What Is The Recipe To Be The Next Great Gathering Place In Delhi?

Travel, says hotelier & hospitality entrepreneur Tanveer Kwatra has been the education that shaped him. "Not a single restaurant."

Every fire he's worked over, every kitchen he's stepped into, every late-night meal abroad has taught him something vital. Now with his latest venture and his "most personal project", GRAMMIE, the hotelier has returned to the Indian capital with a deeply personal dining concept for those unscripted hours bringing along all lessons learned while globetrotting the world to the pulse of the restaurant.

For Kwatra, "the restaurant isn’t just a place to eat, it’s a gathering space for stories, connection, and unabashedly good times.

“I’ve opened many restaurants,” he says, leaning back with a casual ease that belies the intensity of his work, “but this one’s built from the gut. GRAMMIE is Delhi in spirit—bold, hungry, and unapologetic. It’s not about perfection; it’s about feeling.”

In a city where dining often feels like a careful choreography, GRAMMIE is set to strip back the theatrics and let instinct guide everything. So, naturally when asked about that instinct that has led him to GRAMMIE, Kwatra explains it as his “unfiltered rhythm and flavour.” And that instinct, he says, tells him something crucial about the contemporary diner: people want real.

They’re tired of polish for polish’s sake, of menus that feel like they’re checking boxes. “They want warmth, rhythm, flavour—food that hits the spot,” he says. GRAMMIE, in response, is a place where people can slow down, connect, and savour the moment. It’s a modern antidote to a world that too often moves too fast.

“Think clean pours, bold textures, and zero pretence. It bridges day and night effortlessly, design-forward yet indulgent.” In a city where bars can often feel like just another extension of nightlife, Ponté stands apart by emphasizing experience and emotion as much as technique.

But with so many restaurants opening every month, how does one cut through the crowd? Delhi itself, Kwatra notes, is a city that eats with emotion. Unlike other global food capitals he’s worked in, where innovation can overshadow instinct, Delhi craves fire, flavour, and honesty. Here, he says, he could “strip it all back, no gimmicks, no fluff, just primal, expressive cooking.” Every dish, every drink at GRAMMIE, is a conversation with the city, an acknowledgment of its boldness and hunger for genuine experiences.

And yet, despite all the world travel and international kitchens, Kwatra admits that his approach to food is less about exotic ingredients or experimental technique and more about human connection. “I don’t think one dish can carry all of it,” he says when asked to distil his philosophy into a single plate.

“But if I had to put it in words: fire-kissed, ingredient-driven, and bold without apology. By the third bite, you’ll know it’s flavour over fuss, feeling over perfection.” Every meal is an invitation to participate, to feel the rhythm of the space, and to experience food as a story rather than just sustenance.

This approach reflects broader shifts in the Indian restaurant scene. According to Kwatra, diners are growing sharper, bolder, and more demanding. “The ones that’ll last are those built on integrity—damn good food, drinks, and connection, not hype. Less flash, more substance," he observes. And nowhere is this more apparent than at GRAMMIE, where every element from the char of the grill to the design of the bar is intentional, instinctive, and connected to the diners’ experience.

Perhaps most tellingly, Kwatra is clear that “just good food isn’t enough.” What elevates a restaurant beyond the ordinary is the sum of its parts—the small details that stir something in you. But what makes it enough to be perfect for its diners?

“Enough is when it stirs something in you. Not just from the plate or the glass, but from the little details—what you see, what you touch, what you hear. It’s that moment when everything lines up: the drink hits right, the mood sets in, the people feel easy. That’s when it becomes more than food, it becomes connection.”

Kwatra’s global experience has clearly informed his approach, yet GRAMMIE remains distinctly rooted in Delhi’s DNA. He isn’t chasing trends or accolades rather he wants to pursue resonance. His cooking, he insists, must feel “primal, expressive, and authentic,” a philosophy that shines through not only in the food but also in the very way the restaurant makes people feel. From the openness of the kitchen to the considered drink menu at Ponté, every choice is a reflection of that instinct and empathy.