Take a turn around Delhi and you will notice just how many Indian restaurants flanks the horizon. Every lane, crook and cranny of the city is crammed with several stylish eateries and most of them are desi. Number of Indian serving restaurants have swelled in proportion due to growing demand for curries, paving way for those quaint desi eateries that take pride in their heritage and strive to put out untapped version of Indian gastronomy. You too can experience the rural charms of India without crossing Delhi border. Perched on the second floor of N Block, Outer Circle of Connaught Place is a colourful dining space that is soaked in Indian culture. It goes by the name of ‘Desi Villagio’, and is a far cry from those modern classic spaces which seems to have invaded Indian fine dining scene.

Staying true to the desi theme, Desi Villagio puts out an excellent curry heavy menu. Their selection is brimming with mouth-watering North Indian/Mughlai curries and a smorgasbord of melt-in-your-mouth kebabs. Although a kick-ass bar menu comes along their grub spread, skip the booze and opt for a glass of traditional Indian beverage like chaach, thandaai or aam-e-khas. Combine with it few appetizers such as, murgh malai jaffrani, boti kebab, khas tandoori chaap, amritsari machhi tikka, makhmali seekh, murgh peshawari, hariyali paneer tikka, kalmi kebab, galafi seekh, tandoori prawn and burra kebab. Pair their scrumptious curries with an assortment of buttery naans or aromatic biryanis. Multani murgh, paneer roganjosh, pindi channa, khumb masala, murgh lababdar, bhutta methi palak, dal panchmael, chaap do pyaza and fauji chowk ka lasooni tikka masala are their most ordered mains.

Ease your taste buds further by sampling Desi Villagio’s spectacular desserts. Woo your palate with scrumptious, rabri, rasmalai, gulab jamun, moong dal ka halwa, phirni and gajar ka halwa. Families get ample of space to laze around and dine in comfort. Weekends are especially busy for them, don’t even think about visiting without a booking. While there are glitzier eateries in town, Desi Villagio has its own rural desi charm. Window looks out on a modern concrete jungle and inside the view is old-fashioned. Walls have been given a mud baked look with lovely white murals painted on them as they do in village. Faux trees, rural curios, pure wooden furniture, brass tumblers etc. are used to give that village look. Desi Villagio is moderately priced too.