Door no. 3 — Restaurant in Patiala

Chicken Tandoori @doorno.3 in Patiala.

Until a few years back, the 'Kakas' from Patiala would drive down to Chandigarh for a good meal or an evening out with friends. The dual carriageway had reduced the travel to about an hour & I frequently bumped into the Patiala crème de la crème in the City Beautiful!

That's changing now with restaurants like Door No. 3 leading the charge, presenting modern dining & contemporary cocktails to the Patiala folk. Such restaurants are very capable of acting as a fillip for the entire food scene in a city raising the bar and birthing healthy competition.

A couple of weeks back I had to be in the Royal City for a social engagement and ended up at Door No. 3 for lunch on the recommendations of @chinarthal who was also my host for the afternoon. We went through quite a few popular plates but I'd stick to the Tandoori Chicken today. It's only fair that my first review of a restaurant in the Royal City of Patiala revolves around one dish that's quintessentially Punjabi.

This Tandoori Chicken showcases exactly what Door No. 3 is doing correctly, a dish that at it's very heart is traditional yet modern in appearance. The Chicken is larger than a 'poussin' or 'spring chicken' which works better in a tandoor. The slashes on the meat made sure the marinade permeated to the deepest fibre imparting a flavour that's got good spice & tang with little or moderate heat. The genius was in it being perfectly cooked, the meat was charred on the top and the bone was dry however, the chicken itself was juicy and flavourful. It's not easy to maintain heat in a tandoor and this was one of the perfectly cooked tandoori chicken I've had in a long time.

What made the experience even better was an informative chat with the owner @karmnaresh , an extremely pleasant person very receptive to ideas. I'd like to believe I've made a friend in him and can't thank him enough for latching onto an idea and introducing an experience in his Cocktail Menu that I recommended.

I'm waiting to host him for Cocktails in Chandigarh, and as far as the Cocktails at Door No. 3 are concerned, let's keep it for...

I recently took my family for a dinner to Door No.3, Patiala. The decore, and ambience is ravishing, but the choice of music wasn't appropriate. It was too loud that I had to literally shout to be audible to my family, although we were on the same table. In my opinion, they could have tried jazz on a lower volume to fill the atmosphere with giggle and glow. The service is snail slow; and I'd recommend to speed up. No one's going to wait till eternity for there placed order. They'll simply leave. Most importantly, the food tastes delicious, especially the kebabs. The taste takes me back to the city of Nawabs! Exquisite. But I encountered an issue with the portion size. I have been to many cities, but according to the price, the portion size of the food was not satisfying. I found them, a little expensive than a five-star resturant. The platter was too less to be paid too much of my money. No value for money. I was excited to visit the place, but had spoiled my mood due to these certain things. In compensation, they had offered me two portions of desserts, but you cannot compensate my mood by offering me desserts, when I'm still not finished with my main course. I literally had paid 3k for petite portions, and slow service; later went to some other place to eat, late at night. One advice, add some dinner items for older people, because you have opened in Punjab; plus I hope you're aware of the appetite of people around. Paste push and pull on the doors, please. All the very best, and I hope to say some good changes in the...

Unusually upscale and modern fare for a traditionally downmarket city like Patiala, and it truly stands out.

Located in Raj Kamal Square in the heart of the city, this ecletic venue serves some amazing nighttime views of the city coupled with amazing cocktails and satisfactory food.

Food here is a mixed bag and being picky helps. Fish eaters may not enjoy going here, for the Sole was dry and not that well-cooked. Mocha is a better choice.

The Prawn Har Gao and Prawn Taco with Pico de Gallo are wonderful. The Jamaican Jerk Chicken is also dry, and frankly quite average. Do not opt for the Meal Bowls either, for the presentation and taste are quite uninspiring.

The Som Tam (please say Raw Papaya, for they won't understand otherwise) salad is lovely. The taste is easily comparable with the likes of Hibachi by Icon and Kylin Experience in Chandigarh, or Papaya and Mamagoto in Delhi.

The Apple Crumble is wonderful and similar to the celebrated Apple Crumble at Backpacker's Café, Chandigarh.

The cocktails are truly wonderful, though - you cannot go wrong with the Elderflower Gin Cocktail or the Moscow Mule.

The staff is kind and...