The newly-opened Warehouse Café lists 365 items on its menu designed in a calendar format. Divya Kaushik found the outlet also has a long bar with a roulette table
The smell of freshly painted plywood and wooden chairs, youngsters scattered in different groups on plush sofas bathed in dim yellow light and a faint guitar tune in the background — this might sound like the description of any other café in the city. But the furniture, music and everything else you noticed seemed finished with perfection at over ten-days-old restaurant, Warehouse Café in D Block, CP.
It boasts of a huge space. It is designed like an old warehouse with rustic elements. And has a dark, grungy look. There are benches and wheel tables alongside several cosy, big sofas. And despite a blend of elements, nothing is cluttered. You get a sense that personal needs will be catered too.
For example, if you are the type to hang out often with friends and are only looking for a watering hole, the ground floor is ideal. If you plan to hold an official meeting over dinner or take colleagues out for a party, use the first floor, designed for fine diners. And if you are on a date or want to be on your own the whole evening, we suggest the rooftop. Overlooking streets and evening lights that twinkle like small lamps, you can rest on cane furniture marvelling at the evening’s hustle bustle in the heart of Delhi.
The place boasts of what is supposedly the longest bar in CP and its first roulette table, though the latter didn’t seem to have many takers when we visited.
The menu too has an interesting surprise. It’s designed like a calendar with 365 dishes listed. Each month has a separate category to itself. For a variety in soups, your choice is mentioned under January. February is for salads, March for chicken appetisers, April for lamb and sea food delicacies. While May is for vegetarian appetisers, June for pizzas and pastas, July is for burgers and sandwiches, August is mains and grills.
This extends to September (for Indian main course), October (for Oriental mains), November for desserts and the December section contains your beverage.
We were told their bar menu is in making. The man behind their drinks is Viju, who consulted at joints like the recently opened, Fork You. Viju told us one of the most innovative drinks on the list is made of bell peppers. Credit for the design and menu goes to Priyank Sukhija, who has been involved with Out of the Box, Raas, Masha and lazeez Affaire. “An avid traveller, Sukhija did a lot of research before we opened,” informed Niketa Sehgal, the cafe’s GM, Operations.
The menu has food from across the world. “There’s nothing here that will cause you to make a face and ask to have it explained. People come here for tasty food. No point in serving innovative dish they would need to develop a taste for,” pointed Corporate Chef Harman. Barring a few Thai dishes, most of the menu items are served in original form. If you order a dish listed on the date you visited the restaurant, you will get a discount. We had for starters some crispy mushrooms with a cheese filling and roasted broccoli in cheese and something tasting of malai. The strong seasoning of black pepper made it different from the grilled veggies served in other outlets. We tried a bit of pasta and later some Thai curry and noodles. Chef was right, the food was toned down. And the entire experience was perfectly balanced.