Tres

Had a dinner for two with drinks and appetizer. Spent about Rs 8.5K ($100) including 10% Service Charge and VAT. The prices approach those of a mid-range US East Coast restaurant, so we would expect decent quality and fine service when in a Delhi setting at this cost. The restaurant has an excellent bread basket, one of the better ones we have had in Delhi - served with a flavored spreading butter and a beetroot relish (salty and had a kick to it!) We enjoyed it enough to get a second basket. We had the goat cheese bavarois as an appetizer which is served in a round plattter with a pattern and soft foamy bread, citrus and flaky bread paper. Quite nice and a good find in the Delhi restaurant scene. Cocktails (Delhi 75 and Jagged Storm) were good. Delhi 75 is served with a half-coating of the glass using a flower-based powder, which was tasty accent to the flavors of the drink. Jagged Storm, supposed to have jaggery flavors, lacked a strong note of this element and was not as Caribbean-esque as the menu suggested. While we originally wanted red wine (a pinot noir) to pair with our meal, the wine by the glass selection is quite limited and features mostly mid- to low-quality wines which would not have graced a fine dining table in the US. The bottle of the wine we selected had been open a while and the taste was not worth the Rs 800/glass we would have paid. Perhaps Tres should consider a sommelier consultant or a better wine importer? They could do well to see how Smokehouse Deli serves good wine in Delhi by the glass at an affordable price. For our mains, we had the salmon and the lamb shoulder. Both were well cooked and nicely presented. The potato puree served with the salmon had a strong tartar-based zest which was delicious. The lamb was tender and seemed as slow-cooked as advertised. The sauce was not overpowering and may be mild for an Indian palate. More sauce was however offered which is good for those who like their meat well flavored. The pokchoy the lamb was served with was nicely seared and had a salty zest to it. Overall, if you're looking for almost-fine Western-style dining, Tres nearly gets there. The servers are not as well trained as their uniforms and flourishes initially seem to suggest but this could improve with time. They miss out on the minor details (like refreshing the table water bottle, etc.). Decor-wise it is nothing much but it will do. The music got a bit too loud during parts of the meal, which a fine dining establishment should avoid (if they must have music at all!). The small round tables are also tricky to manage with multiple plates, cutlery and stemware and quite a risk if you're also placing your phone somewhere! I would consider revisiting to try some of their menu choices.