Sometimes, amid the constant hum of Delhi, you stumble upon a place that feels like a whisper from home where memory, craftsmanship and flavour quietly converge. I happened to find one such place this year and the experience felt surreal. From its architecture and spatial design to its celebration of Indian craftsmanship, this Café takes you on a journey from the artistry of different state houses and village life to the fragrance of handmade soaps, bath oils, tea’s and home accessories. You’ll find all of it here, woven seamlessly into one soulful space.

Café Lota is nestled within the National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy at Pragati Maidan is one such sanctuary. When I first heard whispers about a Banarasi-style Tamatar Chaat being served in Delhi, my heart skipped a beat.

I miss Banaras – its late-evening lanes, the tang of chaat and the echo of temple bells drifting through the ghats. So, to discover a café far from Varanasi serving Kathal Biryani so rich, rooted and aromatic felt almost like destiny. I was beyond thrilled because truth be told, you can rarely find authentic Banarasi Tamatar Chaat anywhere outside Banaras.

Like every food lover, I walked in expecting to explore food but what I found was so much more. Café Lota isn’t just about food; it’s an experience. A living, breathing space where architecture, craft and village life come together transforming an ordinary meal into a poetic exploration of India itself.

☀️ The Name “Lota”(Simplicity in Design) : Why Lota? Even I was curious about the name at first but the moment I saw the café, it all made sense why it’s called Lota! ✨ It draws inspiration from the humble water vessel found in every Indian home – a simple, perfectly balanced form of beauty. Like the lota, the café represents wholeness, purity and timeless design reminding us that simplicity, when crafted with purpose, becomes art.

🏛️ Architecture & Ambience – A Canvas of India

Café Lota is not your typical café tucked into a city block. Its design is a sensitive, thoughtful extension of the Museum Shop built by Studio Lotus and it occupies what architects call a negative space – the gentle gaps between old timber beams, museum walls and surrounding trees. A lightweight metal framework and bamboo trellis filters Delhi’s sunlight

casting dappled patterns across sand-plastered walls and terracotta floors. The air itself feels calm here laced with the scent of earth and wood. The design uses local materials like sandstone, mango timber, mild steel creating a palette that feels rooted, honest and timeless.

Removed false ceilings reveal old rafters and clever openings draw natural daylight from the museum’s courtyards blurring the line between inside and outside. This is architecture that breathes. It doesn’t shout – it whispers.

It invites you to slow down, to notice the small things – a carved wooden door, a jali screen’s shadow, a mural that feels like it’s telling you an ancient secret. In the courtyard, you’ll find replicated village scenes about 15 hand-built structures created by regional craftsmen. There are homes, shrines, terracotta horses and vibrant murals – from Mithila (Bihar) to Santhal tribal art, each representing rural India’s diverse soul.

So while you wait for your table, you can stroll through these miniature hamlets peek into shrines, trace the texture of a mud wall and let the village come alive before your eyes.

It’s not just décor – it’s a living museum that quietly holds India’s heart.

For anyone who has grown up near Banaras or ever fallen head-over-heels for its street-side soul, Café Lota feels less like a café and more like that long-lost cousin who suddenly shows up in Delhi with the same warmth, same aroma and just the right amount of spice. It’s where your craving for authenticity meets artistry and honestly, it feels like the city is finally giving a tight hug to your inner desi foodie.

Because here, regional Indian food isn’t just served – it’s celebrated. Every dish that arrives at your table feels like it has a story to tell whispered through temple kitchens, passed down from grandmothers’ notebooks and revived by chefs who treat recipes like sacred texts (but with better plating).

The menu at Café Lota is a love letter to forgotten flavours, the kind that once lived quietly in distant corners of India and now get their moment under soft café lighting. From earthy millets to tangy chaats, every bite carries the nostalgia of home and the surprise of modern presentation.

This isn’t “fusion.” There’s no unnecessary drama or avocado trying to sneak into your paratha. This is India on a plate – honest, rooted and reimagined for today’s palate without losing its soul.

🌸 Must-Try Dishes at Café Lota

🍅 Banarasi Tamatar Chaat(A Tangy Ode to the Ghats) : For me, this dish is pure emotion. Imagine standing on the ghats of Banaras at twilight, temple bells ringing, smoke from diyas rising and the air alive with chatter. That’s what Banarasi Tamatar Chaat tastes like. It’s tangy, spicy and sweet all at once – a warm tomato base cooked down with jaggery, cumin and black salt topped with crisp namak pare, green chutney and a dollop of yoghurt. The first spoonful is chaos; the second, comfort. In that instant, the city disappears and Banaras lives again right there on your plate in Delhi. It’s not just food; it’s nostalgia served warm.

