Have you run out of choices as to where to take your family out for dinner? We might be able to help you there. We know of several great offbeat restaurants tucked away in the hidden corners of Delhi NCR that will serve wonderfully as your next dining destination. Keep reading and we will introduce you to some of the off-center eateries in your neighborhood, you might not even know exists. One of our recent discoveries is ‘Samarkand’, a beautifully furnished fine dining restaurant nestled in the very heart of Noida. Not exactly well-known, Samarkand serves best as a quick culinary getaway for families and office goers in need of a hot meal within walkable distance to their office. Find out what makes this restaurant so special by driving down to Ganga Shopping Complex, Sector 29, Noida.

Samarkand makes the clever decision of keeping a crowd-pleasing menu that features a delicious combination of three sought after cuisines, North Indian, Mughlai and Chinese. They back it up with a decent bar menu. The restaurant may be one of the only eateries in Noida to have longest happy hour slot. It goes on from noon to late night so tipplers can take real advantage of this fabulous deal. Menu is splendidly varied and generous. Open through the appetizers. Try, paneer kurkure kebab, saunf aur dhaniya ki naazuk macchali, shami kebab, dahi ka kebab, mutton boti kebab and tandoori prawns. Follow it up with the curries such as, murg makhani, keema mattar, ajwaini tomato paneer, dum ka murg, zafrani nalli nihari, nargisi kofta, methi malai murg, khumb hara pyaaz, mutton korma and rara murg.

Best way to polish off the curries is through a basket of buttery flatbreads or a bowl of fragrant rice. Sheermal and Kashmiri naan on the menu will do the job perfectly. It’s only fair to end this meal with a luscious dessert. Indrani kheer, molten choco burst, hazelnut brownie, gulab jamun and Samarkand kulfi. Samarkand does home delivery as well, in case you don’t feel like coming in. The understated elegance of the restaurant comes as a surprise. Décor is straight out of a 90’s fine dining magazine, with a heavy use of gleaming wooden beams and a delicate wooden lattice screen running across the ceiling. Vintage lamps tucked between the beams casts a soft glow about the room. Furnishing is comfortable and chic. The old-fashioned vibe of the place is endearing. Prices are not excessively expensive.