For Small Mercies

Thadi is a peaceful retreat,created in the lines of the tea stalls in Jaipur

For a place as compact as the Hauz Khas Village,Thadi,one of the latest entrants in the area,has managed to make its location an interesting treasure hunt. Just next to Delhi Art Gallery,where an unwitting eye would probably fail to notice the inconspicuous restaurant,several arrows will direct you through a catacomb-like entrance,and up several flights of stairs,until you lunge yourself up to the third-floor terrace. You finally reach the peaceful haven overlooking the wilderness.

While the indoors have colourful cushions spread across wooden sofas,the outdoors are full of wicker chairs and old wooden trunk tables.

If you are looking for a paper menu,there is none. We were promptly shown a plaque saying Self Order. We Serve.

Directed to a giant board menu,we choose from the snacks and drinks on offer. The place is not exactly a gourmands paradise,offering a limited range. But we found satisfaction in the simplicity. We started with cold coffee,peach iced tea and Mexican grilled sandwich. Served in iced tea glasses,the coffee was a tad bland,but the peach iced tea tasted fresh,with just the right sweet. The sandwich had ample chicken pieces and mixed sauces,but failed to be wholesome. The cheese omellete with ginger bread from the Nashta section,paired with ginger-lemon tea,makes for a good breakfast. Concluding the evening with an American sandwich and a virgin mojito,we were done. The dessert section had brownies,but we left that for another time.

Thadi is worth a visit not for its Maggi (yes,its on the menu) or drinks,but the rooted elements,a concept that its Delhi-based owners Nitin Dayal,Sanchit Oberoi,Puneet Jain,Bhupendra Kumar and Dee Vermani have borrowed from the actual thadis (tea stalls) in Jaipur. They have in place the customary Thadi Chai,hookas,clay pots for ashtrays and board and card games,all of which make for a peaceful retreat.

Come here for a casual conversation or to finish a book over some light food. After all,its price and ambience set this place apart from the other expensive and enclosed diners in the area.

Meal for two: Rs 900

Address: Thadi,3rd Floor,12,

Hauz Khas Village

Contact: 9953039809

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