#basilandthyme

  Delhi, one of our country’s cosmopolitan hubs, has heaps to offer food-wise. If you’ve been here long enough, you know where to get the staples - dal makhani, butter chicken, kathi rolls. Today, it’s refreshing to find that the city crowd is all for adventurous dining. They are venturing out in search of the world cuisines that the city has to offer. However, persuading them to try out French still proves to be an uphill task. This is because Delhiites have long-labeled the cuisine as one with too much fluff and too little quantity. The cheeses are regarded smelly and the snails disgusting. But it seems like they’ve finally decided it’s time to leave these notions behind and try out the flavours of France. These two restaurants are perpetually bustling, and are serving food which is buttery, fancy and authentic.

Basil & Thyme was one of the first French stand-alone restaurants in the city, started by a Le Cordon Bleu graduate almost two decades ago. The lone restaurant is nestled amongst swanky boutiques, lush landscaped gardens and tucked in at the far end of the Santushti Shopping complex. Unless you especially go looking for it, you’d never know it even exists. I asked my mother to accompany me and after getting distracted by a few boutiques, we finally made it to Basil &Thyme. On entering, what impresses you first is the simplicity of the interiors. The room has white walls, a thatched roof and French windows which allow natural light to filter in. There are a few palm planters, the tables are neatly arranged, not too clustered. The menu is all of two pages, but changes frequently, according to the seasonal ingredients available. Not what you expect from a French restaurant - the fuss and fancy was missing.

We decided to order their salad with smoked chicken and palm hearts: it was light and refreshing. Post which we ordered their sundried tomato risotto. It turned out to be flavoursome. We rounded up our meal with Gateau Zara which was baked to perfection. The service is impeccable, with the charming waiters well versed with the menu and ready with recommendations. As a meeting place, for a snack after shopping, or a date, when all you want is some good conversation and food, Basil & Thyme offers the perfect ambience. Hidden in the loveliest part of Delhi, it is definitely a restaurant to search for.

  Rara Avis was launched in 2012 by two Frenchmen, Jerome Cousin and Laurent Guiraud, in partnership with Delhi based entrepreneur Rajiv Aneja. It was date night, and I took the liberty of mixing work with my personal life. We entered through a dingy passage and up a rickety, old world lift, that opened up into what resembled a homely (and well-decorated) living room. It was styled with assorted antique furniture, wall art, soft yellow lighting, background music - effortless yet appealing. But the best part is its rooftop space, where we decided to sit. If you’re booking in advance make sure you request for a table on the upper deck. Here the ceiling is covered with oddly-shaped light bulbs, kitsch garden furniture, few antique fans. All this facing a beautiful panoramic view of urban Delhi. The whole setup feels as though an ordinary south-Delhi home has been converted into a cozy little restaurant. The informality of the décor makes the whole experience a lot more interesting.

On a whim, not knowing what a flammenkueche was, we ordered their alsacienne flammenkueche. It turned out to be a pizza, sans tomatoes and with bacon, caramelised onions and cream. It was a heavenly combination of bacon and cheese! The dish went well with the drinks we had ordered (white wine for me and beer for the boy.) Next, La Chevre et la Laitue was warm goat’s cheese on croutons with salad on the side. It had four pieces of toasted bread and had a large amount of fresh goats cheese, heated only so slightly that it crumbled and slowly melted in my mouth. And with every bite, the lettuce salad helped cleanse the palate. As for the main course, I doubt you’d find anything better than their wild mushroom risotto. Topped with parmesan shavings and fresh black pepper, it was an absolute stunner. I had been looking forward to trying their dessert all evening, but was already stuffed like a Christmas turkey (with all that cheese and bacon and cheese again!) which only meant that I now had an excuse to make a second trip. Rara Avis was by far my favourite find! Good news: They’re launching soon in Goa. I can only imagine the ambience and the incredible food being served by the sea side.

 By Anahita Dhondy