Cuisines: North Indian, Chinese, Italian

Cost: 1600 for two

This area of Rajouri Garden is growing as a foodie haven with new, concept-based cafes opening up. The latest addition is High Street Cafe which promises to serve you food with fun, fusion twist. I visited the cafe with my mom on a Sunday afternoon and enjoyed some refreshing cocktails and lip-smacking appetizers, which I am going to talk about in detail in the coming paragraphs. What you should know is that the cafe tries to give you a very personalized experience and customization at every level. For example, it is the first cafe that has started the concept of 'customized cocktails' for its visitors. The whole point of the cafe is to give us West-Delhiites the 'South Delhi experience without having to compromise our weekends to driving and being stuck in traffic. 

While the surrounding cafes make things very competitive, the area also serves as a great market as it is increasingly becoming a favourite among foodies. I met the owners of HSC, Zoheb Vijray and Anuj Jokhani who explained to me that the cafe is very 'owner-driven'. Both Zoheb and Anuj manage the cafe themselves and have even designed the British-inspired interiors of the cafe. The wall art and painting in and outside the cafe depict the "High Street Culture" observed by Zoheb in his bartending days in the UK. Minimally decorated, the overall feel and ambiance of the place is warm and pleasant.

Coming down to the food, High Street Cafe plays around with regional Indian dishes like Dabeli, and other continental dishes that are served here with a twist. The menu is quite varied and you are spoilt for choices. After studying the menu for a while and ending up in a dilemma, I went for a Red Velvet Shake { the best seller at HSC } on Zoheb's recommendation. It was so refreshing and filling- the silky texture instantly had my heart. The dominant flavour was that of vanilla icecream blended with a slice of red velvet. Find the full recipe at the end of the post!

Mom ordered The Sundowner, a classic grape flavoured mocktail with a hint of mint, soda and lots of ice! I had quite a few sips and found that it is pretty much like a mojito made better with some grape juice. We then ordered Dabeli, the classic Gujrati staple I absolutely adore. Served with some fries and loaded with Tamarind chutney, the Dabeli was a little too tangy for my taste and it could've used some mint chutney. However, the cafe tries to give a bold, new angle to the dish. Then came an Indian starter, Paneer Mirch Ka- tender cubes of cottage cheese stuffed with a mix of cashews, cheese and brown onion, grilled in tandoor. It was a sinful unison of melt-in-mouth cottage cheese, classic Indian spices and the richness of cashews. If you don't order this one at HSC, you are missing out. 

Next up, the Cheese Nachos at HSC are every cheese-lover's dream come true. This I say, because there's so much cheese you won't even spot the nachos till you move things around a bit! Even though the sour cream and cheese make the nachos soggy quickly, the taste remains in tact. Topped with some grilled bell papers, onions and jalapenos, Cheese nachos were served with a classic salsa. As I told Head Chef Gautam Saluja about my love for nachos, he quickly tossed up for me his version of 'Indian Nachos' . The dish tasted as interesting as it looked. It was hard to believe that Bingo Mad Angles with some hot garlic sauce and sesame could taste this wonderful! This one is still a work in progress and you might see it on the menu soon- or at least, I hope you do because it was delicious!

Except great food, HSC gives you many more reason to visit. You can enjoy live bands, IPL screenings, DJ, Sufi music, and other theme nights, every evening without any cover charge. They also serve Sheesha on the Menu, the signature flavor being the 'Cigar Pan'.