My Delhi: Peter D'Ascoli's Guide to Delhi's Best Hotels, Shops, Restaurants and Pashminas
Where do Delhi insiders really stay, eat, shop, wander and soak up culture? Textile designer Peter d’Ascoli shares his very special personal address book...
Delhi-based textile designer Peter d’Ascoli, founder of Talianna Studio, holds the keys to some of the city’s most special addresses – a beautiful, under-the-radar six-room design hotel that revealed a side of Delhi he hadn’t encountered before, a museum that unlocks 5,000 years of India, THE best market for serious antique hunters, THE showroom for truly exceptional pashminas, and the qawwali evening that will stay with you long after you’ve left…
My Favorite Restaurants
India is a culinary paradise, and Delhi is one of its most exhilarating destinations. The city’s restaurants span the full spectrum—from traditional regional kitchens to contemporary fine dining—so choosing only one is impossible. While here, don’t miss the opportunity to explore some of India’s classic cuisines. Here are a few of my favorites.
Indian Accent: For a modern, internationally acclaimed experience, Indian Accent is a benchmark. The tasting menus reinterpret Indian flavors with finesse and a touch of whimsy. It’s the place for a true gastronomic evening.
The Spice Route: Located inside The Imperial, The Spice Route is both a visual and culinary spectacle. Its hand-painted murals—crafted over seven years using ancient vegetable dyes—set the tone for a menu that traces the historic spice routes of Southeast Asia, with dishes from South Indian, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. Timber ceilings, antique columns, and sculptural details give the room a transporting quality.
It’s a singular experience: dining here feels less like being in a restaurant and more like stepping into a serene, temple-like world—somewhere between a Buddhist monastery and a beautifully preserved archaeological dreamscape.
Bengali Cuisine – Oh! Calcutta: For Bengali food, Oh! Calcutta is a dependable favorite. Try the Bhetki steamed with mustard in banana leaf, the prawn cutlets, and Daab Chingri—prawns simmered in coconut cream and often served inside a tender green coconut. Finish with a classic Bengali dessert: creamy, lightly caramelized, and gently tangy.
North Indian – Loya at the Taj Palace: Delhi offers outstanding North Indian options at every price point, but I have a soft spot for Loya. The standout is the Raan-e-Jirga: a slow-cooked mutton shank presented with a little theatrical flair—arriving at the table flambé, aromatic and rich.
South Indian – Sagar Ratna: For something simple, inexpensive, and entirely authentic, Sagar Ratna in Defence Colony market is the place. It is clean, reliable, and beloved for South Indian vegetarian specialties: Masala Dosa, Rava Onion Masala Dosa, mini idlis in sambar, medu vada, and dahi vada. And do finish with a proper South Indian filter coffee.
My Favorite Places to Stay
In Delhi, the place I most love to stay is the home I share with my wife, Cécile, and our daughters—a small world of gardens, books, textiles, and the quiet rhythms we’ve built over the years.
When we aren’t hosting friends ourselves, I usually steer visitors toward familiar territory: The Oberoi, where I spent countless nights during my early Delhi life, or The Imperial, always reliable and reassuringly grand. But a couple of years ago, a Christmas dinner prepared by the French chef Maxime Montay drew me to a special hotel in Chattarpur, close to our home, and it revealed a side of Delhi I hadn’t yet encountered.
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