Loya — Restaurant in New Delhi

Inaugural Dinner at Loya, Taj Palace 12 October 2022

An immense pleasure & an innate feeling of Pride in Tajness, as we were gracefully ushered in as the 1st Guests into this aesthetic, ambient & aromatic "LOYA"; the neo-tastebud tantalizer, in the gastronomic fusion of Delhi

I had some good conversations with Executive Chef Rajesh Wadhwa Ji, beginning near the Durbar Hall where Indian Of The Year 2022 Awards was being hosted by CNNNews18 & being joined in by Mr Nayan Seth, Ms Ananya Mukherjee, Mr Harsh Singh & Team Chef Gagan as we reached Loya & it was indeed a pleasure meeting Mr Taljinder Singh as well at Loya this evening

Shivya welcomed all guests with a refreshing cooler in a small bottle; reminiscent of Cola Days of 1980s in School

As a first impression, it is by far the best restaurant in Delhi today & has great flavours in it's repertoire that covers cuisines from North India with sumptuous dishes from even Uttarakhand & Himachal Pradesh

Options to relish a drink in form of Cocktails & Mocktails are HEARTy & you will have to glance through the Bar Menu Folder to discern that subtle HEART ! Let them know if you find the HEART there

Vast options to choose from a well curated Food Menu, something Executive Chef Wadhwa has been very passionate about while curating for many moons now & description there begins with that of methods of cooking; ranging from Sigri, through Dungar to Dum Pukth, to listing some some licious meats & appetizing dishes

Being the 1st meal here, we indulged in some Masala Whiskey with a twist on Bourbon, a Chilean Merlot and of course a Mocktail for underaged VIP in Family, from the Bar, that was handled well by Team Hemant & in absence of Mixology Maestro and my friend Joel, who is in Australia to renew his Visa

The gastronomic experience was flavourful & food was cooked & served by Mr Piyush, Mr Arjun, Ms Komal & Ms Shristi, who also described the table layout and ambience with historical background & perspective

Bharwan Karare Kulche which had crispiness, was handmade on an old-time toaster and was served with Channa & radish relish; an appetizer that was balanced in texture & was tantilizing too

Sigri Machi had a good tinge of blackened lemon & garlic, that had a good sensory effect as a marinade

Chef Manushka got us a flavourful appetizer, with crispies. as a 'Dal Chaat', with central ingredient being lentil and her introduction to various forms of cooking being done at Loya was informative too

Attari Murg (Just like it is made near border town of Attari, Pinjab) & Loya Mutton (Falling off the Bone) were delicious and Dal Jhakiya with 'Double Tadka' by Chef Manushka (2nd time tadka for me making a short video) with that crunch of Jhakiya (Flavour of Uttarakhand) was simple Soul Food !

Kulfi Pop, as a dessert, came with four 'Flavours on a Stick' and were easy to make a choice from, as each suited our palate differently and 'Falooda' with Rabri in a Chocolate 'Matka' had a great colourful presentation, as one also noticed few guests devouring some 'Dudh Jalebi' which was presented with milk in a proclean can with a jalebi on top (Next time for us)

It was an energetic atmosphere at Loya with staff being 100% upbeat to make it a grand evening and a memorable one for all, while the pitch at the Bar at Loya was mellow with shades of some loud cheers, as guests felt nice in the ambience this evening

Open Kitchen and my sneek peek prior to dinner time was heartening as some young Chefs and Stewards were being briefed and that buzz of Smiles all around was noticeable too

Our compliments to each of of you at Taj Palace & at Loya who was involved for creating this Soulful Eatery & making this evening an amazing one

One would be here more often and Loya feels like a new found food love in town !

Thank You Team Taj for bringing to us this well conceived, classy, cookery delight in Delhi and it was an honour to be the 'First Guest' this evening, as Loya welcomed Guests to experience the Tajness

Best wishes and warm regards

Cheers!

JAI HIND🇮🇳

Colonel Rohit Dev New...

Of Smoke, Spice & Surrender: A Night at Loya, Taj Palace

There are restaurants that serve food. And then there are those that tell stories. Loya, nestled in a quiet, resplendent corner of the Taj Palace in New Delhi, is very much the latter.

It is not, as the name might suggest, just another shiny North Indian outpost in a luxury hotel. Loya is a journey. Not in the trite “culinary voyage” way that menus often proclaim—but in the truest sense of the word: immersive, evocative, and unapologetically honest. It doesn’t pander, it doesn’t dress up its heritage in foreign frills. It simply is.

When you walk into Loya, you walk into a mood. Smoky, dusky lighting, hand-beaten metal, and the warm, assertive aroma of spices pounded—not powdered—announces that this is no fusion drama. This is the North in all its textured, ghee-slicked, slow-cooked glory.

The appetizers came with a sense of theatre that I’ve rarely experienced in fine dining. Take the Bhunnu Murg—a charcoal-smoked chicken, enveloped in the kind of earthy scent that comes only from a proper chulha, paired with a surprisingly delicate kakadi and pyaaz thechwani. One bite and I was transported to some imagined courtyard in Kumaon, where the firewood crackles and stories simmer.

