Enjoy Railway Cutlets without being on a train

Now this one was on my mind for a long time and finally when I did get a chance to visit Café Delhi Heights (the Gurgaon outlet) with my family, it was a feast which was worth the wait. Though we wanted to savour all the delicacies in the menu about which one had heard from family and friends who had enjoyed the spread at this chain of restaurants in different cities, we could only try a few this time round.

It was back in 2011 that CDH was established as a brand and in no time, it started garnering recognition and success. “Café Delhi Heights is an all-day casual neighbourhood café that delights customers with thrilling, loving and artistic culinary experiences that cater to the diverse tastes of each city. It is a great place to hang out with friends, have smashing birthdays or electrifying parties, tap your foot with the in-house DJ or enjoy Live Band performances while you toss great food in your mouth,” shares co-founder Vikram Batra. 

“Our mission revolves around growth and sharing, aiming to spread happiness among people through exceptional food and hospitality,” adds Batra. In fact, the outlet inside Red Fort is the country’s first restaurant to be situated inside a national heritage monument. Not this alone, the café turned vegetarian for its Red Fort outing. “This one has been designed to serve as an extension to the architectural marvel. The restaurant has minimal seating to allow for the red sandstone and Mughal vibe of the place speak for itself even as it takes guests through Indian history,” he says.

Starting in an era where cafés were a new concept, Café Delhi Heights revolutionised café culture in the Capital city with its extensive menu which was truly innovative. From introducing café culture to embracing casual dining and pioneering dishes like the Juicy Lucy Burger, its success is a result of the attitude and gratitude of the team, consistency and the love of customers.

So much for the place and its founders, the other being Sharad Batra. Coming back to what my family and I tried at Café Delhi Heights on our maiden visit. We kick-started the evening with Home Style Tomato Soup which tasted just like home and unlike most places, it was thicker in consistency. We next went in for Pan Grilled Mixed Veggie Kebabs along with Pasta Alfredo and Pizza Al Greco. While a couple of kebabs seemed a bit undercooked, the Pasta and Pizza were simply delicious as was Lasagna Corn Spinach with a generous helping of vegetables. The non-vegetarian spread was equally delightful, be it the Grilled Salmon in Saffron White Wine Jus, Cannelloni Herby Chicken or White Snapper with Cilantro Sauce. All cooked to perfection with the right amount of herbs and spices. I would strongly recommend White Snapper with Cilantro Sauce, just too good!

But the dish that took away all our hearts was Indian Railway Cutlet. Simply out-of-the-world. It transported us back in time and reminded us of the innumerable train journeys and those cutlets served with two slices of bread served by the pantry staff. Honestly speaking, my looking forward to many a trip on train was to enjoy those cutlets. Difficult to erase some memories, right? 

All in all, a pleasurable experience with the promise to return soon to savour the dishes one couldn’t enjoy!