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Delhi gymkhana – one of the oldest clubs in the country

ashish — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:23:48 +0000

The Delhi gymkhana is one of the oldest clubs in the country and a hallowed institution where there the waiting period for an admission is usually 30 years. This was started in 1913, as Delhi Imperial Gymkhana, and Spencer Harcourt Butler was its first president. After independence the word imperial was dropped and it has been called Delhi Gymkhana henceforth. Usha Nath was the first Indian president.
This club is primarily a sporting club and boasts of 26 grass courts and 7 synthetic and clay courts all of which are flood lit. The grass courts are compared to the best in the world and are the best kept. An overwhelming preference for synthetic courts recently has also increased the number of the same. May tournaments of national and international repute has been played on these courts. Apart from tennis, the club has great facilities for billiards, squash and swimming. It has 3 squash courts and a large indoor swimming pool with heating facilities.
The gymkhana is situated in the heart of the city, in Safdurjung road which is the heart of a posh residential colony. It was designed by Sir Edward Lutyens as per his vision for New Delhi. In-fact the whole Gymkhana is built over a land filled with stones and was supposedly a battle field. Its colonial architecture and facade lend the old world charm to its hallowed precincts.
Delhi Gymkhana has the great food to offer to suit you palette. The dining rooms are spacious and the decor is reminds that of an army mess anteroom. Apart from the members dining room there are family dining rooms and a Kashmir Lawn restaurant. Dining is a pleasant experience in the Gymkhana club.
The library is one of the largest in the country with over 30,000 titles. The reading rooms are pleasant and the Gymkhana has a special reading room for children. The library also conducts special workshops for children during the summer months.
For those members on the move, the Gymkhana also provides accommodation. The stay is pleasant and guests can be entertained at a minimal cost. The party scene is the best in Delhi with Thursdays being the appointed day. Various events are organized for members and if one can wrangle an invite from the attendees you can have a rocking Thursday night of your life.
The health club has the state of the art equipment and trainers who help you get the work out you would cherish. Apart from all the activities the Gymkhana organizes enlightening talks on the current political and social issues. It also drives socially relevant activities like a blood donation camps for the members.
The membership is for the who’s who of the country. The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh and the Delhi chief Ministers are members of the club. The young turks like Rahul Gandhi has been admitted in to precincts recently. The membership fees range from 30000 rupees for a government official to 60000 rupees for a non government personnel. The waiting list is long and the club can be deemed the creme-DE-la-creme of the society.

The contact details are as follows
Phone :011- 23015531 – 35, 011-23012773
Address: Delhi Gymkhana Club
2, Safdarjung Road,
New Delhi – 110011

Fax : 23010584
URL: www.delhigymkhana.org
Email : delhigymkhana@hotmail.com

Location on Google Maps:

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If you believe in the epithet “work hard and party harder and play golf always” then Delhi Gymkhana is the right fit for you.

Delhi Golf Club – the most famous golfing place in Delhi

ashish — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:35:34 +0000

The Delhi golf club was laid out in 1921 by the British and was known as the Lodhi club. It is one of the oldest golf courses in Asia and frequently hosts the Indian Open golf tournament. This Golf course is one of the most important landmarks of Delhi and is marked by the picturesque setting. It has a perfect blend of natural beauty with architectural splendor. As you aim for that birdie, it is easy to get distracted by the wondrous Mughal monuments around you with the Humayun Tomb and the majestic Barah Khamba. The natural sylvan surroundings integrates itself with the Mughal architecture of the period.
This 223 acre course is a hot spot for the cities elite and one of the great attractions of Delhi. The course is lush green and beautiful with peacocks appreciating all your moves. The fairway rewards attacking players and meanders down the way to Nizzamudin. You may find birds and ladies with multi-hued sarees giving it an old world charm.
The golf club houses a pub, main bar, card room, changing rooms, party rooms and a dining room. These are open only to members and their registered guests. There is a strict dress code for the golf club. All members need to wear collared golfing t-shirts or shirts with trousers. Denims, sneakers, shorts, track suits are not allowed. Golfing shoes with proper spikes are only to be worn. Smoking and drinking is prohibited except in the bar.
Ample car parking is available and chauffeur driven cars are allowed to park in specific assigned areas. Valet parking is not available. The prices are good – green fees, club hire, range, caddy, ball boy all for £50 including generous tip. The toilets are well maintained with all the toiletries and cleanliness maintained. Ample help is dispensed by assistants stationed at all corners. The membership fees range from 200 to 3000 rupees with the guest fees totaling up to a 1000 rupees.
The food is amazing with a great buffet and a well stocked bar. Children below 12 are not allowed at certain areas other than the dining hall. Liquor is served only for members and not for anybody below 25 years. The Delhi golf club brings out its own in house magazine called the “Green Scene” which provides the insight in to the various activities happening around the club. Apart from the club round up it gives the informationof various golfing tournaments in and around the country and also a layout of the activities laid out for the month. Through the green scene, one can understand the culture and the members of this hallowed institution.

