There is a fatigue that has set into Delhi’s dining landscape. Too many restaurants are performing. Too many are engineered for visibility rather than experience and spectacle.
And then, quietly, almost deliberately underplayed, comes Syrah at Hyatt Regency Delhi - a room that unfolds, course by course, with a confidence that feels earned.
This is one that understands longevity.
The Room
Syrah’s design philosophy is rooted in taste. Lovely tablecloths, a measured play of light that flatters both the food and its audience. There is an almost European sense of spatial discipline here - tables are not crammed, conversations that linger (probably because I was dining with my old friend Shazeen Shivdasani) and the overall cadence of the room feels composed.
In a city obsessed with maximalism, Syrah’s refusal to over-style becomes its most powerful aesthetic decision.
The Philosophy: Mediterranean
Syrah positions itself within the Levantine and Eastern Mediterranean culinary canon - a space that is often misunderstood in India as either “light eating” or “healthy dining”.
Under Chef Abdul Karim, the cuisine here resists that simplification.
This is food built on balance. Acid against fat. Smoke against freshness. Texture. And most importantly, flavour.
The Meal
The fattoush salad sets the tone. Bright, textural, and intelligently dressed with pomegranate molasses, it avoids the common pitfall of becoming either too acidic or too ornamental. Instead, it performs exactly as a first course should - awakening the palate without exhausting it.
The cold mezze is where Syrah asserts real authority. The hummus is near perfect - silken, generous, and anchored by olive oil.
The muhammara, deeper and more complex, carries sweetness, nuttiness, and a quiet heat that builds the appetite. Together, with warm pita, they move into a ritual. From the hot mezze, the kibbeh meikhlah delivers comfort - crisp exterior, tender interior, and a lamb-forward depth that feels honest. The batata harra, by contrast, is kinetic. Herbaceous, spiced, and vibrant, it cuts through the meal with energy, preventing any sense of heaviness.
And then, the grills. This is where Syrah shifts from being a good restaurant to a serious one.
The lamb chops are executed with technical confidence (very rare) - charred, tender. The smokiness is controlled, the seasoning precise, and the result is meat that does not need embellishment to command attention. The seekh kebabs follow suit - juicy, balanced, and refreshingly free of excess.
There is a discipline here that is rare. A trust in technique.
The Drink: Controlled Indulgence
The Shahrayar cocktail is, quite frankly, one of the most intelligently constructed drinks in the room.
Chilli pineapple cordial, lime, Campari, tequila - it is layered, sharp, and quietly addictive. The heat lingers just enough to create memory. It is a drink that understands tension. And that makes it dangerous in the best way.
Dessert
I will be honest that I didn’t try it. But lately a friend Parul Shah who visited said this to me, “The Baklava rich with ghee and finished with pistachios, arrives a deeply satisfying conclusion.
Service: The Lost Art of Calibration
Service at Syrah is where the restaurant reveals its maturity. It neither hovers nor disappears. It anticipates without interrupting. It allows the diner to feel both attended to and autonomous - a balance that many high-end restaurants fail to achieve. There is grace in the pacing. There is intelligence in the timing. And above all, there is respect.
The French Press Global Verdict
Syrah is one of the most considered restaurants in Delhi nestled in The Hyatt at Bhikaji Cama Place. And in doing so, it quietly outperforms many of its louder contemporaries.
Editor's Rating
Décor: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5
Seating & Layout: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Value: 4.5/5
Final Word
Go for it when you want to taste authentic Mediterranean food and eat healthy at the same time.