Loya at Taj Palace New Delhi Brings the North to Life
Some meals are finished and forgotten; others stay with you long after the last plate is cleared. My recent experience at Loya, Taj Palace New Delhi, belonged firmly to the second category.
Loya has always made North Indian food feel less like a collection of familiar dishes and more like a story – one rooted in the region’s landscapes, produce, techniques and memories.
This meal captured that spirit beautifully. From the food to the setting, the entire experience felt thoughtful without becoming overly formal.
What struck me first was the ambience.
There was something wonderfully nostalgic about it, almost as if Loya had brought back the warmth and character of its early days.
The space felt lively, intimate and deeply rooted in the North, setting the mood before the first dish arrived.
Fazilka Launji Chaat: A Familiar Beginning With a Fresh Twist
The meal began with the Fazilka Launji Chaat, a trio of peethi samosa, tikoni mathi and motiya cholle launji.
It was a fitting introduction: familiar flavours, presented with enough imagination to feel new.
Bheh Kebab and Dal Ki Chaat: Unexpectedly Addictive Starters
The Bheh Kebab, made with lotus stem and served with doon chetin, stood out for its texture and earthy character.
Then came the Dal Ki Chaat – besan and gehun prantha crisps with chilli oil and garlic nibs.
Something seemingly simple became unexpectedly addictive.
The crispness, heat and savoury depth came together neatly.
The non-vegetarian courses were where the meal began to gather momentum.
Dhungar Murg and Ghost Ke Lazeez Pasliyan Bring the Smoky Depth
The Dhungar Murg, with thechu masala-marinated chicken that is smoked and grilled, had a strong char and smokiness without losing the character of the meat.
The Ghost Ke Lazeez Pasliyan, charcoal-smoked special-cut mutton ribs, were deeply flavoured, the kind of dish that demands to be eaten slowly.
The Karari Fillauri Macchi, featuring fresh Himachali fish prepared in two ways, brought a lighter note to the table.
It was followed by Yaji Wagun, combining rice flour, walnuts, haak yaji, and lokut brinjal in an aromatic gravy.
This was one of the more intriguing plates of the meal, with flavours that felt distinctly regional rather than generically “North Indian.”
The Sirmouri Murg, a chicken curry built around fresh turmeric, spices and sour curd, had the comforting quality of food made in a home kitchen – rich, fragrant and balanced by the gentle tang of curd.
The Doaba Mutton Curry, with fox nuts adding another layer of texture, was comforting and full-bodied.
And then there was the Haare Ki Dal, slow-cooked traditionally over a clay haara.
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It had the depth that comes only from time and patience. It didn’t need excessive embellishment; the slow cooking itself was the star.
The breads deserve their own mention.
The Bedwa Kulcha, Malera Roti — made with cultured dough and finished with cashews, sesame and fennel and the layered Gola Paratha provided the right companions to the curries.
Tear, dip, scoop, repeat: sometimes that is all you really want from a North Indian meal.
What makes Loya special is that it doesn’t seem interested in simply recreating the past.
Instead, it draws from the past and gives it a contemporary expression.
The meal felt rooted without being heavy-handed, refined without becoming precious.
By the end of it, I wasn’t just impressed by individual dishes.
I was impressed by the cohesion of the experience the food, the storytelling, the warmth of the room and that unmistakable feeling of being transported somewhere beyond the restaurant itself.
Loya manages to make the North feel expansive, generous and wonderfully alive on a plate.
On this visit, it felt like a return to the Loya of old – perhaps with a little more polish, but with the same soul.
An exceptional experience, and one that I would happily return to.
Rating: 4.5/5 (⭐⭐⭐⭐½)
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