Mistral

Vasant Kunj

I got to know about Mistral much before it started functioning. Ever since I got to know from a source that they have the same management as that of Setz and On The Water Front, I just knew I would love this place.
It is located at Level 3 of Ambiance Mall Vasant Kunj. right next to PVR Directors Cut. It has been opened as a replacement of the restaurant that was earlier owned and operated by Directors Cut itself.So when I entered, this place looked and seemed like a clone of the other 2 places. Lots of live kitchen counters, huge stone walls and tables, spacious seating, soothing lighting, classy and sophisticated ambiance and not to be missed was the huge wine cellar they could boast of. This place was already making me happy. It was meant for the exclusive and the niche crowd of Delhi.We were greeted by the courteous staff, who was extremely polite and polished. Later we got to know that a lot of their staff has also moved from Setz to here.So we ordered 2 Sangrias to begin with. One made of red wine and grapes, the other of white wine and orange slices. This was the first place that offered us this variation in the drink. They were both very well prepared. Just the right amount of fruit and sweetness to them.Later we ordered a Palm Hearts Salad, A Veg Pizza with our choice of vegetables and a Pasta in Mixed sauce. The salad was made from the heart of the palm tree, an ingredient I had never heard of, yet it tasted very good. A little offbeat for sure, but for someone experimental, it was great. The Pasta was perfect. I had asked for mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes to be used in it, and it was made absolutely the way I had wanted it. This was probably the good part about their staff. They make sure not more than one table is given to one staff member to be taken care of. The pizza was thin crust, baked in their in house brick oven, and generously topped with vegetables. For main course we ordered anda parantha which was recommended by their staff itself and Dal Makhni with Butter naan.At first we felt funny, ordering anda parantha as a place so fine, but to our surprise it was the tastiest dish we had there. Brilliantly spiced, soft to eat and shallow fried to perfection. The Dal Makhni however was not upto the mark because it was less Makhni, for me atleast. The butter naan was soft, served piping hot and well done.
All in all, The place was a hit for me. Apt for an exclusive and quiet lunch or dinner with special people. The good part is that it maintains its class, without being that heavy on the pocket as its counterparts.
Taste: 4.5Ambiance: 5Staff: 5