This cafe in Delhi will transport you to the vintage era with culinary adventure

By Daphne ClaranceIf there’s one thing that you can’t mislead information about Delhi – it is its food. The culinary scene in the capital city hasn’t faltered from its sublime status of being a paramount tourist attraction. Every nook and corner speaks volumes of the nearby culture, ethnicity and race. And the food here is much like that.

It doesn’t disappoint, there’s variety and if you want a cosy ambience, you’ll get that too. Many restaurant owners have furnished their interiors to spell out themes that touch both a bygone era and modernity.

On the same lines, the new outlet of SOCIAL, a relatively famous eatery, versions of which are tucked in various pockets of Delhi, inaugurated its latest edition in Civil Lines.

This restaurant is a half-open-terrace cafe and a closed diner, offering the best of both worlds to potential customers who are given a choice according to their preferences. The two worlds are divided by a square-shaped foyer with a bar set up on one side, brightened up by a neon SOCIAL signboard.

But while you feast your eyes on the vintage motifs, antique mirrors, old wall clocks, low ceiling lights, ornate chairs, and iron-cast seating in the open area replicating a Victorian Garden party and a bohemian paradise with library-esque detail. In short, you’re drowned in the old-world charm of the setting.

The menu is the signature broadsheet newspaper that comprises colourful lettering piecing together delicious dishes creatively named to add to the customer’s curiosity.

While you’ll love the Indian dishes, especially the butter chicken, other food items on the menu add value to SOCIAL’s hang-out silhouette. You can feast on the huge variety of breakfast meals that include Irani Omelette and Pancake Saddlebags. Other breakfast options have eggs, bacon, blueberry pancakes, hashbrowns, and home-cooked style fries, and some dishes will have poori and halwa (for a homely feel).

As part of the snacks, you can dive into the Butter Garlic Pepper Prawns, a succinct bowl with delicious prawns glazed in butter and garlic sauce cooked with caramelised onions and bell peppers exuding a slight aroma of spices.

Of course, SOCIAL does offer some pizza and burger options as well. The Smashed Tenderloin burger and the Pepperoni and Bacon pizza are great picks for meat lovers who want to drown themselves in the goodness of cheese once in a while.

And last but not least – Chocolate Blood Bath. This dessert is the ultimate chocolate station you need to stop at. Just order one if you’re a group of five and you’ll love how the creamy cold ice cream fizzles in your mouth when combined with the warmness of the tender brownie. There’s other stuff too, and it’s all chocolate. This is one dish you simply cannot miss.

The mocktails and cocktails provide a stunning mix of fruity and alcoholic choices that won’t burn a hole in your pocket. You can choose the Longest Long Island Iced Tea, Sparkling Passion (a fruity sensation of passion fruit) and any drink from the Twisted Classics.

In all, SOCIAL is the amalgam of food and conversation, a dim-lit time with acquaintances that provides a canopy for friends, family and food lovers.

Cost for 2: Rs 1,200 (approx.) without alcohol