Connaught Place has a few islands in a sea of change that give you a chance to travel into the past and soak inthe feel of dining in the 1950s. Each hopper has a story behind their nostalgia and Jaideep Deo Bhanj listens in

Three old friends, who live in different corners of the NCR, meet at The Embassy restaurant in Connaught Place every day. Health problems and age do not come in between this ritual that has been kept alive by the patrons for decades. Now that the restaurant has been shut for a few months because of a fire that damaged it, the three friends among many other regulars are eagerly waiting for it to re-open later this month so that life can return to normal.

Such is the clientele that the market’s heritage restaurants enjoy despite the numerous newer options that have sprung up. CP that opened in 1933 has seen many restaurants come and go, but there are still a few islands in a sea of change that give you a chance to travel into the past and soak in the feel of dining in the 1950s.

Malkani, an octogenarian, who visits The Host every weekday for a cup of tea, says most of the old restaurants like Volga and Gaylord in the area have shut down, but it is nice to see that some are still around. He jogs his memory to recall the days when he used to visit Connaught Place as a college student.

“There used to be bands playing at the restaurants and people would dance displaying various styles. One of the restaurants even had a skating rink in it. Those were the days we could have a good time for a few annas,” says Mr. Malkani, who switched to The Host after the waiter at his previous favourite haunt misbehaved with him.

Almost as old as the market is Madras Coffee House located opposite the Regal Building on the outer circle. The restaurant has been run by the same family since it started as a Chinese restaurant, called Shanghai, in 1935.

“The restaurant was for the British soldiers and had a board outside that said dogs and Indians were not allowed,” says Anubhav Nanda, whose grandfather started the restaurant.

The restaurant was called Respo Milk Bar for a while before becoming the Madras Coffee House in the 1950s. S.B Nanda, whose wife Jyoti Nanda inherited the restaurant, says at that time, South Indian food was becoming popular, but there were no outlets. Therefore they introduced the cuisine and it has stayed that way ever since.
The recipes have not been tampered with nor has the décor of the restaurant.

Mr. Nanda says some call the restaurant shabby and dilapidated but what those people don’t understand is that it is a conscious effort to keep it this way. The doors, tables and panels on the walls have been there since 1935. “It is a heritage restaurant. You can’t go to a heritage structure and call it dilapidated. Whatever damage has been done is because of customers who have defaced it just like with our monuments. If we change anything the charm will be lost forever.”

Mr. Nanda says despite growing competition from other coffee shops and those selling the same cuisine in the market, people visit for a slice of nostalgia. The laid-back coffee drinking culture that had vanished is back. It is not just old timers and tourists but college students also who have become regulars. 

Commenting on the offers made by a number of people to buy the restaurant, Mr. Nanda says: “I tell them to first go buy Red Fort and then come to me. Heritage does not have a price.”

Savar Malhotra, partner, The Embassy Restaurant, says despite so many new places coming up they have their regulars including politicians, lawyers and people from diverse professions. 

"Many of our customers have the ‘The Embassy 11 a.m.-12 p.m.’ printed on their business cards for people to come meet them. That is how regular they are,” says Mr. Malhotra .

He recounts an incident where he tried to change the recipe of a dish and a customer got very angry and told him not to try reinventing the wheel. “You can introduce something new, but you can’t remove something from the menu,” he adds.

Many Delhiites also have a number of personal stories associated with these restaurants. Many marriages have been fixed over dinner at these restaurants and people come back with their children and grand children to order exactly the same food they had ordered decades ago. 

Sitting outside Wenger’s, a group of bankers celebrate a birthday. Jayant, whose birthday it was, says as a child his birthday cake would come from Wenger’s; today even though there are so many other options, his birthday feels incomplete without cake from the bakery.

The restaurant was for the British soldiers and had a board outside that said dogs and Indians were not allowed to eat.