Feb 20, 2005 02:03 PM
12884 Views
(Updated Feb 20, 2005 02:03 PM)
Well my association with the restaurant goes back to 1980's . This was the second best eatery in Lucknow those days a dark mysterious sort of place huge and with big kitchens. The staff is not overtly polite but very helpful guys. They also have an airconditioned banquet which was very popular about 15 years back .
The biggest advantage with Royal Cafe is its central location. No Lucknowite can imagine a more central location now that Kwality restaurant has closed down. Some of the qualities that this restaurant has managed to adhere to despite change of ownership are
1) Family atmosphere no loafers allowed
2) Reasonable silence
3) Good Airconditioning
4) Nice new cutlery and crockery
5) Polite staff
6) Reasonably good quality of food
7) Good spacious seating arrangement
8) Some amount of privacy
It is not a posh restaurant but it is not a poor quality restaurant either. Like a few restaurants in Lucknow like Ritz this restaurant has maintained a uniform quality of food. Loafers (though there are rather fewer of them ) know that this is not their kind of restaurant so they never venture inside and if they do at all because of being new they make good their escape soon.
There are some other new restaurants near colonies of senior administrators that are the haunt of the spoilt brats of successful fathers and they openly pass comments and stare at ladies and the hotel staff dare not do anything. This restaurant is rather free from such irritants. But hey isn't that the characteristic of this guy who opens restaurants which are expansions of MM like Mini Mahal, Mini Mehfil etc. etc. This guy is a wizard and he has bought a few famous restaurants in Lucknow.
Anyway the one big advantage of Royal Cafe was enumerated below moneywise the restaurant is on the cheaper side if you take into consideration the facilities provied. After 7 pm it is difficult to find a table but these guys have excellent arrangement for those who cannot find a table there is a nice glass alcove kind of thing for you to wait until a table is vacated but it is always advisable to book a table in advance.
The best food in Lucknow is served at Falaknuma but that it rather expensive for a once a week dining out but the food here is well rather good but the best thing is that there is a huge variety and that sets me thinking probably this restaurant has the most lengthy menu card in Lucknow.
Parking is a bit of a problem but manageable and outside the restaurant is a chat parlour . The chat is expensive but it is worth it.
Most of the restaurants make good vegetable and non-veg dishes but the rotis and nans are not well baked but that is not a problem here at all and all the nans and rotis are crisp and well baked.
I recommend all the dishes specially mushroom curry and dal makhani.
