As a non-practicing LaVey Satanist, I’m all about promoting the prince of darkness; yet hesitate at sounding too partisan. Enter Diablo. It does everything for the powers that be in a single sitting, which I hope to do more subtly over an entire career. Jokes aside, Priyank Sukhija’s devil-may-care expansion in Mehrauli is located in a literal Garden of Eden (trademark unregistered) and the restaurant-bar’s theme should be evident from the name, not counting the heavily muscled stone gargoyle which prowls at the entrance.
Starting at the beginning, we come back to the former setting with the Gargoyle, which is a muddling of gin, red wine, hibiscus tea syrup, lime juice, egg white, tonic water, and rose dust. Frothy and exuberant, it’s a far cry from the dark children’s cartoon series by the same name, but just as memorable. For those of you who were unaware of Gargoyles (the cartoon show) in your childhood, make acquaintance with this adult version.
The food menu is largely Levantine and mostly Mediterranean, with an indulgence here and there. The region’s Catholicism evident, we go with the idea of a trinity, ordering Jigar (pan seared chicken liver and potato, chive oil, turmeric, parsley, shallots), Meygoo Soulvaki (tiger prawns, lemon olive oil dressing, roasted bell peppers, dill tsaziki), and the Kebap Platter. Like Turkic sultans, we believe in keeping it simple.
The Jigar (a piquant medley of seared chicken liver and promising onions) comes and leaves first even as we pack it away in our own bellicose belly, fighting for more. While tiger, tiger may be burning bright, the tiger prawns are streaking to our belly, their light dressing rendering them all the easier to cease and ease in. The kebap platter is a kebab platter, with fewer spices: same meats, more herbs, less chili. ‘nuff said.
As we wait for even more solid sustenance,
The Morning Star intrudes upon us. A coddling of Tequila with agave nectar, orange juice, Angostura bitters and red wine (singular), along with tamarind and mint sprig(s) (the bloody drink is a Bloody Mary sans the tomato juice, Worcestershire), TMS turns out to be a daily necessity. Subliminal messaging aside, read on for top quality reviews.
For mains, there’s an ensemble of Tagine Djaj and L’ham Tortellini. The former is a revered dish from the Maghreb (North Africa) in its most fowl variant of chicken, while the latter is a Moor-inspired Italian delicacy of pasta shells stuffed with meat which has been simmered with that middle-eastern flair. For dessert is the Surprisingly Apple & Walnut, a delish hot cake made, surprisingly, with apple and walnut. For the first time we wish not to see you, dear reader. Everyone orders that dessert.Meal for Two: Rs 3,000 (including taxes and alcohol) At: Qutab Garden, Kalka Das Marg, Mehrauli