Coffee and wine were our top two vices until the medical community established that they’re both actually pretty good for you (in moderation, of course). Now they’re just our top two beverages. You’ll find upmarket versions of both at Perch, a new wine and coffee bar in New Delhi’s Khan Market. Perch has impressive pedigree: its founder is Vaibhav Singh, of chic speakeasy PCO. They have specialists formerly of PCO, Tres, Remy Cointreau, and single-origin coffee company Kaffa Cerrado on hand for cocktails, food, wine, and coffee respectively.
Perch’s design is simple and restrained, with light wooden chairs and bar tables, and walls of painted-white brick. Instead of excessive adornments, there are potted plants (a welcome change from restaurants that clutter their walls with ‘vintage’ posters). The menu consists of fresh takes on French and Spanish tapas. Try the buttery pan-tossed calamari and shrimp, served on a bed of pillow-soft gnocchi. Among the large plates, we enjoyed the ratatouille ravioli, coated in a light sauce of sautéed bell peppers.
Perch stocks both international wine labels as well as homegrown ones; you can buy a bottle, order by the glass, or ask which bottles are open that day for a glass of something different. A new Indian vineyard, York, is available here: the 2012 Arros, a rich blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, was better than most other local options we’ve sampled (and right now, you can only get a bottle at Perch). Cocktails are PCO-quality – ie, excellent – and a decent bit cheaper (though, of course, not cheap). The wine-based tipples are the bar’s specialty: the frothy Rum Bunch, spiced with rosemary, will make your sweaty midsummer night a lot dreamier.
A meal for two costs approximately Rs 2,000 (with alcohol). Perch, 71, 1st Floor, Khan Market, New Delhi. Tel: +91 99993 60545
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