You can connect to Delhi Golf club through
Phone :011-24362235, 011-24360002
Address: Dr. Zakir Hussain Marg, Lodhi Colony , Delhi -3
URL: www.delhigolfclub.org
Email: general@delhigolfclub.org

If you need to unwind with your best buddies teeing off in sylvan peaceful surroundings then Delhi golf club is the one for you. The lush greenery, the perfect ambiance of the British raj, ancient monuments and the impeccable service will transport you to the ultimate bliss even if all the tees end up under the water.

Location of Delhi Golf Club on Google Maps:

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Lush store in New Delhi – Getting a range of handmade soaps and cosmetics that are made only from vegetable origins, free of cruelty towards animas

ashish — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 19:00:45 +0000

A large number of cosmetics that we currently use have ingredients derived from animal products, or their safety is initially validated by testing on animals. However, this knowledge is upsetting to a number of individuals who would rather look for alternatives that are not based on animals, and instead uses ingredients based on vegetables, and without testing on animals. So, there is a store that produces cosmetics meant for such people, and the store is called Lush.
From the site:

LUSH is firmly committed to a policy which not only precludes testing its products and ingredients on animals, or engaging with third-party suppliers to do so on their behalf, but they also do not buy any ingredient from any supplier that tests any of its materials on any animals for any purpose. This policy is unique in its field and is pioneering a new way to stop animal tests for cosmetics
The LUSH aim is to have the youngest, freshest products in the history of cosmetics.
Our wide range of products include Bathing Bars, Shampoo Bars, Liquid shampoos, perfume bars, showers jellies, showers gels, bathing salts, bubble baths, moisturizers, shaving cream, cleansers, fresh face mask, body lotions amongst others.

Their products are made from a variety of different ingredients, and smell incredible; keep in mind that they are fairly expensive though.

Address of Lush Store in Delhi:
SELECT CITY WALK
# 17A, Plot No. A-3,
District Centre,
New Delhi – 110017
Tel: +91 11-40534562
Fax: +91 11 40534561
Email: mail@lushindia.com

Delhi Restaurants – The Emperor’s Kitchen – located at One Qutab, and started by Natasha Chaudhri and Shilpa Gupta

ashish — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 06:27:51 +0000

This is a restaurant set up by the founders after some of their previous efforts ran into legal issues one after the other; however, they seem to have got it right with this one. This restaurant gives you a great view of the Qutab Minar, having been launched in 2009 November. The restaurant is open for lunch, high tea and dinner. This is a restaurant with a great decor, with the first view being of a courtyard with palm trees. The glass is separated by white columns. The insides are much more colorful, with the interior decor being painted in bright shades of gold and purple.
The restaurant is spread over 2 levels, with the upper level providing a plush tent based location combined with a special grill menu. The restaurant overall offers a Pan Asian menu, with a focus on Oriental Thai & Chinese) with an extensive Dim Sum menu. Some of the dishes that are found here are Chicken kungpao, traditional Thai curries, an array of dimsums and one would also find Chengdu spiced lamb, chicken coconut chilli and crispy vegetable salad with a coriander dressing. And to top it off, desserts such as bitter chocolate cake, crème brulee’s and lemon grass mousse.
This is a Fine Dining restaurant, with an average meal for 2 costing between Rs. 1500-2000. Some of the features are Large Group Friendly, Late Night Eats, Notable Wine List, Private Area.

