Crème a la Embassy (Rs. 250), an egg based pudding with moist cake filled with whipped cream, egg white, raisins, fruits and brandy. In spite of not having a sweet tooth, I finish the entire portion of it.

In most of the restaurants in its league and of its vintage, I have seen the old servers to be a bit grumpy. Happy to note that the servers here are not only knowledgeable but are also efficient, polite, quick and friendly. The visit to Embassy did take me down memory lane and I will be back here soon for the mutton samosa, dal gosht and Embassy pudding.

Ratings (Out of 5)

Food: 3.0 | Ambience: 3.5 | Service: 4.0 | Overall: 3.5

Credit Card: Yes | Timings: 10 AM to 11 PM | Meal for Two: : Rs. 1,200 | Alcohol: Yes | Wheelchair Friendly: Yes

Address: The Embassy Restaurant, 11-D Connaught Place, New Delhi | Phone: 011 – 2341 6434, +91 9311085132

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.