Old genie in a new bottle

It'd been long since we'd visited Magique, when The Miele Guide reminded us to. Here's why it's still one of the best al fresco diners in town

It'd been long since we'd visited Magique, when The Miele Guide reminded us to. Here's why it's still one of the best al fresco diners in town

Al fresco is an art that Delhi diners are picking up slowly and smoothly. But then, there will always be the baaps. Like Magique is, just at two. Owned by food consultant Marut Sikka, who has fed biggies like Bill Clinton, Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the place has just earned itself a name in the coveted Miele Guide, one of the best authorities on eating out in Asia. Sometime back, the prestigious Conde Nast Traveller had also called it the capital's most romantic restaurant. And not without reason.
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Ambience
Generally, it's the grub that we start with, but here's making an exception. The surroundings are as surreal as it gets. Located in a dearly desolate corner of The Garden of Five Senses, the eatery makes sure all your five experience a feast. What adds to the beauty is that this time of the year is perhaps the most pleasant for outdoor seating. The chairs and the tables, a mix of wood and wrought iron, mingle well with the soft, fragrant, effervescent candles that dance as your heart does. Yes, romance is certainly in the air. Stone shingled pathways, guarded by bunches of bougainvillea, guide you into the middle of a fairytale. And a swing, somehow reminiscent of the colonial era, creaks with its charms.

Food
Chef Mohan Gurung served us an assorted platter of prawns, skewered lamb, lemon grass chicken, crab canapu00e9s and batter fried shrimp for starters. We will be fair in saying that each of these dishes had a delicate flavour, fresh like the air itself. The crab and chicken are especially recommended. In main course, tiger prawns, grilled Halibarte and chicken with roasted chilli and yellow bean sauce make for good choices.u00a0
The dessert specialties that deserve mention are fresh mangoes (out of season, definitely, but that's what makes it even more amazing) and mascaperone cheese creamy mousse. A perfect end to a near perfect meal.

Drinks
Bartender Kamlesh insists on their signature martinis. We tried the watermelon one, and you can have our word on it. The mocktails, in particular the mixed fruit ones, are a good bet for teetotalers. The spell that the eatery casts gets you drunk anyway.

Magique
Where: Gate No 3, The Garden of Five Senses, Westend Marg, Said ul Ajaib
Ring: 29536767
Meal for two: Rs 1,500