In a time when restaurants are springing up every now and then and even shutting down at the same speed, there are few who has sustained the blow of competition and has created a niche for themselves. One such is Kwality, in Delhi’s own posh location, Connaught place. A place that has been around for more than 80 years, Kwality is known for its sepia tint feel, and of course it’s iconic dishes that most food connoisseurs in the city swear by. Opened in 1940, by Pishori Lal Lamba and Iqbal Ghei, this place was a popular hang out joint of the elites from the Colonial era and so on.
This iconic eatery reopened few years back with a new look and feel. The vintage feel wallpaper, those old wooden and cane mix furniture gives you a feel of time travel. More than 70 odd photo frames of Connaught place taken by Madan Mahatta adorn the wall. Some frames also sees the owner Mr Lamba sharing frame space with eminent personalities like George Harrison, Pr Ravi Shankar and more. Standing the test of time Kwality also saw many of its contemporaries like Gaylord, Standard being shut, while this one has with its piano lounge and maharajah style polo bar and more is redefining class dining.
From the Veg Au Gratin and Chicken a la Kiev to the iconic Tutti Frutti ice-cream Kwality has actually kept its quality intact. This place can happily take the trophy of being one of the first in the city to serve some authentic Anglo-Indian "conti" food. While the place has retained most of their age old dishes, the chole bhature which sees a huge humongous size bhatura still remains special. Patrons still visit the place for their dose of bhatura or the a la Kiev, though the renovated menu sees some stews, sandwiches and more.
Visiting this place that has so much history, is nothing less than a moment to remember in itself.