Delhi’s dining scene isn’t short on ambition. New restaurants open every week, each claiming to offer something new, something unique. Some live up to the hype, many leave you underwhelmed. Silq, a new dining place in Chanakyapuri, is one that delivers.
The restaurant draws from the Silk Route, the ancient networks of trade routes that connected East Asia to Europe, facilitating the flow of goods but also ideas and culture in ways that still resonate today. While Silq isn’t the first to tap into this theme, it approaches it with clarity and confidence, having a clear sense of its vision and executing it boldly.
The focus here is on bringing together Persian, Mughal, Levantine, and Mediterranean culinary traditions—the ingredients, cooking styles, and dining rituals that were once exchanged through this route.
“Translating something as vast as the Silk Route into a menu meant focusing less on geography and more on the shared threads that connect it,” says founder Sagar Kumar. “Our research drew from a mix of historical references, traditional recipes, and regional cooking practices across India, Persia, and the Middle East. We looked at how spices travelled, how dishes evolved across borders, and how methods like slow-cooking, grilling, and fermentation became common links across these cultures.”
So to create the menu, chef Azaan Qureshi, part of the famous Qureshi family known for preserving and popularising Awadhi and Mughlai cuisines, was brought on board.
The idea behind the food menu was “to reinterpret that very first moment of contact between the Levant and the Indian subcontinent. Long before recipes were codified, when flavours travelled more as instinct than instruction,” says Qureshi. “What would a seekh have tasted like when it first arrived on Indian soil? Not yet fully Awadhi, not entirely Levantine but something in between, shaped by curiosity and adaptation. At Silq, that question becomes the foundation.”
Setting the tone
At Silq, the experience begins at the door, with a dab of attar on the wrist. As you settle in, a server lights the candle at your table. This is followed by a Mehraan sharbat, an aromatic, yet surprisingly refreshing, drink made with saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, and sandalwood, and served as a palate cleanser. A masala papad arrives as an amuse bouche, while live musicians play classical music in the background.
The ambience and decor of muted tones, along with brass and copperware, further add to what’s ahead.
Inventive menu
When it comes to the cocktail menu, Silq keeps things subtle, but doesn’t hold back either. Alongside the classics, it offers a set of inventive concoctions that complement the larger theme. Take, for instance, the vodka-based Rasmalai, infused with khus root, saffron, and rose petals, or the gin-based Genda Phool, built around house-made marigold syrup, orange blossom, and coconut water. Bold in concept, these drinks deliver on flavour.
Among the best-sellers on the menu is the Sunaar Ras, a scotch-based cocktail infused with supari and accented with rose and gold varq. Then there is the Bazaar-e-Kanji, bold and fermented.
Rooted, yet exploratory
Coming to the food, the menu is broad yet focused, offering something for everyone while maintaining a sense of balance.
You can begin with soups and salads such as the Moroccan lamb lentil—a slow-cooked lamb and lentil soup with tender morsels—and Bagh-e-Bahar, a Levantine fattoush salad.
The appetisers strike a balance between the familiar and the new, from Moradabadi dal and bhutte ki khees to a well-curated selection of kebabs. According to Kumar, the Laham Adana Kebab and Tandoori Bharwa Gucchi—black morels stuffed with cheese and dry fruits, slow-roasted to a crisp in the tandoor and served with toum—are among the guest favourites.
The main course, too, offers a generous spread, from biryani to nihari. But what stands out is a simple dal— Dal Silq, a slow-cooked black lentil preparation with the restaurant’s “unique” spices, best paired with khameeri roti.
You end on a sweet note with desserts such as malai phirni, shahi tukda, baqlava, and a rose-flavoured kulfa. Silq’s menu and overall experience feel familiar and rooted, yet leave enough room for discovery.