#TnLRecommends: Delhi, Check Out Artisan Lab For A Fancy Festive Haul

Dining

#TnLRecommends: Delhi, Check Out Artisan Lab For A Fancy Festive Haul

Subtle or bold, antique or contemporary, earthy or metallic, natural or organic, simple or quirky—pick up the home accessories of your choice at Artisan Lab, a new concept store in good old Greater Kailash. Bonus: The most delicious (burnt) cheesecake served in its cafe space, among other things. By Rashima Nagpal

A Beatles tune draws me in at the two-storey Artisan Lab. Well technically, it’s three levels. The passage into the store is actually a staircase—one could call it a rabbit hole, only that it takes you upwards. A young woman is standing at the reception in anticipation. The guessing game only lasts a second as we get to the meet-and-greet business. With the spirit and zeal of a fresh entrepreneur, co-founder and Parsons School of Design-graduate, Noor Sethi takes me around her Artisan Lab.

It is painted in pastels and beautifully layered. One arched doorway leads to another; windowpanes, literal holes in the walls, and thoughtful lighting creates an illusion of space–a space that is pleasing to the senses and has a sense of rhythm to it. There’s a table laden with blue-and-white ceramic. On one of the racks are vibrant velvet cushions that seem perfect for colour-blocking a monotone living room. For those who prefer non-synthetic material, there’s a range of jute accessories waiting to be picked. There are vases, metallic lamps, and some gorgeous golden cupboards that almost steal the show. But the mango-wood kitchenware symmetrically arranged in one corner is what ultimately takes my heart away.

This is only until I have been on the second floor. It is time for the other Sethi sister to come in the picture. Neimat Sethi, Chef and Co-founder, helms the café at Artisan Lab. Being an alumnus of the Glion Institute, Switzerland, and having worked in multiple countries, she has brought refined globally-inspired recipes to the block. From fresh watermelon salad, traditional après-ski Swiss dishes, and a pine-nut pesto rigatoni to their affogato and burnt cheesecake — the selection is ideal for breakfast, brunch, and an evening snack all the same. Also, there is a dedicated range of meals and take-aways for fitness junkies. Already a success, the café space is part of the extended design store. Think more arched doorways, more palms, more self-sustaining plant ecosystems, and a deck of coffee table books bearing names such as Steve McCurry.

An afternoon has sweetly passed by. I almost forget I am in Delhi. The feeling is reinforced as I read this on the welcome wall only when I am about to leave: “We have curiosities to show, stories to tell, and a dream to dream with you.” It’s true.

THE DETAILS

Address: Artisan Lab, N-8, Greater Kailash-1, Delhi 110048.

Hours: Monday to Sunday, 10.30 am – 9 pm.