Mr. (and Mrs.) Luth's Dining Establishments

Here's a list of some of our favorite restaurants, bars, and clubs in Delhi and Gurgaon. Don't expect a full review of places on this page; just what we like, what we don't, some favorite memories, and potentially prices (if for no other reason than I'm increasingly intrigued by the differentiation in price here). So maybe that qualifies as a sort of mini-review. Establishments are listed alphabetically, and (obviously) will grow as we try new places or as I find time to add the old (and yes, I realize there are just links for most of the listings but content will soon follow).

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Geoffrey's - Sushant Lok I, DLF Phase IV, Gurgaon
This is the English pub associated with our town and country club. While there is a membership fee, what sets Geoffrey's apart is the prices. Five start restaurant quality meals at a fraction of the price. It can be noisy at times, which is basically par for the course with any place in India, but this is another common, easy stop on Friday nights after work.

Food: Their Thai red curry (which may become my currency here) is excellent and only INR 235. Kind of an odd order for an English pub-themed restaurant, but I'll go with it. They recently created a supplemental "chef's menu" with more expensive continental food, but even then the New Zeland rack of lamb (which seems to be a popular "luxury" item on menus is a mere INR 695, which is half of other places. They also have excellent chocolate ice cream.
Drinks: Again, somehow the club structure makes the pricing work. When looking at the wine menu, I had to ask, "Are these prices for a glass or a bottle?" and was pleasantly surprised to find out it was a bottle. Even cocktail prices are exceedingly low. At most places we go, you're looking at at least INR 350 for something like a mojito. At Geoffrey's, INR 175.

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Jing

The Oak Tree - SuperMart I, DLF Phase IV, Gurgaon
It's quickly become one of our fall-backs if we don't feel like finding a new place, especially during the week. They have a great selection, are expat friendly with a discount, and the filtered water is safe to drink which saves you an extra couple bucks. We like bringing U.S. visitors here because it's not a place they would just happen upon and gets them out of the hotels; it's also next door to our grocery store which is something visitors tend to like to see. In addition to all of this, there's a waiter that looks like a friend from home. Every time we dine there, Justin Dillmore gets a wall post on Facebook about "how the Indian Justin Dillmore forced me to order another drink." Only downside is it can get noisy on the weekends (there's a club upstairs called "Attitude"), but we tend to frequent during the week when schedules allow, so not really an issue.

Food: They make a great Thai red chicken curry, some prawn dish preferred by Lindsay, and have hygienic salads. Most entrees are in the INR 350 - 650 range so for $8 - $15, you can get a nice meal in a relaxed atmosphere.
Drinks: They actually have a fairly decent selection of wines under INR 2000. Definitely more expensive than you'd pay in the states for the quality of grape, but good to have options. Be prepared to ask for other wines in the price range as the selections on the menu are rarely in stock. They also make a delicious mojito.


Olive Bar and Kitchen - One Style Mile, Mehrauli, Near Qutab Minar, Delhi
We found Olive while here in 2005. Recently reopened after renovations (though it seems the exact same), it's probably better in the winter months as the key feature is a huge banyan tree that you're able to comfortably dine beneath. There's a rooftop deck with firepits, which is again nice feature but better enjoyed during the non-summer months.


Food: A good variety, primarily focused on Mediterranean cuisine. The wood-fired pizzas are some of the best thin crust in India. Their Sunday brunch spread isn't as extensive as some of the others we've sampled, but what they do have is all extremely good. To dine outside, definitely the top spot on our list.
Drinks: Nothing out of the ordinary, though this is the restaurant where the recurring "second cheapest bottle of champagne" joke was introduced. Sadly, when we were there for Sunday brunch, sparkling wine was not an option.