Raftaar – The High Speed Lounge & Bar, New Delhi – Restaurant Review

Raftaar means ‘Speed’ and the speed with which Punjabi Bagh area of New Delhi (where the lounge is situated) has turned into a foodie’s paradise in last one or two years is noteworthy. I went to Raftaar Lounge for a review session.

The two things that were quite distinct from many other restaurants was first the size of this lounge. It is a standalone three-storeyed property. Second, that one of the owners, Vineet Mittal, was sitting right in the midst of the group of reviewers and personally giving attention to everyone invited. After reviewing so many restaurants, honestly, I didn’t expect the owner of such a big lounge personally making sure that everything was in place.

Location:

The place can be easily located as it is on one of the busiest roads in Punjabi Bagh area.

I will give its location a 4/5 rating.

Ambiance:

The ambiance though big in the area is good but could have been done in a better fashion. The one thing I loved about the lounge’s set up its dance area. Bar too is elaborate.  

I will give its ambiance a 3/5 rating.

Service:

Service  is fast and the wait staff is generally on their toes for your assistance.

I will give its location a 4/5 rating.

Food:

I had earlier reviewed Vineet’s other lounge in Gurgaon called ‘Sense of Spirits’. Generally, people do not have great expectations from lounge & bars in terms of food, the main focus is on drinks but in both Sense of Spirits & Raftaar equal emphasis has been given to the food experience also.

I tried the following dishes in the starters: Chicken roulade, Nimbu adraki murgi , Chilli chicken, Dahi ke kebab & Chilli Paneer.

Out of which Adraki Murgi & Dahi ke Kebab were phenomenal.  I haven’t tasted a better Dahi ke kebab. Outside was crisp and inside little gooey with Dahi doing its magic!

Adraki Murgi was cooked perfectly and had clear flavors of Lemon & Ginger standing out.  Chili paneer was usual nothing new.

In the main course, I tasted Gosht nihari, Methi Murg lahori & Paneer bemisal. Methi Murg is highly recommended. It was so beautifully flavored that if I describe as a perfect balance of methi and curry won’t justify it enough. Meat in Gosht Nihari could have been cooked better. It was a tad bit undercooked. Paneer with a rich stuffing inside was very good and highly recommended for Vegetarian friends.

For dessert, Brownie Sundae was served which was okay, nothing superlative about it. Overall, the food was very good. Cocktails can be worked upon a little.

I will give its food a 4.5/5 rating.

Verdict:

The place is an excellent party destination in Punjabi Bagh area of New Delhi which has a huge potential to be one of the Best in Delhi!