Get your hands dirty: Andhra Bhawan, Ashoka Road

Andhra Bhavan is by far my favorite when it comes to a quick lunch on a weekday and if you are looking for something spicy and filling, you do not have too many other options that can compete. To top it all, if you want to look out for operational excellence and efficiency, you don't need to go farther than Andhra Bhavan.

Located in the heart of Delhi, the restaurant at Andhra Bhavan (the state house of Andhra Pradesh) has food to die for. Authentic Andhra thali with a whole lot of additions in the form of egg preparations, mutton, and chicken curries, etc is all that this place has to offer. However, this is more than what you would want on any given day. Full to the brim on weekdays during lunch time, the very process of getting a seat is a marvel. The Captain is astonishing in the way he remembers the order in which people need to be seated and somehow (maybe he has eyes at the back of his head) knows when a table is getting vacant behind him as he faces the chaos of waiting guests in front of him.

Once you have your seat (a full table if you are lucky or else if you go in a smaller group, sharing it with some other people in traditional community seating), you will SOON be served your thali with 3 different curries, daal, sweet, curd, mini puris, rice, and the famous gunpowder. While you are having your fix, there will be servers running around shouting "currrrry", "riiiiice" and so on. You can also request addition of a drink or a side order of egg or meat along with your thali and relish the same till it is time for you to vacate your table for some other hungry soul.

Overall, this place ranks right up there when it comes to the food but if you are someone who likes to sit in a relaxed, air-conditioned (yes, you only get fans here) environment, order, and leisurely sample his/her food, this is not your kind of place. Go there if you are prepared!

Charms, Spells, and Potions: The Leaky Cauldron, Hauz Khas Village

I am a big Harry Potter fan and the moment I heard the name of The Leaky Cauldron on one of my numerous visits to the Hauz Khas market, I decided that I would give this place a try. Give it a try I did and what I did have in return were mixed feelings.

You need to climb a few stairs to reach this place and even before that, be quite the Harry Potter to find it in the first place. Located towards the back side of Hauz Khas market in the LakeView lane (as they call it), this place is well-hidden for a spook-themed cafe. The overall look and feel of the place, its decor, lighting (dim, could have been a little brighter), and even the menu are all done keeping the theme in mind, with the menu actually getting into the history (made up?) of the leaky cauldron.

The view is outstanding, probably one of the best you can have while eating out in Delhi, especially if you are sitting out in the open like we were. They have cleverly converted one-third of the cafe into an open balcony with seating that is comfortable yet outdoors-ish.

We had heard that the owner normally interacts with the guests herself but unfortunately, she was not around when we went there and the staff that was present did seem a little clueless. I would not rate the service, the knowledge of the menu, or the eventual delivery highly but if left to ourselves, we did well for sure. The food was very nice and that was probably because we stuck to safe choices of some Italian fare (since we had heard of not-so-positive reviews of people who tried to experiment too much with their food here). I must specifically mention the selection of desserts which was quite fascinating.

Having been there about three months ago, I haven't really had the opportunity or inclination to re-visit the place but I did recommend it to some friends and family and their experience was fairly balanced as well. If you are a stickler for nature viewing while having your cup of coffee (like I am), you will definitely fall in love with this place. However, if you are a hardcore foodie and choose your eatery strictly with its food in mind, you may be in for slight disappointment.