A gimlet full of flowers

Award winning chef-entrepreneur Tarun Sibal returns to his home turf, Delhi, with a chic bar that serves cheeky cocktails and gourmet Indian plates

The word Khi Khi means ‘to giggle’ in Hindi-Punjabi. And that is how Tarun Sibal, co-founder of Khi Khi hopes his new bar will make guests feel.

At Delhi’s newest watering hole, each drink has a storyline: Dilli 6brings together thandai liqueur, mango shaved ice and tequila while A Gimlet Full of Flowers , Maybe the Whole Garden, is a take on the floral gin-cocktails. It comes not just with a bouquet of floral notes in the drink but is also served with a tray filled with fresh flowers.

We start with a clean and refreshing The Clarified Punch made with three types of rum — Bacardi Carta Blanca, aged Bacardi Curato (four-year-old) and Bacardi Echo (eight-year-old) — and a hint of guava. The gimlet is delightfully sweet yet not overpoweringly so, subtly floral and reminds you of all the sherbets of Delhi. Offering a spicy flavour profile is Yes Chef, a cocktail where Sibal wants to represent the hard-working kitchen team. The refreshing Chakotara, a drink named after the Himalayan pomelo, with mezcal and sugarcane is a show-stealer . Sweet, sour, with notes of lime and served with fresh pomelo, it lingers on your palate for long and works perfectly for the dry May heat.

Indian flavours with international touch

At Khi Khi, Sibal insists the food is gourmet casual and the menu is a mix of small, medium and large plates. .

Like all good Delhi meals, our dinner starts with chaat. The Maalun Aloo Chaat, is served with pearls of coriander and tamarind chutney, caviar of yoghurt and a crispy maalun potato (a German way of cooking potatoes). The Prawn Stuffed Chicken Wings coated in momo-chutney, another classic Delhi flavour, hits the spot — the sauce is robust, the wings crispy and the prawn inside, soft.