Nothing can quite prepare you the first time you visit Latango, the latest buzzing restobar in Delhi helmed by serial restaurateur Sahil Sambhi. The open two-storey live kitchens on one side is an immediate draw but then the bar setup in the middle of the space with its rock grottoes and shiny glass bartop demands attention as well and just as you’ve taken in the views, the stairway leading to the mezzanine with its stone architecture and a grand view of Latango beckons.
Sambhi, who helms places like Bawri, Vietnom and Japonico among others, definitely knows how to draw in diners to his concept-driven places. “I want people to come in for an experience, not just dine and leave. We’ve taken care to create each element at Latango as a way to wow them and make them linger, be it India’s first double decker open kitchen setup or the bartop put together with 2100 pieces of cut glass,” he says.
Designed by Vivek Guha of Orphic Designs, it's not hard to believe you’re at an upmarket European joint when you combine the views at Latango with the space’s corten steel ceilings, mood lighting and quiet sophistication. Only once you take a seat at the al fresco area outside and look up at the crowd at Nehru Place Metro station to remind you where you are, instead of the European wonderland that Latango evokes in its décor and menu. For a place oozing with charm and sophistication, it’s location outside the quartet of Hauz Khas, Khan Market, Connaught Place and Vasant Vihar is a bit of a surprise but Sambhi believes the location is ripe for a premium spot like Latango.
The food
The kitchen at Latango is headed by two Italian chefs, Joe Stanchi and Roberto Blondi, both of whom come with serious chops and over three decades of combined experience. While Blondi has previously had stints at Michelin-starred restaurants such as Eleven Madison Park, Stanchi is a master at pizzas who trained at Naples’ formidable Pizzeria Starita a Materdei.
The dinner began with a serving of Octopus Salad and Scallops Sashimi, two unusual but ultimately interesting dishes. The Octopus Salad with fried capers and garlic chips was flavourful without being chewy, showing restraint in overcooking the octopus. The Scallops Sashimi, paired with a homemade smoke ponzu sauce and togarashi hit the spot perfectly with the sauce quickly turning into the hero.
The dishes probably set expectations too high because the Ebi Roll Takosu and the Crispy Rice & Spicy Tuna that came next seemed a tad underwhelming in comparison. The Corn on Cob is another plate that we didn’t much care for. Too many times, only certain hero dishes steal the spotlight but with two expat chefs, it was only natural to expect more.
The deceivingly simple Burrata & Truffle Shokupan immediately lifted moods with the combination of fresh burrata and the earthy truffle hitting all the right spots. This was followed by the Atlantic Crab California Gunkan sushi-style dish that is better with a little less cream cheese to allow the crab flavour to come through. The Chilean Seabass Yakitori is an interesting combination that thankfully works in favour of this fusion creation while the Grilled Pork Belly was comfort food at its best.
Considering Joe Stanchi’s mastery over pizza, Latango offers one of the widest selections of the dish with variations ranging from Korean (Gochujang) to Indian (Namaste) apart from Italian selections. If the extensive menu feels overwhelming, we recommend going for the Diavola and Tartufata. Diavola is a pepperoni pizza enhanced with pork nduja sausage that brought sighs of satisfaction across the table. Tartufata is a vegetarian pizza with sliced fresh truffle that might look simple on the outside but packs a punch in more ways than one.
For desserts, the Latango Tiramisu, enclosed in a caviar tin box and made with rum and topped with coffee jelly pearls to resemble caviar was intensely flavourful and the best way to close a superb meal.
The cocktails
Latango has one of the most interesting cocktail theme programs out there for sure. Created by spirits education consultancy Tulleeho, the theme of Letters From Two Worlds asks what would happen if famous Western artists wrote letters to their Indian and Eastern counterparts.
The drinks become “liquid letters” and features artists such as Pablo Picasso writing a letter to Amrita Sher-gil with a cocktail called Cubist Negroni that swaps gin for tequila and comopenes with an Aperol candy to suck on while enjoying the drink – a combination that sounds weird in principle but actually works in the glass.
Another drink that catches the eye is Dali Bloom, a tequila cocktail with blue tea and grapefruit that lets the spirit shine even as its unusual blue-purple colour keeps you mesmerized. If minimalism is your thing, you can hardly go wrong with the Nudist Picante, a clarified tequila cocktail with apple and kaffir that dials back the heat usually associated with Picantes.
If you’ve kept a sharp eye, you would notice that all top three recommendations are tequila cocktails but if you’re in the mood for a different spirit, we recommend the Rococo Rhapsody, a vodka, sparkling rose, French vanilla and rhododendron syrup mixed cocktail that works as an easy, refreshing drink. Another drink worth checking out is Expressionist Elixir where whisky and amaro work their magic in the drink while a white chocolate splash outside the cocktail glass creates art in your hand to sip on.
Final thoughts
There’s little doubt that Latango is one of the boldest new entrants to the dining scene in Delhi today. With a bold menu of European flavours crafted by two seasoned expat chefs, a cocktail menu that makes you ponder about art and artists while sipping on some delicious drinks and a grand space to take it all in, Latango is a place where imagination comes in many forms. From imaginary letters turned into drinks, unusual food combinations and a space that makes you do a double take, the execution of it all is almost pitch perfect.
Where: 01 Epicuria, TDI South Bridge, Unit No S, Next to Nehru Place Metro Station, New Delhi
Price: INR 6000++ for two (with one cocktail each)