Travertino

Critic´s Review

• Food: 4.5 / 5
• Service: 4 / 5
• Decor: 3.5 / 5

-By Marryam H Reshii

The best Italian food in a five star hotel anywhere in the NCR

Chefs may come and go and they affect a restaurant but marginally. Chef Davide Rebeccato from Padua has just taken over at the helm at Travertino but his magic touch is already obvious.

Atmospherics: the best thing about the small, rather plain restaurant without a view, is the service. Service is European style, that is to say, you will be served briskly and efficiently, without over-friendliness. Expect to see either expatriate hotel guests or Delhi celebrities, especially at dinner time. The neutral colour of travertine marble without much in the way of accent colours makes Travertino lose out on charming interiors.

Table Talk: every successive chef puts his individual touch on the menu, but never has it acquired the effortless sophistication plus traditional Italian with a surprising twist that it has now. Seared scallops, French beans and salmon roe (Rs 1,500) juxtaposes three ingredients that are usually not seen together. Drizzled with green apple sauce, the dish has a classically simple Italian appeal and looks visually appealing. It's the same with poached egg, parmesan fondue and truffle oil (Rs 1,200), the other appealing appetizer – a traditional combination put together with a tinge of quirkiness.

Due to skilful menu engineering, all the old favourites are present in full force: caprese salad, minestrone and spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino, as well as those dishes that Chef Rebeccato wants to introduce to the city. So, there's beetroot tortellini filled with celery and gorgonzola (Rs 950) and green pea ravioli with prawns and red onion sauce (Rs 950) that just happens to be vegetarian but which combine three unusual tastes. Even the deceptively simple wild mushroom risotto (Rs 950) is packed with flavour and has a firm bite to each grain.

For mains, osso buco with pearl onions (Rs 1850) is tradition elevated to an art form (don't miss the generous dollop of marrow in the central bone) and grilled wagyu rib eye (Rs 6,500 for 220 grams) is not particularly Italian but intensely satisfying.

Plus and minus: Have you ever been subjected to the uppity attitude of a member of the service staff? No? Then perhaps you are a well-known personality. Once the food starts arriving, however, all other considerations recede into the background.

Do not miss: Grilled prawns and quinoa; spinach and egg tagliolini in pepper and artichoke; wild mushroom and potato tart.