Contact details:
1, Qutab 1501, Mehrauli
Delhi-110030, India
Phone : 011-26642600, 26642601
Email : mail@emperorskitchen.in

Toast restaurant, West Gate Mall, Rajouri Garden, West Delhi – Bar and restaurant

ashish — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:22:36 +0000

Toast restaurant is also a Grill, offering a variety of international cuisine, such as Mediterranean, American, European and Lebanese. And of course, if you have a well stocked bar, what more could you want. After 11 PM, it converts into a nightclub, with an ash wooden floor that can be used for dancing. The restaurant has 2 private areas as well, with a private lounge, if you want to hold parties or celebrations. The lighting is soft and diffused, giving an overall great ambience.
The food here focuses on more of grilled and roasted stuff, and in today’s world where we worry about too much fat and high calorie, these are better dishes, with the food being light and easy on the stomach. However, the place is a bit expensive, with a dinner for two without drinks being around Rs. 900-1000. The bar has a big selection, and you can get a huge varieties of drinks and cocktails over here.

Contact details:

Shop no. 43,44, 3rd Floor,
West Gate Mall, Ring Rd,
Tagore Garden Extension, New Delhi, 110027,
Phone number : India? – 9971990644, 9971990643, 011-43513773, 43513776

Happy Hours: 3:30 PM TO 8:00 PM, Restaurant open from 12:00 Noon TO 1:00 AM

Toast restaurant (Bar and Grill) located in West Gate Mall, Rajouri Garden – Location on Google Maps

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West Gate Mall, Rajouri Garden, West Delhi – a pretty good place to spend some time

ashish — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:18:43 +0000

The West Gate Mall is one of the larger malls in the area of West Delhi, being one of the 5 malls located in the general area of Shivaji Place District Centre, Rajouri Garden, West Delhi (and located very close to an important road, Ring Road). The other malls located nearby are City Square, TDI Mall, TDI Paragon, Shopper’s Stop. The Rajouri Garden metro station is also nearby. This mall serves as one of the destination points for the localities nearby, such as Punjabi Bagh, Rajouri Garden, Tilak Nagar,Mansarovar Garden, Kirti Nagar, Paschim Vihar and Patel Nagar.
West Gate Mall is pretty large, having 2 levels of basement parking (although there is a huge open air parking just next to the mall that is preferred by most people), and also has 6-7 movie halls located on the top floor. In between the basement and the top floor, there are a large number of shops and eating joints that draw a number of people.

Clothing / accesories shops: United Colors of Benetton, Lacoste, Next, Guess, Adidas, Reebok, Nike, Van Heusen, Levi’s, Jockey, Franco Leene, Urban 10, Taniya Khanuja, BE ME, Leela’s Studio, Lyallpur Instyle, Art Karat, Etam, Max Fashion Retail, Allen Solly, Lee, Straps, Freiburg, Shaw Brothers, Just She, G & B Fashion Pvt. Ltd, Bossini, Arrow, Latin Quarters, Planet Retail Holdings Pvt. Ltd, Lacoste, Puma, Kipling, Portland, GFO, Dremz, Mark and Spencer, Kazo, Pepe, Satya Paul, Pantaloon,

Restaurants: Food Court, TGIF, Ambrosia, Freeze (a luxury bar with the temperature at -10 Celsius), Papa Johns, Golden Dragon, Toast, Moti Mahal, American Hot, Quik Bites

Miscellaneous: Elvy Lifestyle Private Limited, World of Titan, Aryan Lifestyle Private Limited, Ambience, Gelato Vittorio, The Mobile Store, Food Bazaar, The Body Shop

Location of West Gate Mall, Rajouri Garden, West Delhi on Google Maps:

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Address: Plot No 4,5,6, Shivaji Palace dist Center Rajauri Garden, New Delhi, 110027.

Rajinder Da Dhaba in Safdarjang Enclave, next to Kamal Cinema

ashish — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:45:44 +0000

Regular Delhi residents have their own favorite eating places staked out, and can make getting a place to sit difficult during the night and during weekends. Something similar happens to this Dhaba (and it is not a fancy place calling itself a Dhaba, but is an actual Dhaba with service levels not anyway comparable to a restaurant), where you know that people love the food if you find it difficult to get a place to sit during the weekends. As a result, you will find people getting food packed for a takeway. Also, like other Dhabas, if you need a place where the hygiene seems tip-top, then maybe this place is not for you.
However, the food is very good, and that is the reason why it continues to draw a large number of people on a regular basis. You want to get some good non-veg food, you are at the right place. Order some tangri chicken, or fish tikka, chicken tikka, tandoori chicken, mutton seekh kebab, and who can forget the butter chicken (a rich calorie laden food, but heavenly) and dal makhani. And the nans are hot, tender and great to eat along with these items. You will not get any alcohol at this place, but the food is great and very inexpensive.

