Tucked away in a cosy corner at The Imperial New Delhi, San Gimignano pays homage to the gastronomic traditions of Italy. The limited-seating restaurant now has an all-new menu. The culinary operations are helmed by chef Philippe Agnese, who focusses on achieving unique ways of merging taste, interesting textures, and a more contemporary approach while also respecting the classic Italian Nonna cooking approach. The restaurant also has a new pergola-style terrace with wrought iron accents, intricate railings, and earthy-toned, natural fabrics.
TL Tastings
A Review of San Gimignano’s New Menu
Cuisine
The restaurant’s new menu transports one to the Tuscan countryside, where each dish is a masterpiece and there’s free-flowing bubbly. The flavours in each dish are drawn from the venerable kitchens of Nonna herself.
We Recommend
Small Plates
We start with Insalada di Avocado (INR 1,350). The humble salad reveals itself in layers—starting with tartar of avocado, followed by bite-sized chunks of avocado and beetroot, and finally sauteed cannellini beans. Topped off with Italian dressing, each layer is separated by crisps. The salad is a promising start. We also get our hands on a classic—Burrata con Pomodoro e Pesto di Basilico (INR 1,350). The salad is fresh and comes with a dollop of burrata cheese paired with all the right elements—tomatoes, pesto, and olive oil.
Moving on to the soup section, there’s a tasting platter with Minestrone con verdure fresche di stagione (INR 900), that boasts fresh seasonal vegetables, pesto, and parmesan; Crema di parmigiano all’olio di tartufo (INR 1,110), which is a light parmesan cheese cream soup flavoured with truffle oil; and lastly Vellutata di crema di carciofi e patate (INR 1,110), that comes with Jerusalem artichokes, baby potatoes, and truffle croutons. While the richness of the Crema di parmigiano all’olio di tartufo is no surprise, the Vellutata di crema di carciofi e patate gets a nod from many on the table.
With my current personal obsession with mushrooms, it is no surprise that I chose the Tagliatelle al funghi (INR 1,850) as my pasta for the day. Rich and creamy in texture, the lip-smacking dish balances the chewiness of morel mushrooms, strong flavours of basil, tanginess of cherry tomatoes, freshness of parsley breadcrumbs, and good ol’ parmesan.
Large Plates
The Melanzana alla parmigiana (INR 1,600) is a good place to begin. It is a simple dish with layered crumb-fried eggplants topped with mozzarella and provolone cheese, and baked in a humble tomato sauce. As for the non-vegetarians, I hear rave reviews about Costine di agnello (INR 3,950). It is seared New Zealand lamb chops with rosemary baby potato in a bed of red wine jus.
It is also borderline blasphemous to miss out on the pizzas at San Gimignano. Chef Agnese presents me with a variety of options—Nonna Royale (INR 1,750), Portobello Rosa (INR 1,600), La Signorina Ananas (INR 1,400). I enjoy the Portobello Rosa for its freshness, wood-fired texture and sauteed portobello mushrooms, walnuts, mozzarella, and garlic parsley oil. As for my non-vegetarian counterparts, the Nonna Royale hits the right note with tomato sauce, artichokes, red onions, and crumbled homemade pork sausage.
Desserts
There is no better end than the vanilla panna cotta with marinated strawberries in the form of Panna cotta con fragole marinate (INR 700), and the warm dark chocolate pastry with vanilla bean gelato served as Tortino di cioccolato fondente gelato alle bacche di vaniglia (INR 700). With a focus on the right textures and balanced sweetness, it doesn’t take time to polish off both desserts.
Our Takeaway
Whether you are opting for a quiet meal by yourself, planning a long-due catch-up or want a romantic date night, San Gimignano will not disappoint you. With its delicious food, choicest drinks, hospitable staff, and Tuscan-style setup, the restaurant is worth your time.
Quick Notes
Price: INR 6,000, exclusive of taxes, beverages and alcohol
Address: 1, Lobby Level, The Imperial Hotel, Janpath, Connaught Place, New Delhi
Timings: 12:30 pm to 03:00 pm; 07:00 pm to 11:30 pm
Related: TL Tastings: Palaash By Chef Amninder Sandhu Is A Delicious Wild Ride Set In A Forest
Written By
Simrran Gill
Features EditorAn advocate of slow travel, Simrran Gill can mostly be found documenting her journeys, food, and people. Often fascinated by life in general, she is a true-blue Delhite and loves every opportunity to pack a suitcase and hop on the next flight out. She is a post-graduate in journalism and has previously worked with Outlook Traveller. When not travelling ..Read More
