Passing through New Delhi on your trip to India? The Roseate hotel is perfect for resting before hitting the road again and exploring Rajasthan. A short tour of the owner of this luxury hotel in New Delhi, far from the hustle and bustle of the center.

The Roseate is far from going unnoticed. This oasis of tranquility, located not far from New Delhi airport, opens the doors of its 5-star hotel to you, on no less than 8 hectares of lush gardens. Upon your arrival, you will face an elegant modern fortress, which has nothing to envy to other luxurious Indian palaces. Its towers in ocher tones, which are reflected in the azure blue swimming pool, conceal a small, uncluttered cocoon. The golden yellow corridors lead you to the reception, whose counter is also adorned with a subtle gold.

The light is soft, almost subdued and the decoration is refined, without superfluity. Only circled walls adorn the reception of this luxury hotel in New Delhi. The lobby is different. To the sound of peaceful and soft music, we walk through a living room with a cozy atmosphere, but where we find small touches of gold and yellow.

Luxury hotel in New Delhi: A speakeasy style bar

Close to the lobby, two elegant restaurants make up The Roseate: Le Chi Ni and Le Kiyan. The first welcomes you in a refined atmosphere, as if you were in a luxury tent, with comfortable chairs and a view of the garden. Ideal for enjoying refined Chinese cuisine in a dream setting. The second restaurant in this luxury hotel in New Delhi, the Kiyan, is an international cuisine bistro serving Indian, Thai and European dishes.

The great advantage of this luxury hotel in New Delhi is that all products are fresh and seasonal. The hotel has its own vegetable garden, dairy cows and fruit trees such as mango trees, from which chutneys are made. Within Kiyan, you will find no less than 11 types of lassi (a traditional yogurt-based drink). The ideal way to come face to face with Indian culture. Fancy a cocktail to end your evening? Head to Lah, a bar all in red and black with modern architecture, like a speakeasy. You will be served signature cocktails, but also mocktails, craft beers, as well as premium spirits. The perfect place for a drink in a calm and serene environment, far from the hustle and bustle of the capital.

Luxury Hotel in New Delhi: Quiet Rooms

The rooms of this luxury hotel in New Delhi are spacious and quiet. They are adorned with light wood, a very comfortable king-size bed, a sofa bed, a dressing room and a modern and uncluttered bathroom with a walk-in shower and free-standing bathtub. Each has an iPad that allows you to call on services such as Room Service, spa treatments, activities and excursions, or watch movies and listen to music. Thanks to the iPad, you can also control the intensity of the light and close the blinds, all without moving from your bed. The rooms are also equipped with a camera so you can see who is knocking on your door: State-of-the-art technology for unparalleled security.

At The Roseat, the staff are courteous and helpful, so that you get the most out of your stay in India. The hotel’s spa, Aheli, is modern and stylish. Open every day until midnight, it offers a wide choice of treatments, including the signature massage, a clever mix of Swedish, Thai, aromatherapy and shiatsu treatments. The eight-acre gardens are enhanced by a 108-meter swimming pool lined with lovely deckchairs. In short, The Roseat is this luxury hotel in New Delhi that you will have a hard time leaving, as it envelops you in a unique cocoon of softness and tranquility.

TYPICAL DISHES OF INDIAN GASTRONOMY

We always say it: the gastronomy of each country is a trip within the trip. And if you are in a country as vast and as different as India , then surprises are guaranteed! Are you looking to know what to eat in India and what are the typical dishes of its gastronomy? We tell you 🙂

During this first month in the north of India (the south is another matter!) we were only able to poke our heads into the great variety of Indian gastronomy, but 5 things have become very clear to us…

1. Spicy food , here it is really spicy.
2. If you ask for non-spicy they will bring you equally spicy in most cases.
3. There is a lot of vegetarian food (but carnivores are not going to die… meat is found!)
4. In general the food is very good .
5. There is less street food than in the rest of Asia… but there is, and the fried food!

| CURRY & CO.

Let’s break a myth: curry is not curry. Let me explain: the word curry comes from the word kari , which means pepper, which the English “adopted” to define any dish with spicy sauces, which are called masala here.

And what about the curry you buy at the supermarket? Well, it was “invented” by the English settlers who returned home after having lived (and eaten) in India… they missed the taste of that exotic land and sought a remedy for it!

But in India it is different: there are many types of different masalas. For example, garam masala is made with cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, and black pepper. The spices here are a world!

BREAD VS. RICE

Wheat is the staple diet in the north of the country, and rice in the south . Although on both sides there are one and the other.

There are many rolls , the most famous are:

• NAN:  flour cakes made in the oven, they can be with cheese, garlic, butter or simple.
• CHAPATI:  wholemeal flour cakes cooked in the tandoori oven or on the tawa griddle.
• PAPPADAM:  crunchy lentil flour crepes, we don’t particularly like it but its flavor is unique!
• PARATHA: it  is a kind of naan filled with different ingredients: there is cheese, potato, cauliflower…

Rice there is less, even so there are different:

• PLAIN RICE:  white rice.
• JEERA RICE:  cooked with cumin seeds.
• BUTTER RICE:  seasoned with ghee, Indian butter.
• BIRYANI: it  is a very rich type of flavored rice: it can be vegetable or with meat.

| INDIAN TYPICAL DISHES (VEGETARIAN)

You will be surprised to see the large number of vegetarian dishes that appear on the restaurant menu. Some of our favorite VEGETARIAN dishes that you should try in India are:

• PALAK PANEER:  a spinach masala curry with fresh cheese.
• PALAK MUTTER:  spinach and pea masala.
• MALAI KOFTA: little  meatballs made of potatoes and fresh cheese bathed in sauce.
• ALOO JEERA:  sautéed potatoes with cumin seeds.
• ALOO PALAK:  potato and spinach masala.
• ALOO PALAK:  potato and spinach masala.
• ALOO GOBI:  potato and cauliflower masala.
• CHANNA MASALA:  chickpea masala.
• DAHL: dahl generally means lentils. In India there are hundreds of lentil-based dishes, each one different from the next! You just have to try and try and try and…
• MATTAR PANEER:  pea masala with cheese.
• PANEER MASALA:  masala with paneer.

| THE THALI

The thali is a great invention. If you don’t know what to eat, ask for a thali: it is a metal tray where they will serve you different dishes, like a tapa. There are vegetarians and meat. They usually come with rice, nan, raita (yogurt sauce and vegetables), dhal (lentils), palak paneer (spinach with cheese). After traveling around the country for more than 4 months, we are clear: the thali is one of the most common and beloved typical Indian dishes.

The prices vary a lot depending on where you eat it: if it is in dhabhas (cheap street restaurants) it costs between 30-50 INR , up to 150 INR if you eat in restaurants . In both cases, as soon as you finish something on the plate, in many places the waiters will come and give you more until you ask them to stop… they are worse than grandmas!

| TYPICAL INDIAN DISHES (NON-VEGETARIAN)

The great king of Indian “carnivorous” food is chicken . It is followed closely by lamb and so far we haven’t seen any pork, well, that’s a lie: we ate a carbonara with bacon :-p And although it may seem strange, being a sacred animal, we did see and eat beef outside a mosque in Mumbai.

There are many types of meat dishes with sauces (and in most cases they are quite spicy, so remember to ask the waiter for mercy!) Our favorites are:

• BUTTER CHICKEN / MURGH MAKHANI:  chicken with tomato sauce and butter… unbelievably good!
• CHICKEN KEBAB:  nothing to do with our kebabs: they are chicken skewers marinated in yogurt sauce and spices and cooked with tandori chicken.
• CHICKEN TANDORI:  very good: the chicken is marinated in yogurt with spices, a red coloring is added to give it a very characteristic color and it is cooked in the tandori oven. It is eaten with lime. There are also fish made in this way.
• CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA:  boneless chicken in masala sauce.

| FRIED RICE

In practically all restaurants there are options to eat fried rice (veg-non veg) and fried noodles (veg-non veg). It’s good to take a breather, especially since they are usually not spicy: hooray! The truth is that it is a more typical dish from other Asian countries, but we reiterate: if you get tired of curries or spicy dishes, they are a perfect alternative.

You can’t stop trying the famous BIRYANI : flavored rice with vegetables or chicken, it’s really delicious, although be careful with the spiciness… in this case, sometimes they go too far!

| WHAT IF I GET TIRED OF INDIAN FOOD?

Well, ask for something else: in almost all the menus of the hostels and tourist restaurants there are Italian, Chinese, hamburgers , we even saw Mexican dishes and wiener-shnitzel! If you get tired of curry&co, there are alternatives!

| SNACKS AND STREET FOOD

Ok, Indian street food is not as varied as in Thailand or Malaysia , but there are delicious things, especially if you don’t mind frying!

The most common snacks are:

• SAMOSA: they are fried triangles of dough (patties type). They are usually vegetarian (potatoes and peas) but there is also a meat version. They sting but not very much, so go free! 2 cost 10-20 INR.
• PAKORA: they are chickpea flour fritters stuffed with vegetables (there is also a version with potatoes, cheese, shrimp, chicken).
• ALOO TIKKA: they are a kind of hamburger/potato meatball.
• KACHORI: it is a kind of flattened dumpling filled with green soybeans, chickpeas and lentils.
• PANI PURI: they are a kind of round potato chips, which the vendor breaks in the center and fills with a potato, chickpea and coriander dough. Then they bathe it with chili and a green sauce. It stings quite a bit. It costs 5 INR
• BHEL PURI: a very rare snack: it is a mix of puffed rice, onion, potatoes, lentils and sauces!

| BEVERAGES

It is impossible to travel through India without falling in love with CHAI , the delicious Indian tea, which is almost a religion in itself! It is quite a spectacle to see how they prepare it. If you dare (and you have to cheer up) try the CHAI MASALA (slightly spicy spiced tea).

Other rich drinks are:

• LASSI:  a sweet yogurt smoothie that can be alone or with fruit such as mango, banana… there is also a salty version :-p
• LEMON SODA:  sparkling mineral water with sugar and lemon juice.
• BADAM MILK:  milk with saffron, almonds, cashews, walnuts… very rich, although not very light!
• And of course… the BEER : the Kingfisher is very rich and fresh (the bottle of 660 costs around €1.5).

| THE BREAD

Indians are crazy about Paan … but it’s not bread, it’s a betel leaf filled with lime, spices, and betel nut (the cause of many red stained teeth!). There is sweet and salty version. We did not dare to try either of the two.

Betel has a narcotic effect, so don’t be surprised if more than one Indian looks at you with a hallucinated face!

| AND FOR DESSERT?

Here they are very sweet… in a literal sense: they love desserts (mithai) , and the more sugary the better!

In every street there is a pastry shop and we, after a rigorous selection, have our favorite: GULAB JAMUN! They are fried flour dough balls bathed in rose liqueur… delicious!

We also recommend trying other pastries such as:

• RASGULLA:  cheese balls bathed in rose syrup.
• JALEBI:  deep-fried doughs bathed in sugar syrup
• and pistachio , coconut, almond, walnut, honey and more CAKES…
• But to cool off, nothing better than an ice cream (KULFI) there are mango, pistachio, chocolate… mmm!