Hogging the Road

MG Road 8212; it was the place for the party set, until the MCD decided it was time for curfew. The sealing drive of 2006 brought the shutters down on the hangout zones of the mwah-mwah crowd that drove down from south Delhi and Gurgaon.

If the sealing drive put an end to MG Road8217;s nightspots and its fame as a hip hangout, the new banqueting halls are making up by opening trendy restaurants

MG Road 8212; it was the place for the party set, until the MCD decided it was time for curfew. The sealing drive of 2006 brought the shutters down on the hangout zones of the mwah-mwah crowd that drove down from south Delhi and Gurgaon. Nightspots such as Nasha and Roots closed down. Tonino8217;s said ciao. In place of Cocoa by Belgique where you dawdled over cups of hot chocolate came up a store selling tribal furniture.

Shailesh Poddar, proprietor, Cocoa by Belgique, reminisces, 8220;We did plan to open a bakery, but the place had lost its charm. With chaotic Metro work and narrow roads, parking for a standalone would have been a problem.8221; Cocoa by Belgique, which made its debut on MG Road in August 2004 and was sealed two years later, is now resurrected in the plush environs of Select Citywalk at Saket. Tonino8217;s has bravely made a comeback on MG Road, but you will be hard-pressed to spot it amid the Metro construction. When the road had begun to resemble a dreary stretch for thousands of commuters, something new happened, as it always does. The three fancy banqueting and convention centres that have come up on MG Road are opening trendy restaurants to lure commuters for a quick bite. With parking facilities and manicured gardens, they are reviving the lost charm of MG Road.

At Lutyens8217;, located blocks away from the ruins of MG One, a multi-cuisine restaurant called Coalition is open from 11 am to midnight and has an impressive spread on offer. Choose from a Turkish burger served with hummus Rs 300, a plate of pasta with your choice of dressing Rs 350 and chocolate kheer Rs 175. The management wasn8217;t available for comment, but the restaurant is open for walk-in guests.

Blocks away, on the other side of the road, is the Hotel Vista Delhi. In January, it will open a 24215;7 coffee shop called Fork It with dramatic black walls interspersed with baroque patterns and fringed with spoons and forks, and a pub called Sun Downer with plush onyx interiors and lounge music. 8220;Keeping in mind the number of commuters that take MG Road, it is important to offer eateries,8221; says Sanam Ahuja of Vista Delhi. 8220;With our proximity to south Delhi and Gurgaon, we will get bookings from companies.8221;

At The Claremont Hotel and Convention Centre, situated close to Aya Nagar, is Blue Pearl. The 85-cover diner offers a multi-cuisine spread and buffets for all three meals of the day. The lunch buffet is priced at Rs 550 per person. Mohit Anand, general manager, The Claremont, however, says there aren8217;t too many walk-in guests. 8220;Not everyone is aware that we have a restaurant and we mostly cater to in-house guests,8221; he says. Things could change, that is the hope.

Contact:
The Claremont: 011 46033636
Hotel Vista Delhi: 011 46114444
Lutyens8217;: 011 46048000