Dining with a view is what Mehrauli has been known for, besides the multiple couture houses that dot the winding lane by the Qutub Minar. The entry of a new restaurant offering a plush set-up overlooking the ancient monument is bound to call for attention, and so it does with Swan being the buzzing new restaurant in Delhi. But is its popularity because of it being Massive Restaurants' newest gourmet offering, the location, striking decor or the F&B offering? Well, it's all the above and more because Swan does make an impression on everyone who walks into the restaurant.
While the restaurant has a warm and cosy indoor seating, our preference obviously is the al-fresco set-up surrounded by greenery and the Qutub Minar towering over it. The mood lighting combined with the outdoor seating makes it ideal for a romantic dinner, but it also seems to easily transform into a high-energy bar.
It could have been an all-out Italian restaurant but you also get another cuisine to explore here - Japanese. Perhaps variety is the current trend, not that we are complaining. We start the evening with The Mushroom Cappuccino; not a coffee drink but a warming soup with bold flavours of porcini and an added punch of truffle oil. It comes accompanied with a biscotti too, topped with cream. Next is a dish that needs no introduction, Avocado Crostini. The mini variant of an avocado toast, we enjoy the addition of crumbly feta and sundried tomatoes on top.
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Mushroom Cappuccino, a warming soup
From the Japanese menu, we try the Veggie Roll, which is an uramaki with stuffing of asparagus, avocado, carrot and ginger. The freshness of the ingredients is evident, so one can expect the non-vegetarian rolls to be at par too.
Veggie Roll from the Japanese menu
For the main course, we stick to classic Italian options - pizza and pasta. Swan "The Original" is a wood fired pizza and a close variant of the Margherita with sundried tomatoes, pesto, garlic and goat cheese adding more to its flavour. We enjoy the thin crust and love that it's not heavy on cheese because the pasta comes as cheesy as it can get. A pinwheel of parmesan arrives and in it, the server finishes the spaghetti before serving it to us with a sprinkling of crushed pepper. Simple yet satisfying.
Swan "The Original" pizza
Pasta made in a pinwheel of parmesan
There's much to explore from the menu - from artisanal pastas, lamb chops and pork belly to Miso Chilean Sea Bass, Tuna Tataki 'thin as air' Pizza and more. But we try the basics and find all the dishes packed with flavour. We call it a night but not before indulging in the Swan Cake, a triple layered chocolate cake loaded with meringue, praline, hazelnut cream and chocolate ganache. We dare you to finish a slice!
Where: Kharsra 1501, 1st Floor, Kalka Das Marg, Ward 1, Mehrauli, New Delhi
