Few restaurants in New Delhi takes pride at being the oldest and poshest. ‘Orient Express’ at Taj Palace Hotel, Sardar Patel Marg, Delhi, is a class apart from the other establishments. Place is very classy and simply oozes wealth. The design of the restaurant is based on Venice-Simplon luxury orient express complete with the plush sitting booth and loaded dining table with elegant crystals. Dimly lit lamps throws pale glow over the room looking stunning. The tables are simple and decorated with beautiful china. Orient express has been the best and most famous French restaurant since 1982. Though they have made some changes they still maintain grandeur and highest of European cooking standards. Chef DN Sharma is the whole soul of the restaurant and has been with them since the very start. His flair with simplest of ingredients is worthy of being sampled. The food that is delivered to your table is modern art on a plate.

The menu of Orient Express is not very lengthy. In short pages it manages to cover many delightful recipes. Start your meal with some soup. They have lobster bisque, essence of roasted chicken, wild morel tea with truffle shavings and Dutch asparagus soup with brioche crisps. Follow that with appetizers like pan seared goose liver with alder smoked salt, foie gras brulee with asparagus foam, balik salmon, scallop carpaccio, crab meat with citrus emulsion, Belgium endive, avocado salad, fig curved fennel salad with three pepper dressing and celeriac, marron chestnut brulee with swiss chard foam. Mains menu covers roasted Chilean sea bass, barbary duck, chicken supreme, Canadian pork lion, sauerkraut, goat cheese ravioli, angus Rossini, seared Canadian scallops, red snapper, porcini, perigord truffle soufflé, new Zealand lamb, roasted eggplant caponata and salsify Jerusalem artichoke cappelletti, tomato salsa.

The restaurant has some signature dishes too. Cognac flambéed lobster, kobe with roasted shallots bearnaise sauce and camembert cheese soufflé with paprika sauce. As it is a posh restaurant caviar is also served here for some serious price. The meal would not be over till dessert is served. Blueberry cheesecake with champagne ice cream, valrhona mousse, apple crumble soufflé, olive oil medallion, mandarin with citrus emulsion and warm chocolate pudding with liquid chocolate center are chef’s beautiful desserts. Orient Express is one of the most expensive restaurant in the city so save it for some special occasion with your family and loved one.