Vinci

Rahul Prabhakar

1 month ago

5.0

The Soul in the Sauce: An Evening at Vinci I have eaten in enough restaurants to know that most of them are in the business of feeding people. A rare few are in the business of something else entirely — of making you feel, however briefly, that you have been let in on a secret. Vinci, tucked into DLF Emporio in Delhi, belongs to that rarer category. The name behind it will be familiar to anyone who has followed Delhi's restaurant scene with any seriousness. Prateek Gupta, the man who gave us Ristorante Dali, Cafe Dali, and Trattoria Hugo, has never been a chef who chases trends. He builds worlds. For Vinci, he has joined forces with Kapil and Sandy Khurana of Entertainment Design Company, and the partnership shows in every square foot of the space — 2,400 of them, to be precise, holding just 48 seats. That is not an accident. That is a decision. In a city where restaurants increasingly seem designed for turnover, Vinci has chosen intimacy over volume, and it is the better for it. The room itself has what I can only describe as quiet grandeur — nothing shouts, but everything is considered. This is design in service of feeling rather than design for its own sake, and it sets the tone for what follows. Because at Vinci, the philosophy is worn openly. The kitchen and the floor here seem to genuinely believe that a meal without care behind it is just calories — that a candle burning without purpose, a table set without a story, is a small tragedy. To host, in their reading, is to honour; to serve is to love. It could sound like marketing copy in lesser hands. Here, watching the servers move and having tasted what came out of the kitchen, I found myself believing it. We began, sensibly, with bread — a Woodfire Garlic Bread, smoked over open flame and served with a trio of butters and a basil pesto. It is a humble thing to lead with, but a kitchen that takes its bread seriously is usually a kitchen worth trusting for everything else. This one did not disappoint. The Truffle Fries that followed were, I confess, exactly what I wanted them to be — black truffle and parmesan doing their familiar, reliable magic, lifted by a scattering of chives. Not everything on a menu needs to reinvent itself. Some things simply need to be done properly, and these were. From the truffle section proper came the Tortelloni alla Spuma di Tartufo — a dish built around a Chanterelle-cream cheese sugo, finished with truffle foam, morel, and a generous shaving of fresh truffle. This was the kind of pasta course that makes you slow down mid-conversation. The earthiness of the mushrooms and the truffle worked in tandem rather than competing for attention, which is harder to achieve than it sounds. The Tartare — Atlantic salmon and tuna chunks, salmon roe, and a seabuckthorn emulsion — was a genuinely lovely thing. The seabuckthorn brought a tartness that cut cleanly through the richness of the fish, and the roe added little bursts of salinity that kept every mouthful interesting. Then came the Con Pollo, and I have to say this was one of the more inventive plates of the evening. Pan-seared chicken with charred corn, black garlic, carrot purée, pistachio crème, morel, and a bourbon crème — on paper it reads like a dish with too many ideas competing for space. On the plate, it worked beautifully, each element pulling its weight without shouting over the others. But the real triumph of the evening — and I do not say this lightly — were the New Zealand Lamb Chops. Pistachio-crusted, finished with a red wine reduction, carrot purée, and brown butter greens, this was the dish I would return to Vinci for on its own. The lamb was cooked with the kind of precision that separates a good kitchen from a merely competent one, and the pistachio crust gave it a textural contrast that made every bite better than the last. We closed, as one should on a warm evening, with two scoops of gelato — pistachio and vanilla — simple, clean, and exactly right after a meal of such richness. I must thank Hritek Ahluwalia, Vinci's Executive Chef, for a meal that lingered in memory well after the last sip of wine had been finished. There is a difference between a restaurant that feeds you and one that hosts you. Vinci, unmistakably, belongs to the latter.

mohdbilal

1 month ago

5.0

An exceptional fine dining experience from start to finish. The ambiance is elegant and welcoming, creating the perfect setting for a memorable meal. Every dish was beautifully presented, prepared with high-quality ingredients, and packed with incredible flavors. The service was impeccable—attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely warm without being intrusive. Every detail, from the table setup to the dessert, reflected true hospitality and professionalism. A perfect place for special occasions or anyone looking to enjoy a refined dining experience. Highly recommended, and I look forward to visiting again!

Ashutosh Shrotriya

2 months ago

5.0

we loved the food, and the presentation. service was impeccable. special mention for Deepak for his fantastic service, he made is help at home

Kapil Khanna

1 week ago

5.0

Avinash is exceptional ❤️ the food and the entire ambience is extraordinary

Foodzilla

10 months ago

3.0

Tried the Tartare & Fettuccine Salsiccia. The service was good but food was mediocre. The signature pasta tasted off and the pork chorizo was undercooked. Overall a very average experience.

Foodie

1 month ago

2.0

Had a tiramisu.. the so called elaborate n detailed menu said that it will b made up authentically with butter fingers n all.. but wen it came it was just a piece of sponge cake .. though it tasted good.. asked da server that this is not authentic then he said ma’am this is made up with butter finger cookie … as if we cant c da missing cookie.. being a baker asked him to ask his chef regd da same but then he went missing for 15-20 mins… so no response.. its a good place to make to feel superiorly stupid… its menu is so called french n italian … but they lack even da basic knowledge of making a simple dessert

Lakshay KHANDELWAL

1 month ago

1.0

We had such a bad experience with the staff. The staff is so untrained, unpolished and unapologetic about their behaviour. They are putting things in the final bill as a thing which they are serving and guess what they never serve it to us. They are just showing off that they are an authentic Italian restaurant whereas it’s just a joke to them. The food isn’t that great too. Wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

Sharad Bhargava

1 month ago

1.0

Pasta was bad, considering it is an Italian speciality restaurant. It was served cold and poor taste. No quality for a premium restaurant.