Dine-in in Delhi has resumed. Restaurants of Delhi are back in business. Our favourite American Diner, one of the oldest restaurants of India Habitat Centre is now Habitat Hub.
Is All American Diner closed?
A sad yes. 🙁
We had curated a list of our favourite restaurants that have closed down and it is time to update that list.
About two decades back, Old World Hospitality had opened the restaurant All American Diner with an American – Texan menu. The venue was India Habitat Centre (IHC) on Lodhi Road.
Our favourite meal at The All American Diner
We would walk in any weekend afternoon or in the evening, after watching a show at IHC and order our favourite Sunrise Skillet from their all-day breakfast menu. The scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages and pancakes would be calories well consumed. Sometimes we would order fried chicken or chips or steak. Also, America runs on coffee. Inline thereof, All American Diner would have a wide range of coffee options and shakes too.
There was a jukebox here too where one could insert a 5 Rupee coin and hear their favourite song. We have not witnessed the jukebox here. However, we would hear oldies by Beatles or Elvis Presley at All American Diner. This place was a comfort food experience for us.
So yes, do excuse the nostalgia in this post.
What has opened in place of All American Diner?
All good things come to an end they say. Old World Hospitality has pulled down from IHC and shut the All American Diner. And it is now time to move to the new kid on the block – Habitat Hub.
Habitat Hub opened in the middle of the year 2021. It is a restaurant that is being run directly by the food and beverages team of IHC.
Habitat Hub location
Habitat Hub has opened in place of the erstwhile All American Diner. It is in fact, the same spot.
In case you did not know, IHC is an entertainment cum office zone. They have auditoriums, art galleries, banquet halls and conference rooms in addition to office spaces as well as guest houses. It is one of the most modern pieces of architecture. The exposed brick walls punctuated with colourful handmade ceramic tiles epitomised a fusion of old and new. The property was also dotted with pieces of sculpture and fountains. They have a totemic bell arrangement at the entry that we love to push when we enter.
IHC is on Lodhi Road. The nearest metro to IHC is Jor Bagh. It is a longish walk from here or you can take an autorickshaw. If you are driving, fret not, IHC has a huge basement parking lot and we have never been disappointed.
When we visited Habitat Hub recently, we were happy to note that the outdoor seating arrangement has been retained by them. Heartened we went inside.
What has changed?
Masala pao and paneer bhurji were the first shocks at All American Diner turned Habitat Hub. In terms of world cuisine, we found the menu somewhat confusing. Paneer, shakshuka and pancakes on the same card were like credibility issues!
We tasted a couple of items, all American. The pancakes and macaroni cheese were bland. Not that we want spices, but these dishes lacked the kick. The hashbrown was not brown. It was probably packeted aloo patty from Mc Cain and had retained all the oil.
The serving size was good, and the prices were comparable to All American Diner prices.
Decor
The colourful walls of All American Diner, so apt for an American Tex-Mex theme, have been replaced with the white wall colour. The interesting wall pieces with vintage American advertisements have been replaced with linear food drawings. The red furnishing has now been changed to a more antiseptic teal.
If All American Diner was about old-world action, Habitat Hub is about go-with-the-flow safety. It does not offend. But it does not excite us even.
To conclude
We wanted to try Habitat Hub, and we are glad we did. It offers a lot of variety and maybe appeals to a wider selection of diners. Somehow, as we mentioned, on the whole, Habitat Hub lacks the kick. We may not be here any time soon.
The All American Diner seems to have been a really nice place packed with old-world charm, no wonder you are so nostalgic about it. Sad to not that it has closed. I can understand that the Habitat Hub is not in the same classic mould. Sandy N Vyjay
You put it so articulately.
It is so good to see both of you together at the Habitat Hub. I have never heard of this place (before this post that is) and can’t wait to try their menu in the coming week.
Good for you..hope you like it.
Am hungry now. Would love to visit and enjoy my time.
The decor looks so cute.
The decor was quiet.
This is such a wonderful place. Would love to visit.
You must!
I had no idea that All American Diner had closed! I had always loved its menu. Well all good things come to an end. This Habitat hub although looks really great!
That is so nice and positive!
I had no idea about both the restaurants. But yes the food looks good here.
Try it sometime and let us know.
Yes all good things come to an end. It’s sad that a good place was shut down. But as rhey say old is out n new is in…. they Habitat hub also has good vibes I can feel from the decor but old is gold indeed.
You have put it very well.
It looks like American Diner had been a favourite of foodies. Great that Habitat Hub has come there instead. And keeps up to the expectation.
American Diner was a hero among restaurants.
This was a very honest review. Some places we don’t ever want to change because they are just perfect the way they are.
We are glad you agree.