New Delhi — What happens when a Michelin-style tasting menu meets Lutyens-era nostalgia under a canopy of ‘forest’? You get a dining experience that’s low-key dramatic and shockingly un-Delhi in the best way possible. Tucked inside a Barakhamba Road heritage building, Forest Table is being whispered about in Delhi’s most tuned-in food circles. Yes, it’s the new place your friend who “doesn’t do Hauz Khas anymore” is secretly gatekeeping.
Why Everyone’s Talking About Forest Table
Forest Table isn’t just another eatery trying to ride the wave of botanical minimalism. It’s an immersive space where you’re encouraged to put your phone down (literally—there’s no signal inside), lean into the microgreens on your plate, and debate whether the wood ash tartlet is a comment on climate collapse or just really good umami. The restaurant sits inside a restored colonial structure on Hailey Road, close to the Indian Women Press Corps building. A collab between award-winning architect Ritu Gopal and chef Aarav Malik (ex-Noma intern, if you care), the space is designed around the idea of memory, soil, and storytelling. Malik’s ever-changing menu pulls ingredients from single-origin Delhi farms—like amaranth leaves from Najafgarh and smoked Kashmiri beans repurposed in ice cream form. It’s fine dining, sure, but in a “sit back, detox your soul, and maybe unpack an intergenerational trauma” kind of way.
Will This Ruin Your Weekend Drive to Gurgaon?
If you’re the kind who’s tired of rooftop cafés with metal straws and avocado toast, Forest Table might feel oddly refreshing. But it’s not for everyone. First, price tag: expect to shell out a cool ₹4,500 per head for a tasting menu with zero substitutions. Second, service is slow on purpose. The whole point is to break from hustle culture, which sounds romantic unless you’re squeezing in a meal between meetings. That said, for freelancers holed up in Khan Market cafes or design students from Ambedkar University, this is a compelling new haunt. It’s Insta-averse and won’t judge you for staying two hours over just one course. For folks commuting in from Noida Sector 16 or Cyber Hub, it won’t replace your go-to sushi place anytime soon—but it could become your special occasion splurge when “Leela feels too done.”
The Ghost of Nirula’s and Other Stories
Now here’s the trip: the building that houses Forest Table once functioned as the press coordination office for the Defence Ministry during the 1962 war. Later, it was informally known as “Mini Nirula’s” during the ’80s due to a kiosk that operated out of the same courtyard (yes, you probably dragged your dad there after a Connaught Place movie night). The eerie thing? Malik has preserved no signage—only a faint outline of the red rectangle from Nirula’s original board remains visible on the side entrance. The architectural revival “allowed the ghosts of Delhi’s early modernism to stay,” says Gopal. It’s not the first time Delhi has flirted with such layered concepts; recall Khoj Studios in Khirki or the ill-fated Olive Qutub’s attempt at serious art-meets-food. But Forest Table might be the first to actually pull it off without being a performance piece.
📍 Spot Check: You’ll find Forest Table a two-minute walk from Barakhamba Metro Station, diagonally opposite Modern School. It’s also a short drive from Bengali Market and the Delhi Golf Club. Parking is virtually non-existent—hello, cab apps.
The Final Word
Forest Table isn’t just a restaurant; it’s a quiet rebellion. Against hurried service. Against ‘concept’ cafés that are all neon walls and no soul. Against influencers turning every meal into content. It’s slow, moody, and refreshingly serious about its intent. But is it…fun? That depends. If you’re looking to get turnt post-midterms, maybe stick to Echoes in Satya. But if unlearning capitalism and reconnecting with your palate is your idea of a Saturday night, this one is for you. What do you think—will Delhi actually embrace this kind of quiet luxury?
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