Cafe Dori — Restaurant in Delhi

UPDATE ( January 2019) - As someone who has visited Cafe Dori atleast a dozen times since its opening, this last visit was undoubtedly the worst experience I’ve had at the place.

I was served over cooked and under salted spinach scrambled eggs with stale and hollowed out mini potatoes, upon sending the dish back I was informed by a member of the waiting staff that perhaps i was mistaken in complaining as the potatoes’ texture could be explained by the fact that were roasted and not boiled. I’ve had this dish multiple times (because it used to be delicious, and my favorite), but it was just lacking. The Parmesan is usually integrated as part of the eggs and not just thrown on top of it.

The point here being that I’m no expert on whether they should be roasted or boiled, nor on how cooked and salted the eggs should be - but as a customer, I am in a position to comment on what is edible and what is inedible. The first offense is producing bad food, but the second and worse offense is being patronizing and assuming that customers don’t understand the difference between good food and bad food.

As a long-standing patron, I’m overjoyed by the successes Cafe Dori has managed to garner in the past year, but if they’ve managed do so by cutting corners on the quality of their produce and the training of their chefs then this is a huge loss for the culinary community in Delhi. When I pay 400 Rs for scrambled eggs, the bare minimum that I allow myself to expect is that the establishment doesn’t dismiss my ability to differentiate between inedible and edible food.

I haven’t deleted my previous review and picture and it can be found below.

—————————————————————— May 2018

Cafe Dori's popularity has risen by leaps and bounds since its inception and rightfully so. It's a very well crafted experience and I'm glad their food quality hasn't dipped inspite of the more footfall. That being said make sure to get a reservation or be prepared to wait for a while because it's packed during the weekend.

Food is a highlight and I would urge everyone to try their scrambled eggs. HEAVENLY. Really good. Their coq au vin is also very good. Cafe Dori pays a lot of attention to detail - well crafted menus, seats, plates, cutlery, presentation of food - and it shows. I love bespoke their whole space is.

One half of the massive space is also a Nappa Dori's store which is very well designed. Very tasteful decor overall. Oh and they play Harry Potter audiobooks in their washrooms which was a very novel concept for me and I really liked it (though I'm not very hot on HP but I can see the appeal). Little touches like these make Cafe Dori a...

Truly a hidden gem

Definite Must Try: Hot Chocolate, Verdura Flat Bread, Turkish Eggs, Wild Mushroom Pappardelle

Area of Improvement: Service

Ambience: It is located in chhatarpur area near the temple complex. Initially I was skeptical of going there but after reading a few reviews, I made up my mind to try it out. The Café is part of large mill compound that is being converted into small kitschy designer shops selling clothes, accessories etc. Café Dori itself is in a large warehouse where half of the warehouse has a shop ‘Napa Dori’ (Indian Leather Brand) and the other half is the Café. I liked the Ambience a lot, it was relaxing and enjoyable. The tables are not jammed pack together which gives you a certain amount of privacy . There is an outdoor seating area as well which serves as a smoking zone. The place has a very upmarket and sophisticated feeling to it.

Service: This was the only downside which I can find for Café Dori. Not that the servers was rude or anything but the service was very slow. The server got us Chilli flakes and Oregano to go with the flat bread only after we had eaten half of it 

Drinks: We ordered Fresh orange juice as well as Hot Chocolate. Orange juice was nice and tangy but the hot chocolate was the highlight for me of the whole meal. It is decadent so say the least. The quality of dark chocolate which they use is simply superb. I will go back to this place only to have the hot chocolate for sure.

Food: After the hot chocolate, the expectations from the food increased for me and let me tell you it didn’t disappoint. We started with superfood salad which was fresh, light and refreshing. With the salad we ordered Verdura flat bread, the bread was thin, crisp and toppings were generous and perfectly seasoned. For mains I went with the Turkish Eggs from the breakfast menu and with that we ordered Wild Mushroom Pappardelle. The Turkish egg was revelation for me, never in my wildest dream I could imagine the combination of porched eggs and Yogurt. The yogurt was perfectly seasoned and thick and the poached egg were runny in the center. I would recommend people to try this for sure. The Pappardelle was again bang full of flavor. Unlike other places, where when it comes to pasta they simply load it with sauce and make it heavy, this was light, full of mushroom flavor and again seasoned perfectly.

I really enjoyed my visit to Café Dori. The ambience of the place, the relaxed atmosphere and the food, everything was...

Unpleasant Encounter - Rude Staff and Unwelcoming Atmosphere

My recent visit to Cafe Dori, located at Dhanmill, left me thoroughly disappointed. Although the ambiance seemed promising, the behavior of the staff completely overshadowed any positives that could be found.

Upon entering the cafe, my friend and I spotted a vacant table that could comfortably accommodate four guests. We decided to sit there to have a conversation and possibly order something later. However, before we could even make a selection, the staff approached us in an extremely rude manner and insisted that we leave the table immediately. Their reasoning was that we were only two people occupying a table meant for four.

The staff's approach was incredibly discourteous, and their lack of understanding and empathy was evident. Instead of finding a more amicable solution, they made us feel unwelcome and inconvenienced. It was disheartening to witness such unprofessional behavior from the staff of a supposedly reputable establishment.

It is important for any establishment to treat their customers with respect, regardless of the situation. Unfortunately, Cafe Dori failed to prioritize basic customer service and left us with a negative impression of their cafe.

I cannot comment on the quality of the food as we did not have an opportunity to order anything. However, based on the staff's demeanor and the unwelcoming atmosphere, I am inclined to believe that our experience would not have been satisfactory even if we had decided to dine there.

Considering the unpleasant encounter we had with the staff and the lack of welcoming ambiance, I cannot recommend Cafe Dori to anyone seeking a pleasant cafe experience. It is essential for the management to address the issues of rudeness and unprofessionalism among their staff members in order to provide a more enjoyable environment for their patrons.

I sincerely hope that Cafe Dori takes this feedback into consideration and strives to improve their customer service. Until then, I would advise potential visitors to explore other options in the area where they can expect better treatment and a more pleasant...