Want to have some modern Australian cuisine?
Head to Ivy and Bean.
A hidden gem in Shahpur Jat, Ivy & Bean is a cottage-like café with walls lined with books, fairy lights and rustic chairs, and bird-cages, making it a haven for coffee lovers and bookworms. The cozy restaurant serves Australian, European, and Asian dishes (like roast garlic lamb chops, butter garlic prawns, Caesar salad, and Tiramisu), that’s been influenced by immigrants to the country. The menu takes inspiration from Australian dining and easy-going plates rendered with attention. The restaurant’s owner is also the chef, and she spent a decade in Australia working closely with celebrity chef Matt Preston.
Fun Fact: It was named after an Australian children’s book series by Annie Barrows!
Reasons for you to visit this cafe:
- Australian, Italian and Asian cuisine
- Chic and aesthetic decor
- Insta Worthy picture place
- Honest library for book lovers
The Ambiance
The place offers both indoor and outdoor seating options. With a wall lined with a huge bookshelf, take a book and return it or swap it with your own. You can also donate or rent books for free. The golden bird-cages and fairy lights And Mason jars And floral upholstery give it an all aesthetic vibe. The white furniture wears bright cushions; chandeliers are made from clusters of mason jars, and a leafy terrace overlooked dark lanes right out of a fairy tale. It pitches for chic and halcyon comfort, which will appeal similar to adults, children, and adults pretending to be children. With soothing music, courteous staff, pretty plants, and delicious coffee, Ivy and Bean is the ideal place for everyone to sit, chat, or work for hours. And their free WiFi is just a cherry on the cake.
All about the food
The menu is an exciting melange of Australian cuisine, English breakfast, and Italian mains. With a great number of options for both vegetarians and nonvegetarians, their top dishes are Salt and Pepper Calamari, Chicken shepherd’s pie, fisherman’s basket, Caesar Salads, Spaghetti in white sauce and lasagna. The Baked Penne with Garden Vegetables is a delight for vegan visitors. They also have a pretty impressive variety of pancakes to choose from(like blueberry cheesecake, salted caramel, red velvet, peanut butter, and jelly), with Banoffee being the most sought after. Also, ordering drinks along With your meal will never be a bad decision.
The woman behind Ivy and Bean
Chef Radhika Khandelwal, the woman behind the food at Ivy & Bean, as well as the owner of the newly opened Fig & Maple, knew her heart was set on food when she was pursuing a hairdressing course in Melbourne, Australia, and started working part-time at a kitchen to earn money. “Only after I worked in a kitchen for a while did I realize that this is what I wanted to do,” she said.
With her ever experimenting and locally sourced kitchen, Chef Radhika is planning to work on a lot more collaborations with chefs in the country as well as organizing communal dining events in the near future, something she says guests and the industry have loved in the past.
Other things to know
Location: 119, Sishan House, Shahpur Jat, Siri Fort, New Delhi, Delhi 110049
Cost: Ivy and Bean is a bit expensive but doesn’t compromise with taste.
Zomato Ratings: 4.1
Timings: 11 am to 11 pm