Nisaba

Rahul Prabhakar

2 days ago

5.0

Nisaba: Where Delhi Finally Eats the Way India Eats I have a prejudice, and I may as well declare it at the outset. The more elaborate a restaurant's philosophy, the less I trust the food. Manifestos tend to arrive on menu covers when the kitchen has run out of ideas. So when word got around that Manish Mehrotra, the man behind Indian Accent and Comorin, was opening a place devoted to "the way India eats today," I settled in for a sermon. What I got was a fantastic lunch. The setting Start with the location, because it matters. Nisaba sits within the Humayun's Tomb Museum Complex, which is possibly the most beautiful address in Delhi for a restaurant. There is nothing else like it in the city. You leave behind the honking and the hustle and step into a calm that feels borrowed from another century. The pace slows without anyone asking it to, and that, I think, is half the point. This is a restaurant that expects you to stay. The room changes with the light. At lunch it is airy and unfussy. By evening it turns warm and intimate. The bar and lounge sit against the sandstone lattice of the complex, and the late sun filters through in a way no interior designer could have scripted. Chef Manish's own cookbooks line the shelves, which gives the place a lived-in feel rather than a showroom gloss. And at the centre is the "Life Cycle" sculpture, grain becoming form and form returning to grain. It is a fitting emblem for a restaurant named after the Mesopotamian goddess of grain and writing. The idea What Manish is doing here is deceptively simple. He takes the food of homes, streets and small towns, the sort of cooking that was never written up or celebrated, and treats it with the seriousness it always deserved. The ingredients are seasonal and sourced through long relationships with farmers and suppliers, and the menu shifts with what is at its best. The result is food that is familiar, but sharper and more precise than you remember. What I ate I began with the Samosa Moradabadi Dal, paired with Kanpur buknu and an everything chutney. A samosa is one of the most over-familiar things in Indian cooking, and the fact that it still managed to surprise me tells you what you need to know about the kitchen. The beetroot and goat cheese dahi vada with nutmeg namak para was playful without being silly. The tandoori bacon prawns with wasabi yogurt were bold, and the mutton seekh kabab with blue cheese butter and baked naan was exactly the sort of dish that only Manish would think of and only Manish could pull off. For mains, the clay pot Motihari mutton with stewed garlic, served alongside ole ka chokha and a hing sattu kachori, was the one I'll be thinking about for weeks. It tasted of somewhere specific. Then there was the Zaveri Bazaar dal with birista and a baby hing tadka, eaten with ajwain roti. Dal is the true test of any Indian kitchen, and this one passed with ease. Desserts were a highlight, not an obligation. The baked rasmalai with chironji, date jaggery and makhana is the sort of reinvention that respects the original. The Baramulla mishri cherry kulfi sorbet with house-made churan was a clever, refreshing turn. And the Haji Ali-style dessert was a nod to Mumbai's street-side indulgence that made me smile. The drinks The wine list runs to 119 labels, and there are 71 whiskies for those who prefer the brown stuff. I stayed modest with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, which made a sensible companion to the spice and richness around it. The man himself Manish came to my table personally. Anyone who has followed his career will know why that matters. Born in Patna, he spent more than two decades with Old World Hospitality, creating Indian Accent and later Comorin, and helped redefine what Indian food could be at home and abroad. He has been called a pioneer of modern Indian cuisine, and the accolades, from Culinary Icon of the Year to the Hall of Fame among India's top chefs, are well earned. What strikes me is that having already proved his genius with innovation, he is now showing it with restraint. The verdict Nisaba is not trying to be the most spectacular restaurant in Delhi. It is trying to be the most honest, and it succeeds. Go for the setting, stay for the food, and give yourself time. This is a restaurant that rewards the unhurried.

Apoorv Chopra

1 week ago

5.0

Have been a big time Manish Mehrotra fan since the first time I tried Indian Accent in 2016. So the moment he opened up Nisaba, I had to try it. Been there twice and both times the experience has lived up to all the hype. The ambience is plush but very inviting and not overwhelming like a 5-star hotel restaurant. The staff and service are excellent. Food is absolutely brilliant! All the mutton dishes are outstanding and deserve special praise - Mutton Seekh Kabab, Clay Pot Motihari Mutton, Village Mutton Roast and Raan. And the unique bread pairings with all the dishes is truly spectacular. Doda burfi treacle tart is chef Manish's famous creation and an old favourite of mine. Probably one of the best desserts I have ever had. 'Hostel' Rum Ball turned out to be another exceptionally good treat. Without a doubt my new favorite restaurant and a must must try!

Sagar Suri

2 months ago

5.0

Special appreciation for Ishaan and Pratishta Singh at the reservations and Rohit who served the food to us. I would suggest Manish Mehrotra to seriously consider having Daulat ki Chaat on the menu (may be with a different name - Dollar ki Chaat) … that is the only thing I missed. 10/10

Gaurav Kapoor

1 month ago

5.0

The food was amazing. It was my birthday, and, uh, nothing, uh, else could have done justice, uh, to the occasion. The, uh, the service is superb. Likhivi was such a pleasant server. Um, the food was out of this

Shashwati Chatterjee

1 month ago

5.0

Excellent food and service . Chanar Pathuri in Kasundi sauce, Bombay tawa chicken , pulao, beetroot dahi vada, village roast mutton and baked rasmalai were outstanding.

KAHAN GUPTA

2 months ago

5.0

Amazing food ...Amazing Service...Amazing everything right from the start till the finish line...Special thanks to Shubham Upadhyay for his exemplary skills ...!! Kudos ..

Shigeo Yanai

1 month ago

5.0

Yogesh provided excellent service and we really appreciated. Foods were also superb, and we enjoyed everything.

H S Prasad

2 months ago

5.0

Do visit for the best Culinary Experience. Chef Manish Mehrotra and team knows how to pamper you well.

Rahul Varshney

1 month ago

4.0

The food was good but the pricing was extremly high. They even charged 10% service fee. Overall a 50K bill with 5K their service fee both on drinks and dinner. The alcohol rates were exorbitantly high

Tarun Malik

2 months ago

3.0

The food was tasty but the presentation was not anything to speak about. After being at Indian Accent and Commorin … was expecting something special. But sorry to say we did not find it special. The food was generally not hot enough. It seemed as if all tables were ordering the same dishes …. the moradabadi dal and samosa (it seemed already prepared and was not hot enough). In the veg mains we ordered Chanar kofta and Hing Sattu kachori …. The gravy was in coconut milk though tasty in itself but had no combination with Hing puri. Yes the puris were referred as kachori. Sorry for being too critical but being an ardent fan of Manish Mehrotra couldn’t hold myself back.