Yes, you read that correctly: this is a report on a meal eaten in Delhi not this past July, but in July of 2025. That’s not even my record for a belated meal report/review; in fact, I have another Delhi report from 2025 in the wings that’s going to make this one look timely. More on that later.

This is my fifth report on a meal at Indian Accent in Delhi, and the fourth on lunch at their current location in the Lodhi Hotel (our first meal there was a dinner when they were still in the Manor Hotel in Friends Colony). At the two lunches before this one, I was with the missus and we ate the non-vegetarian Chef’s Tasting Menu (here and here); at the meal before those, a friend and I had eaten the Express tasting menu. On this occasion, however, we were accompanied by our boys and we ordered from the a la carte menu. Here’s how it went.

The boys have been eating fine dining meals with us at a greater frequency in the last couple of years. And they’ve heard from us for a while about how much we enjoy eating at Indian Accent. And so the younger boy asked if his birthday meal last year could be at Indian Accent as we were going to be in Delhi at the time. We readily assented and I made sure to acquire a table well in advance as we were going to be there not on our usual weekday but on a Saturday. Sure enough, the restaurant was far fuller than we’ve even seen it at weekday lunch. Indeed, I think that by the time we were getting done, every table may have been occupied. We had been given a large table for the four of us—unlike at most “fine dining” restaurants in the US, space is not at a premium in most expensive Indian restaurants. We had a large table and we were a good distance from everyone seated around us. We began filling the table up pretty soon.

Even though we had not ordered tasting menus (see the slideshow below to see what they looked like last July), the meal began as those do: with little “cups” of soup (pumpkin, I believe it was) and mini-blue cheese kulchas. Then the food we had ordered began to arrive. From the starters end of the menu we got the following: Meetha Achaar Spare Ribs and Kanyakumari Crab (served with Caramelized Onion Pao). The missus and I have always enjoyed those spare ribs and wanted the boys to try them; sure enough they loved them too. But I think we all loved the crab even more. It was in the general butter-garlic vein and was just outstanding. And they did not skimp on the crab, which was itself of excellent quality. The caramelized onion pao with which we mopped it all up was ace too.

Before our mains arrived they sent out the extremely tasty tart sorbet that always comes out at this stage of the meal in the tasting menus as well. This time it was a strawberry kala khatta (in the past it’s been pomegranate), and it was served in a cute mini-pressure cooker as usual.

Then the mains. We got one vegetarian dish and three non-vegetarian. The vegetarian was the 100 Layer Paneer. Served with rice and a tangy tomato gravy, this was exquisitely constructed and extremely tasty. Also extremely tasty were the Slow Cooked Lamb Shank Nihari and the Rice Crusted John Dory Moilee, incarnations of both of which we’d had before in the tasting menu. The Chicken Tikka Meatballs in a makhani sauce I was less enthused about but it would have been cruel to keep the younger boy from the closest thing to butter chicken on their menu. He did indeed love it. All three of the latter dishes, by the way, involved sauces being poured around the proteins at the table.

A few side dishes as well. Their Black Dairy Dal (dal makhani by another name) was outstanding as always. We also got a few of their stuffed breads for the boys to try: the Butter Chicken Kulcha (I guess there is in fact butter chicken on the menu) and the Chilli Hoisin Duck Kulcha). They enjoyed them but I think we all agreed that the regular Butter Naan was a better accompaniment to the food. On the bread front, there was also a very nice baked roti that came with the nihari.

And so, to dessert. Despite being stuffed, we got three. The Mishti Doi Cannoli was very good, as was the Dark Chocolate Mousse (which was the birthday boy’s pick). My favourite, of course, as always, was the Warm Doda Burfi Treacle Tart.

For a look at the restaurant, the menus as of last July, and everything we ate, please launch the slideshow below. Scroll down for thoughts on service, to see what the meal cost, and to see what’s coming next week on the blog.

The service at Indian Accent is always very good and so it was on this occasion as well. Staff did not hover around us—as is so often the case in expensive restaurants in Delhi—and were able to answer all questions readily. Cost? The total bill came to Rs. 22, 414. I had put down a Rs. 4000 deposit at the time of making the reservation (as I am now UPI payment-equipped, making reservations at fancy restaurants in Delhi and Bombay has become much easier) and we paid the remainder at the end of the meal. Including tip the total cost came to Rs. 25,000 or $262 at the current exchange rate. That’s $65 or so per head, without any alcohol. Coming from the US, that’s not outrageous, but you don’t need me to tell you that that’s a pretty expensive meal in India. In fact, the cost of one dessert at Indian Accent is more than the price of two thalis at most restaurants in Humayunpur. Is it worth it? For a splurge, if you can swing it, and if you like the idea of this kind of Indian food, I would say yes.

Alright, what’s on the docket next week? Tomorrow I’ll have a booze review. The plan is to post another Bombay report on Tuesday, my next Twin Cities report on Wednesday, another Seoul report on Friday and then another Delhi report next Sunday. Let’s see if I actually manage to stick to that schedule!