Summer season is just around the corner and we are busy taking every prevention to sail through the long days of scorching heat and sweat. In such a situation most of us avoid stepping out as much as possible. This means, going out on lunches, dinners and meeting up with friends for a drink get curtailed down rapidly. Much agreeable? But we say, why letting the weather stop you from making the most of your time; instead, check out this amazing place in Delhi that offers just the environment you want to setup a date night during the summers. It's the Ditas at Mehrauli's Ambavatta complex. Amidst the greens, with a simple yet elegant setup, the restaurant offers the perfect outdoor setup, overlooking the courtyard. That's not all. Located next to ace designer Manish Malhotra's apparel store, a tinge of gold dictates and luxury dictate the décor at Ditas. The indoor sitting area has a classic combination of white walls, Moroccan flooring and of course, warm lighting for the perfect mood.
To enjoy one such cozy evenings, we decided to visit Ditas recently. It was a light breezy evening and we took the corner seat outside, overlooking the Qutub Minar all lit-up in the evening. What added on to the mood was the jazz music, playing in the background. Upon entering, we decided to get some drinks to set the tone for the night and the server suggested a refreshing cocktail with gin infused in earl grey, kafeir lime and elder flower syrup. It was oh-so-delicious that we went for a repeat! The drink was paired with a plate of spicy, crispy Katsu Crispy Chicken, fried to perfection.
Gradually, we moved on to the meal. It started with wild mushroom cappuccino (with crispy shitake) and apple, plum and quinoa salad - prepared with roasted pine nuts, sunflower seeds, feta, cranberry and white wine vinaigrette. While we can't deny the salad was quite refreshing, but the ones who like their salad bland might want to go for some other option instead. Moving on, we ordered for a plate of salmon avocado tartare, prepared with dill, capers, sea salt, shallot and lemon, with mixed seed crackers on the sides. We must say, the salmon was fresh and the delicious. Next up was a pizzaroni. You might wonder, what is a pizzaroni! It is basically crispy flat-bread (smaller in size than pizza) with all your favourite pizza toppings. Here we enjoyed a classic pepperoni, jalepeno, mozzarella pizzaroni, with bacon bits on the top. It was indeed a good start to the meal.
We took a small break and decided to check-out the neighbourhood at the Ambavatta complex before jumping on to the main course.
Now, coming to the main-course, we were very clear to have something cheesy and gooey. And what better than a cheese fondue to go for! Yes, we enjoyed a cheese fondue with the sides of freshly cut fruits, vegetables, roasted mushroom, cold cuts and crackers. It was just soul-soothing! While we could have called an end to the meal, but our hungry soul wanted for some more. And hence, we went for some aromatic Malaysian lamb curry with sticky rice on the sides. Every non-veg lover would agree - we just can't finish a meal without trying out some lamb curry; right?
And finally, it was time for some dessert to end the indulgent night on a sweet note. We ordered 'Drop It Like Its Hot' - sounds interesting?! So it is basically a passion fruit plate with warm spiced crumble, honeycomb, berry coulis, signature creamy drizzle and burnt caramel ice-cream. So, for the ones who avoid chocolate, this dessert is a dream-come-true! It's a must try.
With this, we ended our foodie night on happy high note. If you too want to enjoy a cozy, indulgent summer evening like us, we suggest, do give Ditas a try!
Where: Ditas, Ambawatta One Complex, Mehrauli, South Delhi
Cost for two: Rs. 2200 (approx.)