The Gosht ke Lazeez Pasliyan followed—a special mutton cut, marinated with the subtle intrigue of stone flower and kabab chini. It arrived smoking, glistening, and utterly unapologetic in its richness. This wasn’t the mutton of your Delhi weddings; it was something deeper, older, more primal.

Then came the Siyal Katlu—a dish that might have been overshadowed in another setting. But here, the split urad dal kebab, cooked on an actual stone (yes, a stone), was a marvel of texture and restraint. Vegetarian fare at Loya, make no mistake, is no afterthought.

The mains continued this slow crescendo. The Bhanjeer Murg, cooked with toasted hemp seeds, had the kind of nuttiness that lingered gently, while the Faridkot Meat Curry—a dish that should be declared a national treasure—was a testament to slow cooking and slower living. Poppy seeds in the gravy lent it a richness that didn’t shout, but hummed.

Now let’s talk about Vriksh.

Loya’s newly launched cocktail menu isn’t really a menu. It’s a poem. Or perhaps a philosophy disguised as a drinks list. Rooted in the “Loya Paanch” concept, each drink is a meditation on a stage of growth—roots, stem, leaf, blossom, fruit. It’s poetic without being precious.

I started with Ginger—a heady mix of peach-apricot vodka, grapefruit, honey-ginger and topped with apple cider foam and red grape dust. This wasn’t a cocktail so much as a conversation in a glass—tart, sweet, grounded.

But the standout was Paan—a beautifully smoky concoction of American whiskey and Loya’s paan nectar, finished with cherry bitters and an actual cloud of paan smoke that arrived like a secret. It was bold. It was theatrical. And yet, somehow, it never felt like it was trying too hard.

Even the mocktails weren’t mere placeholders for abstainers. The Cilantro, with guava, hibiscus, and sparkling citrus, was as layered as any fine cocktail I’ve tasted. The Mint, brightened with lavender and lemon, was clean, brisk, and quietly elegant.

As I walked out into the quiet, marbled lobby of the Taj Palace, I found myself thinking—not just about the meal—but about the conviction behind it. Loya isn’t trying to reinterpret the North. It’s resurrecting it, with reverence and a bit of fire. It’s not fusion. It’s fidelity—to technique, to ingredients, to memory.

And that, perhaps, is what makes it special. In a world of gimmicks and gastronomy, Loya whispers, “Remember who you...

What an experience at Loya! The newest addition at the Taj Palace, New Delhi, An Indian concept restaurant reviving culinary traditions.

Loya means gathering on a festive occasion. It takes diners on a #JourneyThroughTheNorth focussing on traditional flavours, long-preserved authentic recipes, locally procured ingredients and timeless cooking techniques. From the Himalayan foothills Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand to Kashmir and Punjab, the food celebrates regional dishes and presents them in unique ways, playing with flavour combinations and textures.

The décor captures the essence perfectly. Every element is handcrafted. It's all about fine details be it the latticed walls, ornate brass lanterns, colourful paintings showing bustling bazaar scenes from mughal & medieval times, kaleidoscopic drapes, beautiful pillars with 5 patterns and stonework & grand arches.

The rustic, aesthetic and earthy vibe along with an elegant and soothing ambience offers a warm, homely and comforting experience.

The open kitchen allows guests to see the traditional cooking styles from their tables.

The way this place acquaints with fresh spices and art of slow cooking and smoking, cooking techniques of dungaar, aromatics of baghar, cooking over an open fire, spices tempered in hot oil & sigdi and pounding masalas with silbatta, pestle and mortar is what makes them stand out.

The flavourful dishes are divided into courses- Pella swaad (appetizers), Saajha swaad (main course) and mittha (desserts). They are served in copper vessels & earthenware. The meal was a brilliant example of simplicity and subtlety. The food was delicious and flavours, clean.

Indulgent dishes like Kachori chaat, Bharwan karare kulche, Gosht chilli murg tikka, Chapli paratha, Paneer chakki, Kangra kodhia Gosht, kathal baingan bharta, Dal jhakiya, Gosht biryani with ori raita, Gucchi kala moti pulao alongside Gola paratha and Amritsar wadi kulcha took us on a sensorial culinary journey par excellence.

Pair your meal with handcrafted cocktails from the 'Loya Paanch' cocktail program inspired by number 5 & it's significance and sip on magical creations as here local spirits are presented with a contemporary twist with the use of ingredients like mulethi, saffron and paan. The bar (show stealer) is inspired by the Himalayan waterfalls and the drinks have fresh Himalayan herbs. • Signature Cocktails (must try) - Gulaab, Mulethi, Sparkling Saffron and Masala whisky

The perfect conclusion to the Loya culinary journey were the desserts followed by Make your own Mukhwaas - concoction of dry ginger, mishri, date supari and dehydrated paan. • Signature desserts (must try) - Badana pearls, Crisp jalebis with thickened pista-chuara-kesar milk, Kulfi pop and Gud ke Maan.

So, head over for an experiential dining experience. Loya is worth a bookmark for your next festive (read feastive)...