There is no shortage of South Indian restaurants in Delhi, ranging from top-end restaurants like Dakshin, which offers some of the most authentic cuisines; to the numerous Udupi restaurants, which have a vast menu that inevitably features favourites like dosas, idlis, uttapams, etc. Places that serve good dishes but don’t charge a high price are a little less ordinary. Carnatic Café is one among them.
Carnatic Café is a small, easygoing restaurant on the ground floor of The Rampur Kitchen, a small shopping centre. The outside of the Café is decorated with a bright mustard yellow sign with quirky black lettering. Inside, the decor is made up of miscellaneous items such as a small forest of fluttering paper cutouts hanging from the ceiling near the entrance, three giant and attractive leather puppets pinned to a sheet draped on a wall, and bunches of dried maize hanging from the top. A taste of Karnataka, but not too much. There are about eight or ten tables, each seating two to four people.
Carnatic Cafe has been everyone’s favourite South Indian restaurant since it opened its first location in New Friends Colony a few years ago. It later expanded to GK, and it has recently opened its third location in Gurgaon. Its menu isn’t extensive, but it’s adequate, with an exciting mix of more standard items (curd rice, lemon rice, vadas, and plain dosas) and dishes you don’t often see outside Karnataka or even just as far north as Delhi.
Generally, people here start with a refreshing drink, Majjige, which is nothing but refreshing masala buttermilk with mint. It is a great appetiser.
For the main course, Malleshwaram 18th Cross dosa, thin and crisp on the edges and thick in the middle, is the star of the menu, slathered with a delicious mix of butter, ground lentils, and spices. The Dahi Vada is soft, fluffy vada soaked in thick, creamy curd, with crispy boondi served on the side for crunch. The thick curd was delicious, making this one of the best versions of the dish you’ll ever have.
Their Thatte Idli is also scrumptious. It is a large, fluffy idli made and served on a copper plate, topped with delicious chutney and butter. They have puddles, too, you can call them paniyaram or appams. These shallow-fried lentils and Rava balls are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and are flavoured with onions, coriander, and green chillies.
The Angai Dosa is a new addition to their menu. This was a set of dosa topped with podi, coconut and carrot shavings, coriander, potato mixture, and coconut chutney. Though it appeared to be minor, it was pretty heavy and flavorful. Each of the main courses comes with three types of chutney: white coconut chutney, green chutney, red chutney and sambar.
For your sweet tooth, they have a variety of house-made ice creams with exciting flavours. Their obbattu is a must-try dish; obbattu is like Puran Poli; the only difference is that obbattu is made up of maida instead of wheat flour. It is so yummy that no one can eat just one.
Bottom Line
Overall, each item on their menu is made with the utmost care to preserve the flavours’ authenticity. Carnatic Cafe is highly recommended for a delicious South Indian meal with quick service and reasonable prices.
Address
- Lodhi Colony, South Delhi.
- 32nd Milestone, Gurgaon.
- Greater Kailash, GK 2, South Delhi.
Obbattu
Malleshwaram 18th cross dosa