Loya

A Mughal-era mural runs the length of the back wall — a procession of elephants under a fort skyline — with brass lanterns hung low over leather director's chairs and low tables.

4 cooking styles carry the menu: dhungar, where charcoal smoke is trapped under a pot to season a finished dish; baghar, where spices bloom in hot ghee poured over the plate at the end; sigdi, cooking over coal, wood or cow dung for a smoky, tender result; and dum, where a pot is sealed and simmered for hours so none of it escapes.

The room is quiet rather than theatrical, built to let a mural and cooking techniques centuries old speak for themselves.

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