Sunday, December 9, 2012

Best European (Hotel Restaurant): Le Cirque, Leela Palace

When Le Cirque opened, I was sceptical. I’m no fan of the New York original which saw its best days when Ronald Reagan was President, and where snobbery is the service policy. But against the odds, the Leela has pulled it off. This is an exceptional restaurant with high quality, no compromise food, outstanding service, and is easily the most elegant dining experience in India. It is a shame that you have to mortgage your house to eat here but look at this way: it is cheaper than the New York Le Cirque and the food is better.
Integral to Le Cirque’s success are two men: Mickey Bhoite, an Indian chef who was raised in Italy and brings a lighter, more cerebral, approach to Le Cirque’s traditional, stodgy global menu with a take-no-prisoners personal style and Prateek Swarup, who must be Delhi’s best five-star restaurant manager.
The two – backed by a formidable kitchen and service team – ensure that diners have a superlative experience (right till the moment the bill arrives when it’s high-blood-pressure time) and have raised standard for European restaurants in India by several notches.

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