Boheme, Hauz Khas Village: Late Winter Perfection

February afternoons in Delhi are magical. The sun is out but not with its May-June agenda of incinerating the world. The sky is clear. The chill of the previous months seems to have been wrung out to dry. The perfect Sunday afternoon then, would be at a languid lunch with friends, exactly what was achieved last Sunday at Boheme, Hauz Khas Village.

Reaching Boheme is a minor achievement of sorts. Tucked in a typical Village alley, the restaurant is a steep climb above five flights of stairs, above the legendary Gunpowder, which in turn is above the promisingly named Golcanda Bowl. Pedigree established yet?

Once you've trudged up though, be prepared to be very, very gleeful. The sun hits you in the face and the open terrace is tranformed into a laidback, bohemian, happy space. The number of tables is limited but the owners have introduced the smart move of allowing people to order drinks and hang around. As a result, there are several groups of 20-somethings, displaying the sharpest lines of the season, oversized Tom Fords perched on their sunblocked noses.

The bar counter runs along the length of the front half-wall and offers a spectacular view of the lake. There are the usual hanging lamps and strings of light and pretty pots that up the aesthetic quotient but the sight of the lake glistening green, is something else.

The food is well worth the long wait that seems to be usual on a busy Sunday. We started with a hummus and pita to go with our beers. The hummus was perfectly seasoned and of the exact right consistency.

The pita could have done with some light toasting. For our main course we ordered a Fettucini in Alfredo sauce that turned up deficient in salt.

The Chicken Maison was a huge portion, accompanied by a lightly herbed pat of rice and a cruchy side of vegetables. The chicken itself was moist and succulent, the cheese soft but not runny.

Food, definitely a winner.

The downside at Boheme is their service. The place is grossly understaffed. They forget orders, forget the number of portions, take forever to get the food on the table. If it wasn't for the company and that delusion of sitting at a lazy Goan shack, we'd be complaining.

So, in a nutshell:
Food:7.5
Ambience: 8
Service: 6