Somewhere between the banyan tree, the terracotta walls and the slow reveal of the courtyard unfolding into moments of “ooooh’s and aaaah’s”, you begin to understand why Zetu has generated so much anticipation.
The new 175-seater restaurant arrives carrying considerable ambition. Part Sri Lankan love letter, part design manifesto, part hospitality experiment. The founders speak of memory, movement and a long immersion in the island’s culture. The architecture draws inspiration from Geoffrey Bawa. The menu promises Sri Lankan flavours rarely explored in Delhi. The initiation feels like the city has gained something genuinely exciting.
But the question is if restaurants can survive on ambience alone. Infact, Delhi has never had a shortage of beautiful restaurants. What it does have a shortage of are beautiful restaurants that remember food comes first.
The space is genuinely exceptional. In a neighbourhood where restaurants often mistake spectacle for design, Zetu feels considered. The banyan tree at its centre is the real heart-stealer. Around it unfolds a sequence of courtyards, textured walls, brickwork, linen-clad tables and carefully framed sightlines. The architecture draws heavily from the influence of Sri Lankan master Geoffrey Bawa, whose ability to blur indoors and outdoors remains unmatched. That influence is visible here, not as imitation, but as atmosphere. The courtyard could well become one of the city’s most sought-after tables. The founders describe the space as a series of gradual transitions rather than defined rooms. It succeeds on that front.
The Opening Ritual is a butter flight served with fresh house-baked bread. Whilst the butters were inventive, the bread felt a tad old. Across the four pieces of the Tea and Treasure Rolls, flavours blurred into one another, and could benefit from distinguishable and a tad generous filling. Pillow Fight is a tribute to the local pillow fights part of the Avurudu celebrations. Skip the vegetarian option (with avocado) and instead get the salmon option. The Kiribath, Sri Lanka’s beloved ceremonial rice dish, arrived as a geometric placement of coconut milk and charcoal rice sitting atop a surprisingly modest quantity of cashew & sambal curry. The Lamprais, one of Sri Lankan cuisine’s great gifts to the world and a dish Zetu proudly positions as a centrepiece, contained two tiny Dutch-style meatballs surrounded by an overwhelming amount of rice. Sri Lankan food is built around the glorious grain, but proportion matters. Even the most enthusiastic carb lover eventually wants something to eat with it.
The Jackfruit Curry is delicious, but not enough curry to enjoy with the lovely beetroot rice. An appam (The Modern Air and Gold) presented alongside three small accompaniments was categorised as a main course. One of those accompaniments was guacamole, a decision that left our table collectively bewildered. Appam is not a vehicle for condiments alone. It begs for curry, gravy, spice and something substantial to mop up. This could be an optional side for the Sri Lankan Curry Edit. Should we have ordered the Egg Appam instead?
A group of us at the table had travelled extensively through Sri Lanka. We have eaten in Colombo homes, roadside cafés and beachside restaurants. What struck us was not that the cooking was amiss. It wasn’t. What felt missing was the island’s warmth and spice in the food. Today’s diner doesn’t need excess, but today’s diners understand balance. Intelligent portioning is one of the hallmarks of modern restaurant cooking. A thoughtful plate accounts for protein, sauce, vegetables and starch. What feels missing at Zetu isn’t abundance in the literal sense. It’s the instinct to ensure every spoonful has something to chase it with.Maybe the more comprehensive menu, available as they launch, has more Sri Lankan coded fare?
Dessert offered redemption. One option had already sold out by the time we ordered, always an encouraging sign. The apple-coconut tart that remained was the standout dish of the evening. Balanced, memorable and polished off within seconds.
We sampled several cocktails and the ideas are promising, truly so. Sri Lankan ingredients and flavour references make for fertile creative ground. If sweetness is the composition you lean towards, you’re in for a treat. A final tweak could refine what is currently a pleasant lunch-drinking menu into something capable of competing with Delhi’s increasingly sophisticated cocktail landscape.
Perhaps the most revealing thing about Zetu is that its greatest success and greatest challenge stem from the same source. The founders have invested enormous thought into transporting diners to Sri Lanka through architecture, narrative and atmosphere. The restaurant truly feels transportive and important. The food, however, is still searching for the island’s soul.
Which is what makes Zetu such an intriguing addition to Delhi’s dining scene. The difficult part has already been accomplished. The room works, the vision is unique, the curiosity is piqued.
Now it is simply a question of whether the food can rise to meet the promise of the space around it.
Address:
1 AQ, Near Qutab Minar
Mehrauli, Delhi, India
