They say it is always cooler under a banyan tree. Sitting in the open, indoor-outdoor expanse of Zetu, the new 175-seater at 1AQ in Mehrauli, we find ourselves agreeing with this ancient wisdom. Though, we are not sure if the comfort is due to the majestic, 500-year-old banyan tree anchoring the courtyard or strategically placed outdoor AC vents, we are grateful for it, along with the fresh coconut water with greets us at the gate before a short buggy ride drops us at Zetu, built around contemporary Sri-Lankan cuisine.

Settle into one of the cabanas on the rooftop, pull up a chair at the long tables in the outdoor section or grab yourself a cozy corner inside, and any expectation of a stuffy, high-concept design environment evaporates. Surrounded by lush greenery and tropical architecture inspired by legendary Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa, the space feels sophisticated yet unpretentious.

Derived from Setu — the Sanskrit word for bridge — the founders Sarah Nikahetiya, Anurag Dania, Abhishek Mathur and Sagar Garg — gave the name a “zingy Z” to give it a sharper, modern ring.

Sarah, a former diplomat with the British High Commission stayed in Delhi for a couple of years, and fell in love with the capital before moving to Colombo, Sri Lanka. The idea for Zetu took shape during her own frequent flights back and forth across the ocean. “When you leave Colombo on your way to Delhi, that little string of islands between the two countries is the last thing you see when you exit Sri Lankan airspace. It’s such a small gap, but a significant one. We wanted to capture that conversation between modern Delhi and modern Sri Lanka, not just through the food, but through the design as well,” she says.

When it comes to the food, there is a genuine sense of storytelling on the plate, culled from actual Sri Lankan home kitchens and street corners. Chef Dush Ratnayake from Sri Lanka leads the way, while Indian chefs Mohit Kumar and Romil Malhotra use their luxury hotel training to keep the massive 175-seater running smoothly.

We begin our meal with choon paan butter flight — baked bread served with a trio of colourful flavoured butters. The fiery orange tandoori butter pays homage to India, white Nori and citrus represent the sea, and a green curry leaf pesto is rooted firmly in Sri Lanka. It is a fun opening ritual that sets the stage for an unconventional dining experience. Aptly titled garden after monsoon, the dish that comes next has paper-thin wraps of cucumber enveloping creamy Danish cheese, paired with watermelon spheres in a passion fruit vinaigrette.

Pillow fight, which reminds us of a seesaw in its presentation, is actually salmon and avocado on puffed rice, an ode to the pillow fights of Sri Lanka’s new year celebrations. While the storytelling is on point, the dish lacks the punchy execution of the starters that preceded it. The tea and treasure rolls in chicken and prawn do not impress much either — the panko crust is slightly dense, and takes away from the filling inside. Luckily, that missing spark arrives with the island burrata. As Chef Dush points out, nobody eats burrata in Sri Lanka, “but we do eat a lot of buffalo milk curd.” This dish makes use of buffalo-milk burrata on a bed of pomelo and pineapple tossed in achcharu (pickle) spices with curry leaf, and topped with a crisp parmesan cracker.

The hardest thing to make on the menu, according to Chef Dush, is the lamprais, thought it looks the simplest. Wrapped in a banana leaf, the spiced rice with brinjal and seeni sambol is packed with meatballs and chicken gravy. It is a restrained dish, using just four spices, but there is a rough complexity to it, which by the second bite, you start appreciating and by the end, you wish there was some more left on the plate to eat. We end the meal with a guava tart baked with a delicate lemon curd and raisin puree. Toasted coconut flakes and apple shavings add a crisp, refreshing texture to the dessert.

The cocktails continue this exploration of Sri Lankan ingredients and flavour profiles. The frangipani Martini impresses with its delicate gin and frangipani infusion, while the gin-based kandyan Negroni with rambutan infused campari and sweet vermouth has a fiery red glow and is beautifully dialled down with the fruit’s sweetness.

Stepping out of Zetu and walking past the banyan tree again, we feel the bridge between Sri Lanka and Delhi has narrowed a bit and the capital’s dining scene is all the richer for it.

Zetu is at 1AQ, Seth Sarai, Mehrauli, New Delhi and is open from noon to midnight. A meal for two costs ₹8,000 without alcohol. FOr reservations call +918796056111.

Published – June 04, 2026 04:14 pm IST