With Nadoo, another good-looking south Indian eatery arrives in Delhi

We recently told you about the facelift that India’s south Indian dining scene is witnessing. In its bougie era, places like Carnatic Cafe, Juggernaut, and now Benne in Delhi have turned the humble dosa-idli combo into a full-blown obsession, complete with queues, hype, and the kind of loyalty that one would usually reserve for their favourite band. But step slightly beyond that comfort zone, and the scene thins out. For all the attention paid to the staples, the focus on the region’s micro-cuisines, especially in a formal, sit-down setup, is rather limited in the national capital. Hosa in Gurugram was a refreshing exception. Until now.

Nadoo (which translates to ‘region’ in a few southern languages), the newest outing by restaurateur Sahil Sambhi (of Latango and Japonico), promises to bring a bit of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala to your plate. Situated in GK 3—which is having a bit of a moment, thanks to Riches and Mr Button—the 65-cover restaurant brings together Sambhi’s and Shri Bala’s prowess in the culinary space.

A chartered accountant turned chef and food researcher, Bala has spent years studying Sangam literature and the culinary histories of the Chola dynasty, earning her a reputation as “an encyclopaedia on south India”. After years of curating food festivals and pop-ups across the country, Bala, who also has an eponymous masala line, arrives at her first full-fledged restaurant moment with Nadoo. 

For Sambhi, Nadoo marks a clear departure from his earlier, more high-energy ventures in Delhi-NCR. This one feels far more personal—a tribute to his Tam-Brahm mother, whom he lost during the Covid-19 pandemic. “A little over a year ago, I met chef Bala—she’s from Salem, while my mother was from Trichy. I also spent several years in Bengaluru as a child. Through Nadoo, I wanted to highlight some of the dishes I grew up eating, while also showcasing south Indian food that goes well beyond idli and dosa,” he says.

The menu moves between nibbles, small plates, thalis, and biryanis, shack menus, and familiar restaurant references across Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. I start my meal with the amber-hued panakam, a welcome drink made with jaggery, tamarind, dry ginger, black pepper, lemon, cardamom, and a trace of edible camphor. Meant to aid digestion, it feels like foresight for a place where the menu feels too expansive for one sitting.

The table is set with ceramic plates shaped like miniature banana leaves, and a spread Bala calls “touchings” (side-eats normally served with drinks). Like the idli-dosa staples, the chutneys here go beyond the usual coconut and mint-coriander variants. A sharper kara version with tomato, onion, and garlic; a mango toku pickle; a homemade Mandaveli ketchup with a distinct note of star anise; and a “plastic” chutney (inspired by Bengali cuisine) made with raw papaya complete the offerings.

The meal begins with a mini podi idli topped with beluga caviar. It’s a single bite, but enough to signal what’s coming up. The Kala Ghoda hummus follows, which Bala frames as her version of sundal—the snack of boiled white peas, coconut, ginger, green chillies, and curry leaves you’d pick up along Marina Beach in Chennai. It arrives with a parotta turned into crisp, nacho-like shards, and a tomato salsa cutting through its centre. 

A version of the green chilli chicken from Nagarjuna in Bengaluru shows up on the menu, too. Though unlike the OG dish, here it’s steamed in banana leaf, pulled apart by hand, and tossed in chilli paste before being served with soft bao. Some Chennai staples make an appearance too: The meen varuval with seer fish is straightforward, while the Madras Nineteen 65 leans into nostalgia. Bala traces it back to Buhari Hotel, where the deep-fried, fiery Chicken 65 is believed to have originated in 1965. The dish was known as a “military snack” at the restaurant, after the soldiers who stepped out of the cantonments to eat there.

The Coca-Cola pork chops sit somewhere between novelty and comfort, glazed with the fizzy drink and coffee, with kachampuli adding a slightly bitter edge. I pair it with the Southern Tide cocktail, whose pandan, charred coconut, and burnt lime cut through the glaze and add a tropical lift to the dish.

A standout on the menu is the Russell Market Raan, a whole leg of goat slow-roasted in a fragrant Chettinad spice blend. Fiery and full of flavour, it’s served with crisp coin-sized parottas and finds a perfect companion in Malabar Drift cocktail, a tequila- and mezcal-based cocktail with fermented raw mango brine, red rice, bird’s-eye chilli pickle, and nannari. The Thalassery biryani, served in a kalchatti (stone pot), hits the right notes for its distinct layering of curry, mutton, and rice. On the side, there’s pachadi (raita), salad, and a salna, a light, brothy curry from Namakkal that was originally served to lorry drivers.

If the food is layered and deeply considered, the space follows suit. Unlike many south Indian restaurants (outside south India) that lean heavily on regional motifs, Nadoo takes a subtler approach. Designed by Sambhi in collaboration with Orphic Designs, the space holds your attention from the outside with framed glass windows canopied in soft greenery. Inside, raw stone, oxidised finishes, and muted rust tones create an earthy, lived-in feel without tipping into cliché. Art installations by Aarna Jai Madan of Siddhi Arts punctuate the space, with select pieces available for purchase. Sambhi draws inspiration from his time in Bengaluru, where he lived in a rammed-earth home with rich, textured walls—a feeling he has recreated at Nadoo.

The restaurant is loosely divided into three zones: sunlit tables in the Sun section, the central area as Land, and seating near a water body marked by a brass Nandi installation as Sea. At the far end of Nadoo sits an open kitchen—still uncommon in Indian restaurants but a signature feature in Sambhi’s projects. “It’s meant to function like a home kitchen, where everything flows through it,” he says.

Desserts, too, follow a similar approach. The Forbidden Rice Pudding, made with black rice and coconut milk, is a touch too sticky for my taste, but the Crispy Pongal Pouch, a dumpling-style sweet filled with chakkra pongal, more than makes up for it. 

While I didn’t get to try the coffee menu on this visit, it’s clearly one of the highlights of Nadoo’s offerings. Created in collaboration with Bili Hu, the menu draws on memory and tradition, featuring blends like First Dose Kaapi, inspired by the cup Bala’s father would make each morning; Chill Maadi, a jaggery-sweetened cold coffee that nods to Sambhi’s childhood post-cricket drink; and the richer Cheru Kaapi, shaken with single-origin cacao and served with 82 per cent dark chocolate.

All in all, Nadoo is less about reinvention and more about curation. From Karnataka’s nibbles to Tamil Nadu’s iconic snacks, Sambhi and Bala offer diners a thoughtful journey through the south, all without leaving Delhi.

Address: Ground floor, VIIPS Centre, Greater Kailash Part 3, New Delhi
Timings: Lunch: noon to 5 pm; dinner: 7 pm to midnight 
Reservations: Call +91 9217679217, 9217499217
Cost for two (with alcohol): ₹4,000 + taxes