Contact details:
Address: AB-14, Kamal Complex, Safdarjung Enclave, Delhi- 110029
Phone: 011 26100355 | 9868088961
Landmark: Opposite Safdarjung Club

Location on Google Maps:

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Vasari – the shop for well dressed men

ashish — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 19:59:41 +0000

You need to go looking for some classy male stuff (and now also some classy female stuff) in terms of clothes. There is a function that you need to attend, and for which you need to look your best, or more importantly, your marriage has been scheduled, the cards have been printed, and you need to finally decide on your dress. Your fiancee will not hear of you wearing a western suit (does not match her colorful and elegant lehenga), and so you are deputed to get a sherwani or an Indo-western suit, along with the pagri, the jutis (shoes) and the safa. Where you do you ?
Well, you head to Vasari, a shop where you can get all these, along with Indo Western suits, some excellent kurta pyjamas, and so on. You go there, select what you want, get your sizes taken, and then get the finished clothes a couple of weeks later (in busy marriage season, you should estimate it will take 20-25 days).
Location and address:
Vasari
1. Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi
Phone: 011-46502812/13
2. Ajmal Khan Road, Karol Bagh,
Phone: 011-45033029
3. Rajouri Garden
011-41447378
4. Kamla Nagar
011-47042471

Location of Karol Bagh and Rajouri Garden stores on Google Maps

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Tamanna – a clothing boutique

ashish — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:31:02 +0000

Sometimes, the quest for getting some fancy suits and dresses strikes a lady. Typically known as party wear type of suits, these are fancy salwar-kameez, or they may kameez with a churidar / pants. The embroidery is far more fancy than normal day to day, and they can look quite beautiful. One place where you can get such ones is called Tamanna De Boutique, and is located in 6 different parts of Delhi.

Shop No-72, 1st Floor, Ch. Kishna Chand Complex,
Jwala Heri Market,
New Delhi, Delhi
Phone: 011 25250320

46-Ub Jawahar Nagar,
Kamla Nagar, New Delhi,
Delhi
Phone: 011 41530901

B 1/3, Lal Quarter,
Krishna Nagar, New Delhi, 110051

72-75, First Floor, Paschim Vihar,
Delhi – 110006
Phone: 011 25250320

F-20, 1st Floor,
Crossriver Mall,
Near Karkardooma Court,
Delhi
Tel: 011 22306080

J-67, Shop No. 1,
Rajouri Garden,
New Delhi – 110027
Phone: 011 25161392

F Bar and Lounge in Hotel Ashok – next to Nehru Park

ashish — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:03:30 +0000

Actually, the Ashok Hotel is a landmark by itself, located next to the Prime Minister’s house at Race Course Road, next to Santusthi, and next to Nehru Park. Here is a link to a funny map from the F Bar site (link) that shows the map of Ashok Hotel with the roads next to it, as well as a map showing how to get to the F Bar inside the Ashok Hotel (link). Astoundingly for a place in Delhi, the site also has 360 degrees virtual tours that allow you to get a view inside the F Bar even if you have never stepped inside (link).
The F bar is fairly big (8000 sq. feet), being spread over many different levels, with some more exclusive zones such as the Fashion Lounge and the super, super exclusive Diamond Lounge for those who consider themselves the elite.
The F Bar is a franchise of FTV, and is a place where you can bump into famous personalities such as movie stars, fashion people, models, etc. You can also spot many industrialists over here. The place is very well decorated, with neon lights that are not tacky, instead giving a psychedelic environment, the one in which your feet start tingling and moving (and the Interiors have a steel black and white finish). The place plays different types of music, including many times bollywood remixes (you know, many people like remixes of Bollywood movies even though they would never admit to it).
Drinks are good, although as you move past midnight, the bar gets more crowded and it could take time to get a drink, and as you are already in an expensive place, you should assume that the drinks will also be pricey.
Address and contact details:
Price Range: INR 1200 upwards (entry costs are: Cover charges of Rs. 2000 for a couple and Rs. 500 for single women)
Address: The Ashok | 50-B Chanakayapuri, New Delhi, India
Phone: (91-11) 26110101

Some videos from there:

Clubbin at F Bar @ Ashok !!

FTV – F-Bar New Delhi

Location of F Bar in Ashok Hotel, Delhi, on Google Maps

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