Cannaught Place Archives

This Dharmendra themed restaurant will win your hearts and invoke nostalgia

Garam Dharam, Bollywood actor’s Dharmendra restaurant does justice to its name. The restaurant is quite earthy in its ways of serving food to its customers and is a treat to the fans of the great veteran actor Dharmendra, who apparently was known as Garam Dharam back in his days. It is amazing to see how the restaurant has been totally dedicated to one person right from the interiors to the food and yes even the washrooms. As expected, the cuisines that get served here are in typical Punjabi style and moreover, you will simply fall in love with the ambience.

Located on the outer circle of Connaught place, the place is visible from the main road and easy to reach. There is ample parking space nearby, making it one of an ideal place for a family outing.

Ambience

The insides of the restaurant seem to have been designed by a lover of old Hindi films, the films starring Dharmendra to be more precise. The interiors of the place are simple, quirky and are modelled on a normal roadside dhaba. The one who enters the place feels the top notch Indianness of the place which happens to be a big attraction for the customers. The presence of Dharmendra is present in everything from the wall decors to the posters on the walls, the cutlery, and the music that plays inside. Apart from the theme it follows, the music, the decor, the lights at night everything is so perfect.

One added attraction is the iconic bike from the movie Sholay. Overall, we could say that the ambience of the restaurant cum dhaba is deeply mixed up in the colourful world of the Hindi film industry which makes the place a must visit, especially for the film lovers.

The food and drinks

Pyare mohan masala nimbu cocktail, a refreshing and unusual concoction of flavours like lemon spices and almonds, with Vodka as its base is a must try at this place. The cocktail is strong to the taste buds but is said to have a refreshing feel.

The cuisines which get served in the place are strictly North Indian and will appeal the most to the Punjabi community. For the starters, the visitors must taste the delicious paneer kabab, hara bhara kabab and the dahi kebabs which are a pure delight to start with. The main course is the real deal over here. The place is a paradise for the hardcore food lovers and serves them right with almost every other vegetarian dish imaginable. From shahi paneer, daal makhani, kadhai paneer, mix veg to salad and tandoori roti, everything is here and that too, at the most reasonable of prices. The place offers as desserts a tall glass of sweet lassi and ice creams.

Overall, the food is quite rooted and delicious as hell. The average cost for two people dining at the place must be somewhere around 1300 Rupees which is quite on the moderate side.

Highlights

The interior decoration inspired by Dharmendra remains the biggest crowd puller feat of the restaurant.

The Verdict

As the restaurant gives a very Bollywood type feel, the place is a must visit for the Bollywood and Dharam Paji lovers. It has the perfect ambience for a family dine in with old songs playing in the background and lip smacking snacks.

If you really prefer a private dining area with your friends, The Vault Cafe in Connaught Place is the best place to be

Multi-cuisine menus courteously served in 5 themed private vaults that can easily accommodate between 8 and 22 people, this sums up the Vault Café for you.

Located amidst the pleasant rush in Central Delhi’ Connaught place area, The Vault Cafe is a cool and lively place in the city. The ambiance is soothing to the senses. With the crowd comprising of young and the restless Delhiites, bathed in somewhat neon reddish lights, this might just be the place in case you are looking for a group outing or a date. The low light setting somehow reminds you of a dark brooding novel setting or a French art film and the little bit wicked aesthetic inclination appeals to the customers. The USP of this place is that you can spend your evening in private rooms shaped like vaults of different capacity – that’s why the name The Vault Cafe. Get yourself a vault if you are a group of 5 or more and have a blast with your friends.

Location

Although, the first timers may find it a bit difficult to locate the restaurant, but that makes the place all the more exclusive. The restaurant is tucked in a corner in the F block in Connaught Place. The exact location is F-60, Second Floor, Connaught Place. The place remains open till 12.30 AM.

The Food

Choosing the perfect item from the extensive menu full of items from all across the world could very well be a daunting task. If you don’t know your way through it, you will find it tough to decide. The highlights for theme lunch and dinner would be Raspberry Swizzle and Mai Tei for the cocktails and Coffee surprise, Kiwi hour and Melon Breeze for mocktails. Strawberry Mango smoothie is extraordinarily suave as well.

For the starters, one could go without thinking for some exquisite options such as Mushroom Satay, Shish Taowk and Falafel Wrap. But apart from these, the Pasta with cheese toppings is something you would remember for a very long time. Coming out of these starters, Pav Bhaji here is spicy and delight to the taste buds. Same is the case with Vada Pao which happens to be exquisitely delicious.

The restaurant serves as a vegetarian foodie’s paradise with dishes such as the thin crust pizzas and paneer tikka pizza. Specifically, the restaurant deals in North Indian, Asian, Continental and Mediterranean cuisines which would be some of the best your taste buds ever had the pleasure of checking out.

Also do not miss the tandoori chaap and pizza.

Pricing

With alcohol included, the average cost for an eating session which includes two people is approximately INR 1600, which remains right under the budget for most people.

Highlights

Some highlights of the place which are worth mentioning are –

-Outdoor sitting arrangements

-Wheelchair is accessible

-Smoking area

-Wifi

-Full Bar Available

Apart from the mysterious theme of the interiors, everything from the menu to the seating arrangements is a great one. Great food, superb service, and good ambiance give enough reasons to be in love with the place.

With the interior coming straight from the mind of some creative geniuses, the place reminds you of the place you used to dream about. Enjoying the music and the food with your friends in a private space arrangement is a great way to experience the group outing.