New Sevilla at Hotel Claridges is a treat in more ways than one

When you've always had a soft spot for a restaurant, your review of the place tends to be a bit biased. To confess right at the onset, I've spent many a pleasant evenings at Sevilla before it was recently revamped and relaunched. The food was always fabulous and the staff ever so courteous. Did things change for the worse? You can never say that about restaurants in Delhi; they start out with a bang and then crash land in the name of a revamp. I visited the place in all its new found glory with my heart beating rather fast. Sevilla was, at one point, one of my favorite places for Spanish cuisine and I couldn't have possibly had the place disappoint me. Fortunately for me, it didn't. What it did was give me many more reasons to frequent the place.

First things first, the new dcor of the place is fantastic. The theme here is champagne gold so you can expect all things glamourous, romantic and sensual. I'd say it is the perfect place for you to take your girl if you're planning to pop the question; she won't be able to say 'no' for sure. I could even imagine the place as a perfect setting for a wonderful Sunday brunch in the winter sun. Simply put, Sevilla now looks absolutely magical. Kudos to the entire team!

Before I begin on the food part, a few words of praise should be given for the wonderful staff at the restaurant. The team was immaculate in their timing, service and mannerisms. Small things like these certainly add towards enhancing one's dining experience.

My meal began with three items from the Tapas menu- Alcochofas y Esparragos en salsa verde, Gambas del Chorizo and Cordero. The first highly difficult to pronounce one is actually Jasper-grilled Romana artichokes and white asparagus that's served with an interesting green garlic sauce. I thought it was rather interesting; the friend I took along absolutely loved it. The Gambas del Chorizo has pan-roasted prawns with string chorizo and isn't bad on the palette either. You might like to skip it and order Cordero instead. It has grilled New Zealand lamb chops and I'm yet to taste anything lamb that is this incredible. Don't know how much the Kiwis have contributed to this but this dish is divine. Highly recommended for all lamb lovers out there!

The appetizers included Sea Scallops that were grilled and served with cauliflower puree and hazelnuts among other things and Haricot verts and duck liver salad. While the duck liver salad was an easy eat, it was the sea scallop that really took my heart away. The hazelnuts in it especially add magic to the flavor.

For main course, I tried four options- Lamb, Sea Bass, Crepes and Paella. The lamb, again from New Zealand, was caramelized with vegetables, garlic gel, potatoes and some juices. Honestly, out of the four options, this was the least appetizing. I guess the Kiwi magic really didn't work the second time around. The Chilean Sea Bass came with some herbs and pepperoni was quite nice. Puy Lentil Crepes on the other hand didn't manage to impress much- strictly average. Considering no visit to Spain or a Spanish restaurant would ever be complete without paella, I made sure to get my hands on one here too. Paella Valencia, a classic version with chicken and sea food and flavors of saffron, was as brilliant as I'd hoped it to be. I couldn't have asked it to be any better.

There were wonderful desserts- lemon meringue pie and bitter chocolate mousseline- along with some highly potent flavored sangrias and fabulous red wines too. I walked out of Sevilla thanking the team for a definitely enhanced dining experience at the restaurant.

Should Sevilla be on your radar for a fabulous Spanish meal? Most certainly, yes! It doesn't get any better than here in the whole of Delhi-NCR.