MEHFIL..a name that SPEAKS

Usually people head out to their favourite eating place. Not that there is anything wrong in it. At least one knows what to expect. Also the staff knows you by face or even name and gives you a good table. The service is good and the food of course is excellent.
However, once in a while it is good to open one’s mind and try out a different restaurant. Not only does it give you a new experience, you might just end up adding the restaurant to your list of favourites.One such restaurant that one can add is the Mehfil at Sector 17. Though the restaurant has been there for about 29 years, what makes this place a worth visit is the food that has maintained the quality ever since it started.
From my vivid memories of this restaurant, this is one of the better and oldest restaurants in Sector 17. The food has a lot of variety and oriental touch. The restaurant is pricey compared to others in the area but the food is good and customer service is decent.
A conventional facade of a typical family joint
The Ambience
The decor is refreshingly fun, yet contemporary. Whilst crisp, it is also not cold - a warm ambience is achieved through wooden abstract images, and contrasting steel bars representing seaweed. I like to think the wicker bowls high on the ceiling are the bobbing boats on the horizon above. But perhaps that’s a glass too many on my part. The ambience are fantastic being surrounded by intriguing local artworks and oriental themed but not like the same old or boring traditional themes. If you have someone to impress on a lunch date, then this is the ideal bistro. The service is friendly, attentive, the ambience warm and unobtrusive. Mehfil is at hand to talk you thorough the menu. Most importantly of course, the food is fantastic for the price – a meal menu cost about 450 for a couple.
The Wine Bouquet
The pub, which is in the basement, is really hip and happening. The music is good, the ambience is just right, the decor is bright and cheery and the crowd…….. The Wine Bouquet, which is the first of its kind has a presence of 120 different types of wines to choose from.

The food
Our woes came with the snacks however, one in particular - the ‘Tandoori Chat‘, followed by a ‘Surmai and a Bethi Fish’. Not knowing what Bethi Fish was, I thought to give the dish a try . The dish was a combination of tandoori and fried. To me it was not a matter of "taste" , which is worth eating.
Each dish that is menu has been very carefully chosen after extensive research and keeping in mind the palate of well earned customers..From Indian to Chinese the food offers a fine dining experience. Though the entry to the restaurant and the décor might not be something to rave about, the food is sure is.One can start with the Murg Badami and Afgani Tangri. It is tender and moist. For the vegetarian, the Dal Makhani ( Speciality), Paneer Tikka Butter Masala and Chaana Amritsari is most cherished.
A perfect meal needs to be accompanied with a perfect drink. A cocktail combination of vodka, pulp of raw mango, salt and roasted cumin powder gives that punch to the meal.A real surprise on the new menu is the child section. Yes, a child section with has a multiplicity for your kids. With unique Smiles fries, Alpha Fries, Criss Cutz, Tafar, Marri, and a health drink, Yakult. Some of the other dishes that find a mention in the new menu are chicken Mutton Kashmiri and Tikka.
Of course no meal is complete without the dessert. Try the chocolate crunch or a brownie or even a tilli wali kulfi. It is absolutely delicious. If you are not a chocolate fan, try the Ice Creams from the house Baskin Robins. A must for those who love the pulpy sweets.So, here’s a toast to the menu at Mehfil…
Mukhraj Mendhiratta, owner who is into hotel industry since 1980s