Bansuri

The Scene
Kinda sad. The traffic on a working day between 9am and 9pm on the one-way street leading to this place near the Dwaraka Hotel at Lakdi-ka-Pul can make a blood capillary look spacious. Once in, however, it's at least air-conditioned comfort. That's the best you can say of the humble interiors of this rather cramped and bland place, but then you are not going here for memories. This place is all about value for money.

The Food
The best parts of Bansuri are the breakfast and lunch buffets, priced attractively at Rs. 50 and Rs. 65 respectively (plus taxes). This is a South-Indian specialty restaurant run by Kannadigas, and the food shows - the sambar, for example, is sweet. The breakfast buffet is a surprise, with a fruit juice, cereal, milk, fruits, 5-6 South-Indian breakfast items including idli, vada, upma, pongal, dosa and puri, and even sweets. And coffee and tea. All for Rs. 50. The lunch and dinner buffets (with 11 items usually), are reasonably extensive, too, from soup to ice cream. Though, if you are here for lunch, you could try the thali at Rukmini Riviera next door (they are all part of the same group) for Rs. 35. Good South-Indian food (with even ghee), in air-conditioned comfort again. Items on the a la carte menu are served downstairs, and the buffet is upstairs, in an even smaller place. No, there's no music, but the prices double up.

The Verdict
Bansuri is the kind of place you can eat at everyday if you are in the neighbourhood - wallet-wise and health-wise. Only, being in the neighbourhood everyday itself may not be healthy - if the pollution doesn't give you something, road rage might.