Sahil Sambhi’s Latango showcases a love affair with Europe, poured neat

Delhi’s dining scene is no stranger to drama, but every now and then, a place enters the spotlight and commands the entire stage. Enter Latango, Sahil Sambhi’s latest brainchild that waltzes in like a silk-suited European flirt- charming, unhurried, and effortlessly chic.

After building cult favourites like Japonico, Bawri, Berlin, and Vietnom, Sambhi had one thing on his mind: grandeur. “I’d been dreaming of a true European restaurant for a long time,” he says. “Not just great food, I wanted the space to feel like a getaway.”  The dream found a home in Nehru Place, inside a space with soaring 18-foot ceilings and the kind of bones architects fantasise about. Add to that a team of visionaries, and you’ve got Latango- part destination, part daydream.

The moment you step in, you’re greeted with a warm “Welcome home,” and a gleaming turquoise stacked-glass bar that rises like a sculpture. Designed by Vivek Guha of Orphic Designs, the space plays in layers: raw concrete, glowing corten steel, the occasional chandeliered flirtation. It feels like a Milanese lounge met a moody Parisian jazz bar and decided to settle down in Delhi. But the real seduction is on the plate.

Helmed by Italian chefs Roberto Blondi (of Eleven Madison Park and Maropía fame) and Joe Stanchi (trained at Naples’ legendary Starita a Materdei), Latango’s kitchen is a slow dance through Europe. From the beetroot tartare with goat cheese and peanuts (yes, beetroot can taste like a small revelation) to the Octopus Salad, which I, a sworn seafood skeptic, shockingly liked, the menu is equal parts comfort, craft, and culinary passport stamp. Their mushroom and truffle dim sum is too good to miss. (And trust me, I’ve had more truffle dumplings than I’ve had bad Hinge dates.)

But what truly turns this dinner into a decadent dalliance is Latango’s bar program, crafted in collaboration with Vikram Achanta of Tulleeho and executed by Italian mixology duo Giovanni and Terry. Titled “Liquid Letters from Europe,” each cocktail arrives with a cheeky postcard which has a drinkable love letter across eras and continents written all over it.

There’s Dali Bloom, a lavender-tinted tequila number that’s basically springtime in a glass. Form & Function, with coffee, spice, and citrus, could pass for the afterparty to your most stylish brainstorming session. One of my favoruites is Baroque Baby, which brings coconut, Cognac and cardamom to the table like a tropical diplomat. And then there’s the Cubist Negroni, a combination of tequila and bitter orange crash together in an unapologetic Picasso-style punch of flavour, which is too good to miss!

As the evening stretches and the room shifts from soft glows to deeper shadows, Latango turns from a dinner spot into a scene and spritzes give way to moody nightcaps. Maybe it’s the lighting. Maybe it’s the rhododendron vodka. Maybe it’s the rare joy of being exactly where you’re meant to be.

“Every restaurant teaches you something. Over the last 10 years, I’ve learned the importance of product- nothing else works unless the food and drink are solid. With Latango, I brought in two European chefs, two Italian bar experts, and focused on every touchpoint — from the food to the interiors to the vibe. Everything had to feel intentional. That’s something that comes with experience, knowing how to refine and raise the bar with each new space”, shares Sahil Sambhi.

Where: 01 Epicuria, TDI South Bridge, Ground floor, Unit No S, Nehru Place, New Delhi 110019

You may also read: Inside Naarma’s alchemy of heat, harmony & haute cuisine