🌿 Kathal Biryani(The Hidden Royalty of the North) : If you’ve never tried Kathal (Jackfruit) Biryani, Café Lota is where you should begin. Forget the notion that jackfruit is humble – here, it takes centre stage like royalty. The kathal is marinated in a blend of roasted spices, slow-cooked with fragrant basmati rice, caramelized onions and saffron.

Each grain carries the gentle smokiness of dum-style cooking and the jackfruit pieces melt into the rice with their hearty, fibrous texture – rich, comforting and deeply satisfying. Served with cooling raita and papad, this dish is earthy yet elegant. It bridges the nostalgia of home-cooked comfort with restaurant finesse. For vegetarians (and even non-vegetarians), it’s a revelation – proof that flavour and depth don’t depend on meat but on mastery.

🍃 Palak Patta Chaat(A Crunch of Colour and Contrast) : A feast for both eyes and palate, Palak Patta Chaat is Café Lota’s another take on the Banaras chaat scene. Crispy, lightly battered spinach leaves form the base, while layers of boiled chickpeas, tangy chutneys, creamy yoghurt and ruby pomegranate seeds create a burst of flavour in every bite.

It’s airy, crunchy, cool and spicy, everything a chaat should be.

🧀 Paneer Papdi Chaat(Comfort with a Twist) : A playful reimagination of classic papdi chaat, this dish swaps fried wafers for soft paneer slices. The paneer absorbs the tang of tamarind and mint chutneys, while sev, beetroot juliennes and coriander add texture. It’s an indulgent balance, rich yet refreshing.

🥗 Amaranth & Quinoa Salad(Ancient Grains, New Stories) : This dish represents Café Lota’s conscious modern side. Amaranth (rajgira) and quinoa are tossed with roasted vegetables, herbs and citrus dressing. It’s light, vibrant and energizing, the kind of plate that nourishes without weighing you down.

🫓 Millet Pancakes & Bajra Khichda(The Taste of Simplicity) : When you crave comfort, this is the meal to order. The Millet Pancakes come drizzled with jaggery and ghee while Bajra Khichda, a pearl millet stew with moong dal and spices is pure warmth in a bowl. These dishes remind you that simplicity when made with heart can feel luxurious.

🐟 Grilled Fish with Red Rice & Coconut Curry(Coastal Calm) : This one brings the Malabar coast to Delhi. Tender fillets of fish (often seer or pomfret) are grilled to perfection, resting over red rice, nutty, wholesome and earthy. It’s served with a light coconut curry that’s fragrant with curry leaves and tamarind making every bite feel like a sea breeze.

🍱 Himachali Thali(A Mountain Feast in the Heart of Delhi) : If you’ve ever longed for the quiet charm of the hills, the pine-scented air, the rhythm of pahadi kitchens and the slow-cooked comfort of mountain food – Café Lota’s Himachali Thali brings it all to your table. 🌄 It’s not just a meal, it’s a postcard from Himachal wrapped in the aroma of ghee, coriander and tradition. Each element of the thali celebrates the rustic, soul-nourishing flavours of the state’s Dham – the festive meal once reserved for temple gatherings and special occasions.

This includes 🥘 Chana Madra, 🍛 Sepu Vadi, 🌾 Rajma & Rice, 🥬 Khatta, 🍠 Bhey (Lotus Stem Curry), 🍚 Served with steamed rice, roti and a small bowl of ghee, drizzled halwa or kheer, it’s the kind of meal that hugs you from the inside.

Every bite feels like a journey, from the valleys of Kangra to the temple kitchens of Chamba. It’s heartwarming, hearty and refreshingly honest, mountain simplicity at its finest.

🍛 Regional Thalis(A Journey Through India) : If you’re visiting for lunch, don’t miss their thoughtfully curated Regional Thalis which rotate seasonally. Each thali is like a postcard from a different part of India complete with grains, curries, sides and desserts that reflect local culture.

