Chor Bizarre Reopens Its Doors 

Delhi : While the rooms at Hotel Broadway are still under refurbishment, the legendary Chor Bizarre at Asaf Ali Road, serving regional Indian cuisine and authentic signature Kashmiri dishes in a setting that is unabashedly Indian, has reopened on 16^th October, 2024. (In between, the restaurant had relocated to Bikaner House, where its popular run continued.)

Originally debuting in 1990 as India’s first theme restaurant, Chor Bizarre gained iconic status with its unique ‘thieves market’ ambience and authentic regional Indian cuisine. Who can forget that vintage car doubling up as a salad and chaat counter.

Chor Bizarre is renowned across the world for its Kashmiri dishes and was the first to take the Wazwan as well as delicacies from the kitchens of Kashmiri Pandits out of the valley and through its pop-ups across the country and the world. 

Says Rohit Khattar, Founder Chairman of Old World Hospitality, “Chor Bizarre was the first restaurant I opened in 1990. Since then we have launched many others. However, reopening this one is a homecoming for me. It was a labour of love then, as it is now. The entire team looks forward to welcoming you back to another era.”

Chef Srinivas A, the Brand Chef of Chor Bizarre completes 17 years with the Group that he joined as a Management Trainee. While he has added some interesting new dishes, he ensures that the menu stays true to its roots. Varun Sharma, the Group’s Head of Bars, has curated a beverage programme that complements the restaurant’s rich culinary offerings with an array of exciting cocktails. 

The Menu: They say that you could travel the length and breadth of India and not repeat the same dish at any meal. Thus, any restaurant’s claim to represent Indian cuisine in all its diversity would face a formidable challenge. So, just as Chor Bizarre did for the décor, it has collected interesting recipes from different parts of the country to make your gastronomic journey complete. While the emphasis is on North Indian dishes, the restaurant’s chefs are amongst a handful who have access to the secrets of the ‘Wazwan’ – the legendary Kashmiri community feast of 36 courses from which selections are available. The Chor Bizarre menu features a large repertoire of vegetarian dishes and chaats in addition to dishes from across India. 

Current & Forthcoming Pop-Ups: This year, Chor Bizarre wishes to take its tagline of being ‘India’s Restaurant’ more seriously with a range of Pop-Ups that are planned at Chor Bizarre, which will showcase the rich culinary diversity of India. 

There was clearly no better way to launch than with a “Tribute To Our Neighbourhood” as the first pop-up. Chor Bizarre is paying homage to some great institutions from Old Delhi who have been purveyors of street food for several generations. They have curated and are bringing some of the very best chaats—papdi chaat, kalmi vadas, aloo chaat, kachoris and even the great Japani samosa as a tribute to these legendary shops and stalls—some over a century old. Chor Bizarre’s Chaat Mobile vends these Purani Dilli delicacies hygienically cooled and warmed at an All You Can Eat Price of Rs. 499 including taxes. 

In November, they will have one of their group restaurants, Hosa, over for a weekend pop-up followed by many others. 

The Interiors: The restaurant’s interiors are a delightful mix of kitsch, creativity, and imagination. The group’s Design Director, Rashmi Khattar has resurrected the interiors that she had worked upon personally when it first opened in 1990, adding some interesting new (old) pieces while holding on to the signature pieces of décor like the four-poster bed, the Singer sewing machine table, and, of course, the 1927 Fiat – Chor Bizarre’s Chaat Mobile. 

Drawing inspiration from a literal “chor bazaar”, Chor Bizarre is adorned with an eclectic collection amassed over the years from across the country. They have hand-picked a collection of furniture, tableware and curios to catch your eye and explore beyond the boundaries of your own table. Diners can expect walls adorned with quirky posters, tables laden with chunky antique jewellery amidst a tempting array of appetisers and kebabs. The restaurant’s warmly lit ambience, complemented by celebrated retro Bollywood tunes, further heightens the sense of nostalgia. You shall find décor with distinct imperial touches which over time have become integrally Indian too. 

This aesthetic embodies the restaurant’s philosophy of “nothing matches, yet everything gels.” From furniture to fabrics, lights to bric-a-brac, Chor Bizarre captures the spirit of India in all its eclectic irreverence. Part art, part kitsch, part imaginative, part contrived, the interiors of Chor Bizarre have been put together with India’s finery, frivolity and sheer joie-de-vivre in mind.