A Full House

Town House Cafe in CP takes the meaning of the word excess to new, well, excesses.

Clove Smoked Mutton Galouti; inside Town House Cafe (Source: Express photos by Ajnavi Tarannum)

Connaught Place’s resurrection as a food and nightlife destination continues inexorably, like a zombie with an agenda. Among the latest spaces to breathe life into the retail sphere is the cavernous Town House Cafe, located on the second floor of Munshilal Building in a pretty juxtaposition of names. With wooden arches supporting the ceiling, ambient lighting further illuminated by black and red candles, scattered wrought iron work, plush leather seating and a bar longer than a fashion ramp, it gives the first impression of a sort of a temple devoted to a decidedly hedonistic deity, we are guessing is of the bubbly kind. The efficient acolytes, um, servers whisking to and fro, topping up a beer here, serving a pizza there, complete the illusion. The music could perhaps have been softer but, then, clearly this is a place devoted to excess. Poet William Blake, who had said, “The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom…You never know what is enough until you know what is more than enough,” would have probably found this rather wise.

The menu pitter patters around the globe, stopping by almost every major cuisine belt on its circumnavigation. So there’s Tex-Mex, Thai, Lebanese, Continental and, of course, domestic fare on offer, all reasonably priced, with the average cost of a non-vegetarian main course dish being Rs 450. We try the Patatas Bravas and the Clove Smoked Mutton Galouti and end up dispensing with them as rapidly as they come. The Patatas Bravas, a fiery Spanish version of everyone’s favourite carb, comes in wedges attended to by a creamy aioli well-spiked with roasted garlic. The galouti come steaming, atop tiny flaky Malabar parathas. Figuring that taking bites of this would be criminal, we pop in each kebab-and-paratha whole, leading to a mini explosion of flavours and textures with a wholly delicious fallout. The dessert menu currently consists of the standard brownie a la mode but we’re informed by our waiter mid-pour that this section will also soon see a growth spurt.

As vast and varied as the food menu is, it pales before the alcohol menu, a document Dionysus would have gladly endorsed. Spirits of all hues, strengths and sizes are available with a lengthy selection of cocktails, beers and wines rounding things off. Once again, the pricing is competitive and certain items such as shots and some liquors are available in quantities ranging from one to 25. Despite being boozier than a town drunk, the cocktails slide down easily, helped along their way with a generous infusion of various spices.

Meal for two: Rs 2,000 (including taxes and alcohol)

Address: Second floor, Munshilal Building, N-block, Connaught Place. Contact: 9818111749

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram

Tags:
food review

Loading Taboola...