At a day and age when new restaurants are sprouting in every
nook and corner of Delhi, there is an equal number of those that shut shop
because they cannot survive in the face of fierce competition. Yet, there are a
handful of restaurants that have stood the test of time, those that have been
around since pre-Independence years and still continue to thrive.
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| Founder Mr. PL Lamba entertaining high profile guests including Pandit Jasraj. |
Kwality in Connaught Place is a shining example of an iconic restaurant that has stood the test of time as well as the challenge of the evolving palate of Indians. Over the last 80 years the look of the restaurant may have undergone several changes to keep up with the times, but the consistency of some of the best-selling dishes is something that old timers can still swear by. While the puffed up bhatoora that accompanies the delectable bowl of chana is almost synonymous with Kwality, it serves many more inimitable specials including cheese balls, mulligatwany soup, prawn cocktail, paneer shashlik, chicken a la kiev and the likes that were introduced to India during the Colonial era and hence gave rise to Anglo-Indian cuisine.
Early Days
Sunil Lamba takes
us back to the early days, when Kwality first opened its doors in 1940. “My
grandfather, PL Lamba, opened this restaurant in partnership with his brother
in law, IK Ghei, before I was born,” he shares. The coveted location in the
then uppity Connaught Place and in the vicinity of prime entertainment hubs
like Regal and Rivoli brought in the numbers to this family run restaurant. Being
a part of the family buisiness since his youth, Sunil Lamba proudly attributes
Kwality’s initial success to the vision of its founders. On one hand they catered
to the rich Indian families of the time, on the other they included Continental
dishes to suit the British as well as the American GIs who were stationed here
during the 2nd World War. With their dedication, foresight and
multiple international trips they soon become the icons of the thriving
restaurant industry in India and also opened many successful restaurants across
the globe including London, New York and Japan. It was during one of their
trips to America that they learnt the craft of making icecream bricks, as
opposed to home-made icecream that was earlier served in their restaurants.
This too helped them to enjoy unparalleled success for many years as Kwality icecream
became market leaders in north India.
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| The New Look |
Newly
Created Old World Charm
Coming back to where it all started, Kwality restaurant still
stands tall at its original location. Of course, the original interiors were in
line with the simplicity of those days, but today they have been redone to
create a plush aura of the bygone era. The young Divij Lamba (Sunil
Lamba’s son), has spearheaded the project to revamp this iconic restaurant in a
way that the core originals remain intact while adapting to modern challenges
and catering to the evolving preferences of food connoisseurs. The new interiors
almost create a time warp with period furniture that includes a lot of leather,
fine wood and brass, a piano lounge and a typical maharajah style polo bar
littered with antiques. There are almost 70 original photographs of Connaught Place
spanning over a period of 40 years by the famous photographer Madan Mahatta. And
the delcious food is served stylishly with bespoke crockery and cutlery from
Villeroy & Boch, Germany.
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| Left: The iconic chana bhatoora. Right: High Tea is worth experiencing for the delicious array of food along with a daily piano recital. |
Along with the new look, the piano is put
to good use with daily recitals during afternoon high tea and dinner service;
weekends are likely to see jazz performances as well. Over time, Divij hopes to
bring back traditions such as a dress code, foreign brass bands, formal high
teas and midnight dances.
Address:
7, Regal Building, Parliament Street, New Delhi 110001
Phone:
011 23742310 / 23742352
Time:
Noon to Midnight
Meal
for Two: INR 1400++
