Britannia Tavernica: a piece of England in Delhi

A traditional British dish offering chicken sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter, served with vegetables and onion gravy. It is served with sautéed veggies and mashed potatoes on the side. This one has a sweet base and however naughty the name sounds, must not be ordered as a starter. Works great with beer.

Give those fries a break and try these deep fried flattened baby potatoes, tossed with the simple tanginess of Indian spices and served with tamarind mayo. Ask for some fresh chilli sauce to make it your perfect chakhna.

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With numerous options to eat out in the capital, it’s difficult to make a choice and yet be experimental with food. Most restaurants and pubs suffer from the loud music syndrome that turns bearable only in two conditions: in the company of an exceptional date, or loads of alcohol to numb your sense and desire of listening to a boring one. In the midst of this kettle of fish, it’s often overwhelming to chance upon a diner that digresses from popular trends of booming electronic thumping. Londoners, in its subtle English character, takes you back to the good old music from the 90s and quite obviously becomes my eating space one sunday afternoon. In the evenings it transforms into a contemporary EDM bar. You might want to base your choice of time on the mood.

Spread across three floors, the play of wood, metal and foam in the seating areas carves a sketch of a modern saloon. My investigation of the menu brings me to their signature cocktails that have been astutely named after iconic roads in London town. Ask for an Abbey Road if you’re a Jack Daniel’s fan; or if you’re a brandy loyalist, then Oxford Street shaken with vermouth and bitters won’t disappoint. I especially liked a scotch based drink named after the famous Baker Street, prepared with honey and freshly brewed tea.

The food lists traditional English snacks like scotch eggs, toad in the hole, and the Ploughman’s platter, and goes on to offering the classics for main course. But what throws a shocker is the space reserved for desi bites. Indianised pasta sauces, like butter chicken and keema do pyaza were my first anywhere.

What:

Londoners

Where:

GK 1, New Delhi

How much: `

1,500 for 2

Cuisine:

British, Fusion

The traditional lunch for farmers in England in the past – the complete meal that could be easily carried to the farms. Modern day pubs, including Londoners, have converted it into a snack platter with sliced meat, cheese and any combination of mixed apple or brown onion sauce, served with brown bread. This may be well paired with either wine or beer.

From the September 2016 issue of FHM India.