🌾 North Indian Thali(Balanced, robust, and comforting like a meal at your grandmother’s home)

• Paneer curry or Kathal Biryani
• Dal Tadka
• Jeera rice or tandoori roti
• Pickles, papad, and salad
• Halwa or kheer for dessert

🍋 Coastal Thali(A sensory trip to Konkan without leaving Delhi)

• Grilled fish / prawn curry in coconut base
• Steamed red rice or neer dosa
• Stir-fried veggies with mustard seeds and curry leaves
• Sol kadhi (kokum coconut cooler)

🍠 Vegetarian Thali(These thalis rotate based on regional themes and seasonal ingredients, making every visit a new experience)

• Seasonal subzi (sometimes kathal, sometimes lauki chana dal)
• Lentils simmered with ghee and cumin
• Millet rotis or parathas
• Chutneys made with sesame, pumpkin or green mango
• A small sweet often made from jaggery or coconut and many more

End your meal with their filter coffee, rose thandai or kokum cooler each refreshing in its own way. And don’t skip dessert, Bhapa Doi Cheesecake, Coconut Jaggery Pudding and Millet Halwa Tart redefine sweet indulgence with Indian soul.

Whether you crave the spice of the East, the flavours of the South or the purity of Himalayan kitchens,

Café Lota curates a plate for every memory and a memory for every plate.

⏰ Timings, Wait Time & How to Spend It

📍 Location: Café Lota, National Crafts Museum & Hastkala Academy,

Gate No. 2, Bhairon Marg, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi – 110001

Nearest Metro: Pragati Maidan (Blue Line) or ITO (Violet Line)

🕘 Timings: 8:00 AM – 9:30 PM

The Museum & Lota Shop: 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Wait Time: 30–45 minutes during lunch and weekends but it’s time well spent.

How to Use the Wait Time Wisely

1. Stroll through the museum courtyard & village complex : The village replicas, shrines, sculptures, murals make for a delightful walk. Use idle time to observe the tiny shrines, terracotta horses and the textures of rural life recreated
2. Browse the Shop : They sell crafts, books, design objects, artisanal goods. It’s a chance to connect with India’s crafts heritage
3. Photograph the architecture & light : The play of sunlight through trellises, bamboo shade and framed openings offers beautiful compositions.
4. Read the murals & listen to ambient sound : Murals from various Indian states e.g. Mithila, Santhal welcome you. And the background, wind in leaves, distant museum ambiance lends a meditative mood.
5. Scan the menu or ask the staff : Use this time to ask if they have your Banarasi chaat or Kathal dish that day; sometimes special items change.

💚 The UBTAN Shop : Craft for the Soul : Adjacent to the café is the Shop carrying forward the same design philosophy – simple, earthy and handcrafted. Here, you’ll find pottery, textiles, books, lamps and little treasures that celebrate India’s living crafts. But take a few steps further and you’ll find something even more intimate – a smaller section often referred to by locals as the Umang Shop. This space hums softly with the fragrance of herbs, handmade soaps and essential oils.

• 🧼 Handmade soaps with natural ingredients like neem, sandalwood, rose and turmeric. They’re absolutely amazing for the skin! 🌿 I’ve personally tried them and trust me, they worked like magic. Having sensitive skin, I was a bit hesitant at first but the results surprised me. Now, these soaps have become a permanent part of my skincare routine! 💧✨
• 🌿 Ayurvedic face washes & packs made with cold-pressed oils and clay powders.
• 💧 Body butters, lotions and herbal scrubs, all handcrafted in small batches.
• 🎁 Gift sets : thoughtful combinations of soap, face masks and oils.
• 🧪 Small displays explaining cold-process soap-making and herb infusion techniques.

It’s a space that aligns perfectly with Café Lota’s ethos, not just food of the land but care of the body from the land. Wander here as you wait, sniff soaps, read ingredient labels, chat with makers and carry home a piece of craft  -something fragrant, mindful, and real.

Café Lota is more than a café. It’s a bridge between tradition and modern life, between the rural and the urban,

between what we miss and what we rediscover.

Yes, I miss Banaras.

But sitting here with the aroma of kathal biryani and tamatar chaat, surrounded by murals, terracotta motifs and the hum of quiet conversation,

I realize Banaras hasn’t left me. It’s just taken another form. So next time you’re in Delhi, don’t rush your meal here.

Linger. Sip slowly. Walk through the courtyards, trace the mud walls and let your soul taste home : one plate, one story, one moment at a time 🌸