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Power Packers 2018

The DSSC Power Packers is an annual selection of change agents who contribute to the rich cultural landscape of New Delhi. This annual list celebrates the dreamers, mindful disruptors, thinkers, rebels who build & collaborate.

We recognise the diversity of the impactful work within #OurCity, and DSSC Power Packers 2018 specifically focuses on stellar food & tipple. What binds this eclectic community of trailblazers is the common set of values and unified approach towards original and ethical work.

With great pleasure, we present to you New Delhi’s Power Packers of 2018.

Power Packers 2018.

The Grammar Room

The Grammar Room

Power Packers 2018
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Town Hall

Town Hall

Power Packers 2018
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Artusi Ristorante e Bar

Artusi Ristorante e Bar

Power Packers 2018
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Indian Accent

Indian Accent

Power Packers 2018
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Perch

Perch

Power Packers 2018
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Little Saigon

Little Saigon

Power Packers 2018
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2018 Panel

They’re objective, unbiased, have a discerning palate and understand the strength of story & power of product. Their scores were inputted into a weighted average, supplemented with months of research, criteria-building and parameter-setting.

To build New Delhi’s definitive list of Power Packers of the F&B industry, we’ve had the joy of brainstorming with:

Aneesh Bhasin
Aneesh Bhasin

Co-Founder, Hipcask & Svami Drinks

Chaitanya Mathur
Chaitanya Mathur

Global Head, Live Zomato

Deepali Gupta
Deepali Gupta

Food Critic & Co-Founder, Slate Consulting

Pareina Thapar
Pareina Thapar

Managing Partner, Longform

Vandana Verma
Vandana Verma

Founder, The Tonic & Head of Editorial, NicoJournal

Varun Rana
Varun Rana

Founder, Rana Ka Khana & Professor at NIFT, New Delhi

Power Packers 2018

The Grammar Room

What kicked off as an extension of the parent (& flagship location) company, The Grammar Room has successfully pushed the envelope and stood tall on its two feet. Transitional branding (the name syncs with the design), beautiful interiors and a menu that found a sweet spot between comfort & experimentation. Their loyal tribe ensures the signature dishes sell out from the menu, and it aims to be a well constructed sentence and not a confused & verbose one. In a year that saw many new restaurants join the arena, this eclectic & electric cafe bathed in divine Mehrauli light seems to have gotten a universal hurrah from #OurCity to win the Best Debut Restaurant of 2018.
  • Best Debut Restaurant

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Power Packers 2018

Town Hall

From opening till now, Town Hall has been blessed with something every restaurant yearns for – a waitlist. Now pair that with consistency in cuisine and service, and you have a winning product. Led by Chef Augusto Cabrera, this establishment has a strong tipple & food programme of modern Japanese and comfort world cuisine. They’ve been careful to dispel industry stereotypes where casual is carefree and fine-dine is stuffy, and found a format to unite those distinct genres of hospitality. The energy of the space is as swift as their service, the quality of produce is as high as the luxurious high ceilings (first of its kind in Khan Market) and the cumulative experience is well worth that waitlist.
  • Best Casual Dining Restaurant

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Power Packers 2018

Artusi Ristorante e Bar

If Artusi were an adjective, it would mean authentic. Bringing forth flavours of the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy, every dish on this expansive menu champions the cause of good ingredients. Their artistry has an impressive restraint, continual consistency and respect for tradition, something much desired in a city that refuses to let go of its obsession with fusion food. The space is charming & elegant and majority of the menu is made from scratch every single day, and it shows. Artusi Ristorante e Bar sings the beautiful song of Italian cuisine with much spirit & passion, making it the Best Fine Dine Restaurant.
  • Best Fine Dining Restaurant (Stand Alone)

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Power Packers 2018

Indian Accent

This category saw interesting competition this year via new entrants. However, the artistry and technique of this establishment ensured its cemented position of retaining its title of Best Fine Dining Restaurant in New Delhi. Having won a Power Packer award in 2016 and 2017 for its inventive Indian cuisine, this internationally-applauded restaurant is synonymous with quality, celebration and imagination. In august company of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, Indian Accent’s level of detailing, skilled service and clever creativity aids reaction to move from hard-to-define-the-ingredient to an elongated chuckle of surprise. Proficient at elevating the ordinary to the sublime, the restaurant relocated to their new abode at The Lodhi, which has ensured a longer queue of power diners & Mehrotra-loyalists alike.
  • Best Fine Dining Restaurant (Hotel)

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Power Packers 2018

Perch

Move aside trendy cool, hipster cool, buzzy cool, sexy cool, cool cool and make way for the rock-solid & quiet kid (not so much, anymore) – Perch Wine & Coffee Bar. Across both locations, a giant tree separates zen-like floors that are home to quality banter, excellent cocktails, skilled teams and intact eardrums that don’t ring after a long perch at Perch. The space gently vibrates nuance, attention and comfort – its a long sigh, a needed pause, almost as good as walking barefoot on grass. With its subtle philosophy embedded into all aspects of its hospitality, the summary is succinctly placed on its menu, “Hi. Take a seat. Take a sip. Take your time.” Perch’s expertise is not limited to its two eponymous drinks, they go over and beyond with its stellar cocktail programme – one that is continually experimenting with technique, spirit and ingredient. Every drink is steeped with research and playful iteration and which is why, for the second time around, it’s been accorded Bar of the Year.
  • Bar Of The Year

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Power Packers 2018

Little Saigon

This Vietnamese eatery is a mainstay on every food aficionado’s must-visit lists. A winning case study where authenticity of cuisine, uncompromising quality and honest cooking supersedes other seemingly important factors like decor, bar, marketing and the works. Chef Hana Ho takes her ingredients as seriously as you should, that beautifully translates into bowls of steaming food that are promptly tucked into your tummy. Retaining their position as the Regional Cuisine Crusader, Little Saigon truly deserves all the accolades & applause, and then some.
  • Regional Cuisine Crusader

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