But let me step back first, and start with the hotel itself. The hotel is located in Udyog Vihar which is one of the busiest places in Gurgaon. If you’re planning to go there on a weeknight, better plan to be stuck in traffic for a while, since all roads going there are likely to be jam packed. However, once you get there you will never know that you are in the middle of hustling bustling city.  The moment you get in the place, you are taken in by the immense architecture of the hotel. It’s like stepping into a different world all together (see below the photo of the entrance – photo by Sanctu)

The reason it is so important to mention so much about the hotel, it’s architecture, it’s lobby and so on is because it puts you in the right mood for a relaxing meal.

Now let’s move on to the restaurant itself. The restaurant that I went to recently is called Saffron and it serves Indian food. I have been here several times. And I cannot say that it has always been the best food, but this last time, the food was really good.

Here’s the review.

Food:

I have normally ordered A La Carte here, however this time around they had an option of a set meal which includes starters, main course, and dessert. We chose this option. Basically, this is similar to what you might get at The Great Indian Kebab Factory, or at Barbecue Nation.

So, they started with the starters (no pun intended). There was an assortment of veg and non-veg stuff. I liked everything, and it was a large variety. They will keep coming back with more of these till you tell them to stop it and bring on the entrees.

The main course it self was pretty tasty, and the as was the dessert (an assortment of 4-5 types). Combine this with their extensive wine list, and I would say that the food is definitely good.

Service:

If I quickly summarize the service, then here it is:

• polite people
• no one rushes you
• they know how to pour wine properly
• basically what you would expect from a five star hotel

Ambience:

Very nice. It is the same as the rest of the hotel. The place is done nicely (see picture below). There is live Indian music (some tabla, sitar, and sarangi) which is very melodious. The space is small, but that has the effect of it not being filled with a lot of people and so doesn’t feel very crowded.

Conclusion:

Its a very nice place to go to for a nice lavish dinner. Lavish because the price will be very high; but I think that just the entrance to the hotel is worth the price tag.

Good place to go for a celebration, an official dinner if you need to wine and dine someone important, a special date, or just to treat yourself once in a while.

Bad for budget conscious dining.

One of the most obvious features of this place as soon as you enter it is the Amphitheater – which is where most of the events take place. It’s got plenty of seating space and a very nice backdrop of the Apparel house building. There are several events during a month that occur here regularly from Shenai Vadan to Guitar performances.

There are also a number of workshops that are held as well. Most are for kids, but there are also some for grown ups (such as one of Latin American Dance Forms which is going on these days).

The website presents a complete schedule of all such events and workshops with details. There is a permanent art gallery here which showcases a number of works from leading Indian artists. In addition, from time to time art exhibitions are held as well.

The restaurant – Drift, is the name of the restaurant here and I have been to it 2-3 times. They have international cuisine which is generally very palatable. The ambience is very modern, and you have seating options for inside as well as outside.

Other than events, there are amenities for holding conventions, banquets, corporate gatherings, and parties. They have facilities for film screenings and theatre as well.

Overall, I am pretty happy that we have something like this in Gurgaon, which means that we don’t need to head far out to a place like India Habitat Center in Delhi. If you haven’t been to the place, then go check it out. You won’t be disappointed, I promise.